UTICA, NY - Another climb got underway last night in Utica as the Pioneers began another NCAA voyage, taking on the Cinderella story of the bracket as they welcomed the NESCAC Champion Williams College Ephs for NCAA Tournament First Round action. Against a high-powered Ephs squad, the Pioneers were able to control tempo, completely shutting down the opponents and scoring a trio of second-period goals to take a 3-0 win and advance to next week's quarterfinal.
The Pioneers improved to 20-7-1 with the victory, also grabbing their fourth straight NCAA Tournament victory on the Adirondack Bank Center ice. The team will host WIAC Champion Wisconsin-Stout next Saturday with a chance to book their ticket to the program's third consecutive Division III Frozen Four. The Pioneers will now officially have home ice for the entire duration of their NCAA Tournament run, with the National Semifinals and Championship taking place back at the Adirondack Bank Center this season.
The Ephs finish their season at 12-14-2, wrapping up a campaign that saw them shock the NESCAC Tournament field by capturing the program's first championship as the #6 seed.
The Pioneers did extremely well to stunt a Williams offense that had scored 3.6 goals per game heading into last night's matchup. Thanks to a spectacular showing from Pioneer goaltender Kyle Curtin, the Ephs were kept completely off the board, with the orange and blue achieving the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament shutout.
The defense was timely and clutch for the hosts during last night's first-round tilt, as the Pioneers were outshot for one of the only times this season, with Williams launching 28 shots on goal compared to 26 for the higher seed. A major part of the Pioneers' success was their ability to read where the Williams attacks were coming from, as the orange and blue managed an outrageous 29 blocks.
Energized by their defense, the Pioneers would score three goals in just over three minutes late in the second period to give themselves a 3-0 lead, one that would hold as the team would cement their spot in the quarterfinal by that same score despite a seven-minute man-up push at the end of the game by the visitors.
Three Stars:
First Star - Kyle Curtin: Curtin received a massive amount of applause during the team's opening introductions on Saturday night, but that was just the beginning for Pioneer fans as the senior stopper would be the architect of the team's first-ever NCAA Shutout. Curtin made 28 saves in the matchup, continuing the solid form that he displayed in the UCHC Championship against Geneseo. Curtin is getting hot at the right time for this Pioneer team which has had a staunch defense down the stretch. The Pioneers' goal guardian hasn't allowed more than one goal in any of the team's three postseason games, holding Nazareth and Geneseo to one goal each, before shutting out the Ephs.
Second Star - Aidan Hughes: Hughes kept up his stellar season yesterday night, slotting in as the only Pioneer with multiple points in the affair. The junior forward scored the opening goal of the game, which would also go on to become the game-winning goal, after he cleaned up a puck in front of net late in the second period. Hughes would then assist on the team's third goal just a few minutes later, helping put the contest to bed.
Third Star - Preston Brighton: The Pioneers' defensive captain made his impact felt far beyond the scoring sheet, as, despite not racking up any points, Brighton may have had one of the most important outings of the entire night. The junior defenseman laid down the law on multiple occasions, amping up the crowd and his own teammates as the team enforced its will on the boards throughout the contest. Additionally, Brighton gathered an incredible seven blocks, taking the Ephs completely out of the contest on offense. Brighton's defense was integral to the team's success.
Andrew Della Rovere and John Gutt would grab the final two goals for the Pioneers, as the former struck just 31 seconds after Hughes' opening goal, while the latter hammered one home just two and a half minutes following the former's score.
Davis Goukler, Alexander Gullichsen, Drake Morse, and Nick Ahern would each tally and assist on the evening.
The Pioneers will advance to next Saturday's NCAA Quarterfinal, where they'll welcome Wisconsin-Stout to the Adirondack Bank Center at 7:00 PM.
Like last week, season ticket holders will have a 24-hour window to purchase tickets using a special code that will be sent to their email. That exclusive window will begin on Monday evening and extend to Tuesday evening. On Tuesday night, tickets will open to the general public. More information will be released soon.