UTICA, NY - The 25th season of Utica hockey came to an end on Saturday night at the Adirondack Bank Center as the Pioneers fell 5-1 in the NCAA Quarterfinals to a tough UW-Stout squad, despite heavily outshooting the opposition and controlling the pace of play during a large majority of the contest. The Pioneers completed their 2025-2026 campaign with a record of 20-8-1, falling just short of their third straight NCAA Division III Frozen Four appearance. Stout improved to 23-5-1, advancing to just their second Division III Frozen Four in program history. 

The hosts would outshoot their Western foe by a 47-22 margin, also winning the faceoff battle by capturing 45 out of 76 chances. Despite dominating these different categories, the Pioneers wouldn't be able to capitalize, as they barely missed out on a slew of scores that would have changed the tide of the NCAA tilt. Because of this, the Blue Devils were able to use their efficient play to take a 3-1 advantage heading into the third period, one they would eventually hold onto as they solidified a 5-1 win with two last-second goals.

The Pioneers would strike first in the contest, netting a power play score on one of their two extra-man opportunities. Towards the end of the team's first power play, Alex German would find a rebound at the goalmouth and use a backhand poke to send the puck into the net, giving the orange and blue a 1-0 lead. Sal Cerrato and Drake Morse would receive assists on the play. 

Stout would eventually knot things up a few minutes later, and then would score twice in each of the next two periods to come away with the 5-1 victory. 

Senior center John Gutt excelled in his final collegiate contest, winning 13 of his 19 faceoff attempts to help set the team up in prime position on numerous occasions. This would also mark the last collegiate outing for goaltender Kyle Curtin, who saved 17 shots on the night.

The Pioneers will now look ahead to the much-anticipated 2026-2027 season, hoping to return a substantial portion of this year's squad. With 19 underclassmen, in addition to the star-studded Class of 2027, which includes 11 current juniors, the Pioneers will be in great shape to return to the pinnacle of Division III Hockey this coming year. 

Keep an eye on our athletics social media for information about the 2026-2027 season!