UTICA, NY - The NCAA Division III Tournament kicked off on Saturday afternoon with a matinee matchup between two unfamiliar foes as Utica welcomed Fitchburg State to the Adirondack Bank Center for the first ever contest between the two sides. In the opening round of the big dance, it was senior star Matt Wood who provided the spark for the home side as he netted two, first period scores, giving the Pioneers a lead they would never relinquish in a dominant 5-1 victory to advance to next weekend's quarterfinal.
Wood opened the scoring, pocketing a pair of goals within the first 15 minutes to give the Pioneers an early 2-0 lead, also ascending past the 30-point threshold as he tallied goals number eight and nine on the year.
The team walled up after that, battling to a stalemate over the majority of the second period before Aiden Hughes corralled a carom off the boards and slotted away the biscuit to begin the second surge in closing moments of the middle frame.
Eric Vitale and Gabriel Lundberg planted the game's closing goals as the pair both struck in the final 10 minutes of play to bring the game to it's final tally at 5-1 Utica.
The trio of Hughes, Vitale, and Lundberg each netted one score, while Wood provided a pair of goals.
Seven Pioneers accrued a single assist each, with Brian Scoville, Ben Schultheis, Shane Murphy, Preston Brighton, Tio D'Addario, Johnny Mulera, and Andrew Della Rovere supplying seven combined playmakers to round out the point-getters for the team.
In goal, Ryan Piros walled up well during his first collegiate NCAA postseason appearance, allowing just one goal in the closing moments while grabbing 17 saves to achieve his first career win on the national stage.
Despite the occasional lack of dynamic play that postseason contests sometimes display, the Pioneers still dominated in nearly all facets of the game.
Utica outshot the MASCAC champs by a 43-18 margin, controlling the pace and pushing through despite a very solid showing from the Falcons' back line. Fitchburg's defense faired extremely well through the bulk of the battle, even shutting down the Pioneers' vaunted power play unit on back-to-back occasions during the second period.
Despite Fitchburg's fierce defending, the Pioneers managed to set themselves up for success on numerous occasions due to their otherworldly numbers on the draw during Saturday's showdown. The Pioneers captured 44 of a possible 61 attempts within the circle, posting a combined faceoff win percentage of 72%, a surreal showing on the draw. Jakob Breault had yet another dominant day on the draw, getting 20 of his 26 faceoff chances, a 77% faceoff win rate for the veteran in the opening game of his final NCAA run. Della Rovere and D'Addario also posted solid marks in the circle, with the former going 10-for-13 and the latter going 9-for-14.
The Pioneers surged ahead in the first period, going up 2-0 thanks to Wood's pair of scores. They held strong over the next 20 minutes, allowing nary a shot from the Falcon's 30th-ranked offense. The hosts couldn't generate any breakthroughs during a pair of power play opportunities during the second period, but broke the lull near the end of the frame thanks to an even-strength score by Hughes. In the third, the Pioneer defense kept with a Fitchburg attack that turned up the pressure as the period progressed. Vitale netted his score with the game entering its final stages, slicing through the heart of the Falcon D for a smooth, unassisted wrap-around score. Fitchburg fought back, with their lead man Hunter Dunn pulling one back with four minutes remaining. Lundberg would land his redirect score though, making the game 5-1 with just a minute left and sending the Pioneers through to the quarterfinal.
The Pioneers will match up against a western foe next Saturday, with either Gustavus Adolphus or St. Norbert set to join them in next weekend's quarterfinal round. That fight for a spot in the Frozen Four will take place next Saturday at a place and time to be determined. More information will be posted when it is available. The Gusties and Green Knights will battle at 8:00 PM tonight for the right to face the Pioneers next weekend.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period | 6:10 | Wood (Della Rovere, Brighton) | 1-0 Utica
1st Period | 8:56 | Wood (Mulera) | 2-0 Utica
2nd Period | 18:20 | Hughes (Schultheis, Murphy) | 3-0 Utica
3rd Period | 11:45 | Vitale | 4-0 Utica
3rd Period | 15:17 | Hunter Dunn (Matteo Orme Lynch) | 4-1 Utica
3rd Period | 18:57 | Lundberg (Scoville, D'Addario) | 5-1 Utica