ASTON, PA - The No. 7 Utica University men's ice hockey team did its part to keep the high ground in the UCHC standings on Friday. After a scoreless first, the Pioneers jumped into the drivers' seat with two goals in the second period, and added two more in the third as they blanked host Neumann University by a 4-0 score in a UCHC matchup at the IceWorks Complex.
The Pioneers are now 9-2-3 overall, and 8-0-1 in conference play. They have won three straight games to open 2024, and received the full compliment of points to maintain a two point lead in the conference standings, with second place Stevenson also winning Friday. The Knights are 5-7-0 overall, and 5-5-0 in conference play.
Mike Herrera led the way for the Pioneers with a dominant performance, factoring into three of the team's four goals with two goals and an assist. Drake Morse had a goal and an assist, while Matt Wood tacked on a goal of his own. Eric Vitale, Preston Brighton, Brian Scoville, Aiden Hughes, and Kimball Johnson had an assist apiece. In net, Bryan Landsberger made 21 saves to pick up his fifth career shutout.
Cole DeFazio made 41 saves in the loss for the home side. DeFazio is the brother of former Utica Comets forward Brandon DeFazio.
The Pioneers out-shot the Knights by a 45-21 margin, including a 17-4 margin in the first period. As a team, they won 45 of 73 draws, paced by a terrific 7-for-8 effort by Chris Carroll, and a 5-for-6 effort from Gabriel Lundberg. The Utica power play went 1-for-9, while holding the home team off the board on their six advantage chances. The overall special teams play was instrumental in a game that featured 68 penalty minutes.
Despite a wide array of early minor penalties on the home side, the Pioneers were unable to capitalize in the opening period. Instead, the floodgates opened in even strength play as Matt Wood scored in a third straight game with his third of the season at 4:09 of the second period, with Morse and Herrera snagging the assists. That goal held as the game-winner.
The Pioneers doubled the stagger before the end of the period as Herrera lit the lamp for a team-best seventh time this season at 18:49.
The Blue and Orange scored twice more in the third to ice the matchup for good. Drake Morse connected on a power play goal at 8:36, and Herrera's second of the night and eighth of the year rounded out the scoring on a 4-0 Pioneer win.
Utica has now won their last eight contests against Neumann, with three of the last six coming by way of shutout. The two sides meet again at 4 PM Saturday at IceWorks.