UTICA, NY - The No. 1 Utica University men's hockey team captured its second-straight UCHC Championship after defeating the Nazareth Golden Flyers 5-3 on Saturday night. Utica improves to 25-2-1, while extending its unbeaten streak to 26 games and winning streak to 18 games. Nazareth had its best season in program history come to an end with an 18-8-2 mark.
 
Dante Zapata led the way with two goals while Kimball Johnson, Brandon Osmundson, and Buster Larsson each scored one. Lucas Herrmann, Regen Cavanagh, and John Moncovich each tallied two assists while Brandon Osmundson, Buster Larsson, Jayson Dobay, and Mic Curran each recorded one assist. In net Bryan Landsberger recorded 26 saves and picked up his NCAA Division III leading 25th win of the season which is also the most in program history in a single-season.

Michael DiSchiavi, Blake Frost and Logan Tobias scored for Nazareth, while Henry McKinney dished out two assists.
 
The teams came out firing, combining for 23 shots in the opening frame. Utica outshot Nazareth 14-9 in the first period and created plenty of scoring opportunities yet could not convert. The Golden Flyers scored first at the 9:47 mark to take a 1-0 edge in the contest. Nazareth would take its 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
 
Utica dominated the second period controlling the puck for a large portion of the frame and was passing the puck beautifully. Brandon Osmundson tied the game 1-1 at the 1:45 mark off a feed from Regen Cavanagh and Jayson Dobay. The Pioneers continued to be aggressive and push the pace and Dante Zapata found the back of the net at the 9:04 mark to give Utica its first lead of the game. Buster Larsson assisted the goal with a beautiful leading pass. This came after the team denied Nazareth throughout a five minute penalty kill. 
 
Just moments later, Larsson rifled one into the back of the net from Ossmundson to give the Pioneers a 3-1 edge at the 14:10 mark. Kimball Johnson took a loose puck and made a nifty move to beat the goaltender at the 15:46 mark to extend Utica's lead to 4-1. Yet, Nazareth would respond and score at the 17:26 mark to cut the Pioneer lead to 4-2.
 
Utica kept the pressure on, yet the Nazareth defense held strong and the score remained 4-2 halfway through the frame. The Golden Flyers won a faceoff and then fired a puck into the back of the net at the 12:00 mark to cut the lead to 4-3 with eight minutes left to play. Utica's defense prevailed and Dante Zapata scored an empty net goal at the 18:59 mark off a pass from John Moncovich and Lucas Herrmann to seal the win. The Pioneers hung on to win 5-3 and win the UCHC Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Zapata was named UCHC Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second time in his collegiate career (2020). Teammates Jayson Dobay and Landsberger was also named to the All-Tournament Team. Nazareth's Henry McKinney and Logan Tobias were also named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Stevenson's Liam McCanney.
 
No. 1 Utica (25-2-1, 20-0-0 UCHC) will find out its NCAA Tournament first or second round matchup during the selection show at 10 a.m. on Monday. The show will be live streamed on NCAA.com

2023 UCHC Men's Hockey Championship All-Tournament Team
Bryan Landsberger, G, Utica
Jayson Dobay, D, Utica
Liam McCanney, F, Stevenson
Henry McKinney, F, Nazareth
Logan Tobias, F, Nazareth
Dante Zapata, F, Utica

2023 UCHC Women's Tournament MVP - Dante Zapata, F, Utica