UTICA, NY - Utica College men's ice hockey coach Gary Heenan collected his 300th win, while the Pioneer offense put on a show on Friday night. Fueled by an electrifying seven goal second period, #3 Utica overpowered upstart Arcadia University in the visiting team's UCHC debut with a 12-1 win over the Knights at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Heenan is the 93rd Men's Ice Hockey Coach in NCAA History to reach 300 wins.
The Pioneers improve to 2-1, and 1-0 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. They have not lost a UCHC regular season home game since November 23rd, 2019.
Arcadia falls to 0-3 in its inaugural season.
12 goals is the second highest single-game total in UC Men's Ice Hockey history, and matches the 2011 Teddy Bear Toss game against Salve Regina for the highest scoring output at home in the history of the program.
Sixteen of Utica's nineteen skaters had a point. The Pioneers out-shot the Knights 56-11, with UC going 3-for-7 on the power play while holding Arcadia scoreless on theirs.
It was a good night for seniority, as senior forward Regen Cavanagh had four points on two goals and two assists, and senior defenseman Justin Allen had two goals and an assist. The Hampton Roads connection delivered for Utica with a pair of four point nights. John Moncovich had two goals and two assists, while Brandon Osmundson had a goal and three helpers. Buster Larsson had three assists, Dante Zapata had a goal and two assists. Josh Kagan and Khristian Acosta each recorded their first regular season goal in a Pioneer uniform. Joey Berkopec had two assists, while Brendan Schultz had a goal and an assist.
Bryan Landsberger stopped 10 of 11 shots for his first college win in goal. Arcadia rotated through their netminders as the score climbed, with Great Britain Junior National Team netminder Lucas Brine faring the best with 19 saves on 22 shots.
The Pioneers got their first goal on a tip by Regen Cavanagh at 1:58 of the first, and rolled their way to a four goal first period as Allen scored twice, and Acosta netted his goal for the evening.
The floodgates opened in the second, as Utica outscored the Knights 7-1 to build a 11-1 lead after two periods. Josh Kagan, Brandon Osmundson, Dante Zapata, John Moncovich, Brendan Schultz, Cavanagh, and Eric Holland had the UC second period goals, while Carson Asper scored for Arcadia.
Moncovich scored the only goal of the third period. Utica hosts Lebanon Valley on Saturday at 3 p.m.