UTICA, NY - Despite the result, tonight's National Championship rematch was one for the ages. In a back and forth affair that produced 11 goals, 10 penalties, and four lead changes, the No. 7 Utica University Pioneers threw the kitchen sink at No. 1  nationally ranked Hobart, using five goals in the second and third periods to take the game to overtime, where the Statesmen would eventually win by a 6-5 final. 

Even with the defeat, the energy was immaculate during the contest, as the Pioneer faithful showed out for a Thursday night throwdown. The electricity in the Aud allowed the Pioneer offense to come alive, netting five goals against a Statesmen squad that hadn't let up a handful since January 21, 2023. 

Leading the scoring for Utica was junior forward Eric Vitale, who secured his second career hat trick with three goals, including netting the tying and go-ahead goal near the end of the third period. Vitale struck twice on the power play, helping the orange and blue heal their recent woes on the man advantage. Vitale made the most of his opportunities on Thursday night, scoring on all three of his opportunities to help contribute to an effort that forced the Statesmen to switch their goaltenders towards the end of the affair.

The other two scores were scored by Chris Carroll and John Gutt, with the latter also notching an assist to finish with a two point appearance. Gutt was active in the matchup, playing well in his role as he flew around the ice all night long. 

Sal Cerrato also had another phenomenal outing, grabbing three assists as he continued to shine early on in his rookie season. Hunter Longhi also added two apples, joining Cerrato as the only orange and blue skaters with multiple assists. 

Rounding out the scoring sheet were Drake Morse, Preston Brighton, Nick Ahern, and Anthony Bax, who each finished with a single assist. 

Kyle Curtin got the start for Utica, showing out during the first period of play as he stopped 16 Hobart shots to keep the gap at just one goal entering the first intermission. Curtin would end with 30 saves in the matchup, turning in a stellar performance despite the opposition's scoring numbers.

The Pioneers were extremely efficient on Thursday night, scoring their five goals on just 16 shots. They also took a massive edge in the faceoff department, logging a resounding win over the Statesmen inside the circle with 48 wins in 68 total opportunities. Andrew Della Rovere led the way with 18 faceoff wins in 25 attempts, while rookie Jagur McClelland also had a solid outing, winning nine of his 14 attempts. 

After a rough first period, the Pioneers bounced back with a big second frame, erasing the early 1-0 deficit to take their first lead just five minutes into the period. Hobart knotted the game at two a few minutes later, before the Pioneers' avalanche continued, with Carroll's score making it 3-2 less than halfway through the frame. Utica's first three goals all came within the first ten minutes of the second period, equalling, in just half a frame, the highest number of goals that Hobart allowed during all of last season. 

Hobart scored twice thereafter to take a momentary 4-3 lead, before another two-straight orange and blue scores gave Utica a 5-4 advantage with minutes remaining. Hobart would take advantage of a delayed penalty call to knot the game up, eventually defeating the surging Pioneers in overtime. 

The Pioneers will now regather and look towards a road matchup with the Statesmen this weekend. Saturday's second contest will begin at 4:00 PM on Saturday over in Geneva. The Statesmen have won 54-straight home matchups, but the Pioneers already produced a historic outing against Hobart during tonight's action. Anything can happen when these two New York mainstays meet, tune in Saturday afternoon for the series finale!