TOYOTA SPORTSPLEX – The Wilkes University Colonels, ranked ninth in the latest USCHO.com poll, hosted the Utica Pioneers, ranked second in the same poll, at the Toyota SportsPlex Saturday evening for a United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) battle.
 
The Colonels (16-4-1, 13-2-1 UCHC) and Pioneers (20-2-1, 15-0-1) battled to a 1-1 standstill in regulation.  After five minutes of deadlock in overtime, the Pioneers took the extra point in the shootout with a 2-0 margin.
 
The Colonels struck first with a first-period goal.  Senior Dylan Kuipers (Andover, NJ/) took advantage of the Pioneers goalkeeper Bryan Landsberger being out of position and punched home a goal with help from fellow seniors Tyler Barrow (Massapequa, NY/Saint Anthony's) and Phil Erickson (Eau Claire, WI/) at 16:26.  The two teams clamped down on the other for the majority of the game, but Utica managed the tying goal after an errant pass near the Colonels' offensive zone was stolen and punched in past senior Nico Pidro's (Cannonsburg, PA/) pad at 11:25 in the second period.
 
Both teams tightened up afterwards, with neither scoring another goal in regulation.  The Colonels barely won the shot and faceoff battles, outshooting the Pioneers 34-32 and winning 39 faceoffs to the Pioneers 34.   Landsberger shut out the Colonels in the shootout and recorded 33 saves, while Pidro recorded 31 saves in a one-goal effort for his career high.  The Colonels blocked 22 shots, while the Pioneers blocked 13 of their own.
 
The Colonels conclude their regular season action with a pair of games at the Toyota SportsPlex next week.  They play Chatham first on Friday at 5:00 p.m., in a rematch of a road affair the Colonels won 4-2 on January 15th earlier this season.  The Navy and Gold at 6-0 all-time against the Cougars.