UTICA, N.Y. – The Wilkes University men's ice hockey team traveled to Utica for the second game of a season opening doubleheader against their United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) foe Utica Pioneers.
 
The Colonels (1-1, 1-1 UCHC) struggled against Utica (1-1, 1-1) as they split the doubleheader with an 11-5 loss against the Pioneers.
 
Wilkes struck first 5:23 into the game, with junior forward Tyler Barrow (Massapequa, NY) netting a goal with assists from sophomore forward Billy Berry (Redding, CT) and junior forward Tyler Dill (South Lake Tahoe, CA).  Utica netted the next two goals at 10:53 and 16:39 in the first period to take the lead into the second frame.  The Colonels struck twice early, with goals at 1:29 and 3:23.  Junior forward Angelo Marquart (Hackettstown, NJ) netted the first, with assists from fellow junior forward Donald Flynn (Randolph, NJ) and junior defender Paul Cimilluca (Colonia, NJ).  Flynn earned the second of the two goals in the period, with help from Barrow and junior forward Nick Fea (Oak Ridge, NJ).
 
Utica would net the next four goals to head into the third up 6-3.  Junior forward Devon Schell (Scarsdale, NY) snapped the skid at 1:44 to start the third, with assists from fellow junior forwards Phil Erickson (Eau Claire, WI) and Dill.  The Pioneers scored five goals unanswered through the middle of the third period to effectively put the game out of reach.  Fea notched a goal at 17:16 to snap the streak, with help from Barrow and sophomore forward Nick Godfrey (Cedar Run, NJ) on the power play, to end the scoring for the night.
 
The Colonels were out-shot on the evening 40-21 by the Pioneers.  Sophomore goaltender Michael Paterson-Jones (Baldwinsville, NY) had 25 saves in the losing effort, with four saves from freshman goaltender Luc Fox (Valencia, CA) in relief duty.  Utica goaltender Joseph Giacobbo recorded 16 saves in the victory.
 
The Colonels look to bounce back from the loss with yet another rematch from last season's UCHC conference playoffs.  They travel to Stevenson to start Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) play against UCHC and MAC foe Stevenson at 7:00 p.m. next Friday.