Story Created:
Jan 28, 2012 at 12:54 AM EDT
Story Updated:
Jan 28, 2012 at 1:08 AM EDT
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - The nationally-ranked No. 11 Utica College men's hockey team beat Hobart College, 5-2, Friday night in front of 3,194 fans at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Junior Evan Chlanda led the Pioneers with two goals on the night.
UC returns to the ice Saturday for the second game of the weekend series as they travel to Geneva, NY for a 7 p.m. face-off against Hobart in ECAC West action. Utica moved to 12-5-1 overall including a 2-3-1 mark in the conference. Hobart falls to 10-8 on the season while 1-4 in ECAC play.
UC jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 6:19 as Chlanda netted his ninth goal of the season off feeds from senior Tim Coffman and sophomore Doug Marshall. The visitors killed two power-plays while UC deaded one of its own. The Statesmen outshot the home 6-3 in the first 20 minutes of action.
The Pioneers came out in the second period and pushed to a 2-0 lead as sophomore George Lotito scored, even-strength, off a dish from freshman Justin Hogan, at 2:31. Hobart answered just over five minutes later, at 7:51, to cut the lead to one, 2-1, off a Brad Richard score. Less than one minute later, at 8:16, the Statesmen knotted up the game, 2-2, off a converted penalty shot from Frank Salituro. UC regained the lead, at 12:23, as Chlanda put home his second goal of the evening to give Utica a 3-2 edge. Coffman set up the go-ahead goal as he tied the College's all-time record for points with 129. The second period shots were even at 11 apiece.
After 14 minutes of quiet play, in the final period, sophomore Jon Gaffney cushioned UC with his 11th season goal, at 14:41, to give the home team a 4-2 advantage. The Pioneers secured the victory with an empty netter at 19:16 as New Hartford native, junior Rob Morton, slid his fifth goal of season from three quarters deep.
Sophomore Evan Smith stopped 24 shots as he moved to 8-3-1 on the season while Statesmen net minder Martin Ausserhofer recorded 18 saves on the night.
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