Wilkes Men's Ice Hockey Falls in UCHC Championship Game One
UTICA, N.Y. – The No. 2 seeded Wilkes University men's ice hockey team fell to top-seed Utica College in the first game of the 2020 United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Tournament Championship on Friday evening by a 4-0 final.
The Colonels are now 19-9-0. Friday's contest marks the first time Wilkes has been held scoreless this season.
Nick Godfrey (Cedar Run, NJ) got the Colonels first scoring opportunity of the game six minutes in on a hustle play to cancel an icing that turned into a wide-open shot in front of Utica goalkeeper Gianluca Baggetta that Baggetta was able to turn away.
Wilkes controlled the pace of play through the first 10 minutes but the Pioneers were the team that broke through first, finding the back of the net at 13:13 to take a 1-0 lead.
Utica added a power-play score at 18:07 of the first to double its advantage.
The Pioneers opened the scoring in the second period at 1:28 with a bar-down shot from the left circle to make the score 3-0.
Wilkes began to find some sustained pressure around 2:30 of the second with the puck sitting in front of the net but the Colonels were stopped by Baggetta.
Baggetta had the answer again around the halfway point of regulation Dylan Kuipers (Andover, NJ) faked a shot and found Tyson Araujo (Oak Bluffs, MA/) for a tip-in attempt but Baggetta slid across the crease to make a pad save and keep Wilkes off the board.
Phil Erickson (Eau Claire, WI/) had a scoring opportunity at 16:34 of the second with a wrap-around chance on the left side of the crease but was stopped by Baggetta.
Tyler Barrow (Massapequa, NY) found himself on a breakaway after a miscommunication around the 12 minute mark of the third by the Pioneers in the Colonels defensive zone but Baggetta again was up to the task as he turned the attempt away.
Utica notched its fourth goal even strength at 15:05 of the third.
Michael Paterson-Jones (Baldwinsville, NY) stopped 31 of 35 shots for Wilkes while Baggetta had the answer for all 25 Colonels shots on goal.
The UCHC Championship will continue at Utica with game two on Saturday with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
