UTICA, NY- The Utica College men's hockey team took a 1-0 series lead as it downed Wilkes University 4-0 in game one of the UCHC Championship series Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center.
With the win, Utica moves closer to its second UCHC Conference Championship in three years and an automatic berth into the 2020 NCAA Division III Tournament. The Pioneers will clinch the UCHC title with a win or a tie in Saturday's Game. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Utica got on the board at 13:13 of the first when freshman Dante Zapata buried a rebound off a shot by Eric Holland for his ninth of the season. Cameron Bartkoski also assisted on the opening goal.
Utica padded its lead with 1:53 remaining in the first period as Zapata netted a highlight reel goal on the powerplay to give the Pioneers a 2-0 cushion. Zapata, who was standing off the left post, played the puck between his legs and in for his 10
th of the season. Conor Landrigan and Daniel Fritz were credited with assists on the insurance tally.
The Pioneers kept the momentum rolling as freshman John Moncovich found the back of the net just 1:28 into the second stanza for his eighth goal of the year. Moncovich gathered a puck in the neutral zone and fired a shot from the left faceoff dot into the top left corner to extend Utica's lead to 3-0. Joey Rutkowski and Justin Allen had the helpers on Moncovich's tally.
UCHC Rookie of the Year Brandon Osmundson put the exclamation point on the night as he put in a backhander with 4:55 remaining in the game. Moncovich and Rutkowski picked up assists on Osmundson's 13
th of the year.
Senior Gianluca Baggetta was lights out in net, turning aside all 25 shots he faced to pick up the shutout. Baggetta now has seven shutouts in his career, tying UC assistant coach and 2008 graduate Adam Dekker for first on the College's career list.
The Pioneers meanwhile extend their program-record winning streak to 19 games. Utica also improves to 24-2-2 on the year. 24 wins in a single season is also a program record.