Friday, January 17, 2020
#6 Utica College (11-2-2, 5-2-1 UCHC) – 8
#12 Wilkes University (11-4-0, 7-1-0 UCHC) – 3
On Friday night, the #6 UC Pioneers (11-2-2, 5-2-1 UCHC) returned to UCHC play on the road at the #12 Colonels of Wilkes University. The Pioneers increased their win streak to six with a convincing 8-3 victory.
Gary Heenan’s crew hit hard with five goals in the first period. Junior left wing, Conor Landrigan got things started when he got it past Wilke’s goalie, Brandon Gordon (Soo Thunderbirds) at 4:10. Jacob Cuffley (Smiths Falls Bears) and Brandon Osmundson (Hampton Roads Whalers) were credited with the assists. Less than a minute later, Daniel Fritz (Canisius College) did what he does best, firing a rocket from the blue line to the back of the cage during a power play. Landrigan and Osmundson assisted. That was it for Gordon. He had 0 saves for the game. The Colonels replaced him with Baldwinsville, NY native, Michael Paterson-Jones (Charlotte Rush). Team captain, Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Northern Cyclones) added to the Pioneers’ lead at 15:31 with a feed from Justin Allen (Rochester Monarchs) and Rome, NY native Joey Rutkowski (Smith Falls Bears). Sophomore forward Regen Cavanagh (Sioux Falls Stampede) lit the lamp with the first goal of his natural hat trick at 17:00 to make it 4-0 Pioneers. Fritz and Donovan Ott (RPI) were credited with the assists. The Pioneers were not done. It was Fritz again at 19:12 with Dante Zapata (Austin Bruins) and Brett Everson (Hawkesbury) assisting.
The Colonels gave goalie Paterson-Jones a much deserved break during the second period. Nico Pidro (Esmark Stars) replaced him in between the pipes. It didn’t matter. The Pioneers increased the number of goals to six. Cavanagh earned his second goal of the night by zipping the rebound from Kasper Kjellkvist’s (Curry College) shot by Pidro at 1:23. Wilkes first goal came at 5:42 with an unassisted goal by Tyler Barrow (Charlotte Rush). At 17:08, Utica took advantage of a power play with a three man rush of Allen to Buster Larsson (Syracuse Stars) to Ott. The Colonels quickly answered back at 18:18. Danny Reidel (Kingston Voyageurs) received the puck from Charlie Spitz (Austin Bruins) to shoot it past Utica’s Gianluca Baggetta (North York) to make it 7-2. Cavanagh finished his hat trick at 19:51. Once again, he was able to finish Kjellkvist’s rebound, who received it from Rutkowski’s tape.
Both teams started the third period with fresh goalies. Wilkes put Paterson-Jones (20 saves) back in net. Utica’s Baggetta (18 saves) was replaced by Sean Dickson (Hampton Roads Whalers). The lone goal of the third period came at 15:04 when Nick Godfrey (Corpus Christi Ice Rays) found Devon Schell (Connecticut Rangers) in front of Dickson for the score. Dickson ended the night with four saves.
Saturday, January 28, 2020
#6 Utica College (12-2-2, 6-2-1 UCHC) – 10
King’s COllege (1-13-0, 1-8-0 UCHC) – 0
The #6 Utica College Pioneers remain unbeaten in 2020. After a convincing win over Wilkes College on Friday night, the Pioneers traveled across town to take on Kings College (2-13, 1-8 UCHC) for a conference matchup.
As his teammate, Regen Cavanagh (Sioux Falls Stampede), had done the night before, Kasper Kjellkvist (Curry College) scored a natural hat trick (and Utica’s first three goals). Kjellkvist claimed they were “lucky bounces.” Kjellkvist scored the lone goal in the first period at 6:46. Donovan Ott (RPI) and red hot Cavanagh were credited with the assists.
Kjellkvist scored the lone goal of the second period, as well. This time the “lucky bounce” came from Brandon Osmundson (Hampton Roads Whalers) and Tyler Pietrowski (Odessa Jackalopes) to put the Pioneers up by two at 11:52.
To quote Yogi Berra, “It’s deja vu all over again,” at the :23 mark of the third period when the Ott-Cavanagh line assisted Kjellkvist to complete the hat trick. The figurative dam burst and Utica went on to score seven more goals in the third. At 5:31, Vaden McManus (Hampton Roads Whalers) got the puck to Daniel Fritz (Canisius College), who passed it to a driving Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Northern Cyclones), who fired it past the Kings’ goalie, Eric Daniel (Carolina Eagles). Buster Larsson (Syracuse Stars) didn’t want to be the only Swede without a point, so he lit the lamp at 6:34. Jacob Cuffley (Smiths Falls Bears) and Justin Allen (Rochester Monarchs) were credited with the assists. The Pioneers were able to take advantage of two power plays. At 8:52, Cavanagh earned his third point of the afternoon with assists from Allen and Ott. The second power play goal came at 13:01. Fritz found the tape of Conor Landrigan’s (Binghamton Jr. Sens) stick, whose shot was kick saved by Daniel. Brett Everson (Hawkesbury) got the rebound and lifted it past Daniel to make it 7-0 for the Pioneers. Less than 30 seconds later, UC made it 8-0. Fitzpatrick fed it to Dante Zapata (Austin Bruins) whose rebounding shot was controlled and finished by John Moncovich (Hampton Roads Whalers). Brendan Schultz (Topeka) scored his first goal as a Pioneer at 15:25. Pietrowski and Landrigan assisted this achievement. The Pioneers went up by double digits at 19:04. Fitzpatrick earned his third point of the game when he and Cameron Bartkoski (Amarillo Bulls) assisted Fritz with the goal that got him his third point of the night.
Utica’s Joseph Giacobbo (Rockland Nationals) earned his first career shutout with 16 saves. The Monarchs’ Daniel had 41 saves between the pipes.
TOP PERFORMERS
Mae Batherson - 2 Goals, 1 Assist
Savannah Rennie - 1 Goal, 2 Assists
Kelli Rowsell - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
Syracuse has a week off before hosting St. Lawrence on Saturday, November 16th at the War Memorial in Syracuse.
