Box Score

Utica, NY – A Louis Educate hat trick in a four-minute span in the second period led Utica past the Elmira College Men's Ice Hockey team, 11-2, Friday evening in Utica. The win improves the No. 9 Pioneers to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in conference competition, while the loss drops the Soaring Eagles to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in ECAC West play.
 
Utica got on the board at the 8:26 mark of the first period when Justin Hogan and Mike Baird assisted Joel Wetmore for the score. Exactly three minutes later the Pioneers added to the damage when Rob Morton scored with the skater advantage off passes from Donny Olivieri and Louis Educate. Within two minutes later Utica opened up a three-goal advantage when Evan Chlanda and Ridge Garbutt assisted an Olivieri marker. The Pioneers held a distinct 17-6 shots advantage as penalties hurt EC, with Utica going 2-for-4 on the power play in the opening period.
 
The Soaring Eagles came out inspired scoring two goals in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the second period. D'Arcy Oakes '13 tallied the first score at the 2:18 mark off a pass from Jesper Strale '14. Two minutes later Erick Eriksson '16 and Oakes assisted a Brian Depp '16 score.
 
The Pioneers showed their mental toughness as they answered with three consecutive scores all by Educate to blow open a 6-2 lead. Educate lit the lamp off passes from Robert Etts and Jon Gaffney at the 5:50 mark. Less than two minutes later he found the back of the net again with assists credited to Mike Slowikowski and Joel Wetmore.
 
At the 9:25 mark Educate completed a hat trick in less than a four-minute span, this time with the skater advantage. Trever Hertz and Chlanda earned helpers on the play. Six minutes later Utica added another score, their fourth of the night on the power play. Josh Schmitt scored his first goal of the night off dishes from Educate and Rob Morton. With 28 seconds remaining in the second period the Pioneers tacked on another when Hertz scored off a dish from Adam Graff, leaving Utica with an 8-2 advantage after 40 minutes of play.
 
Utica tacked on another three goals in the third period with one apiece from Morton, Educate, and Chandla for the final score of 11-2. Nick Therrien made 26 saves in the win for the Pioneers. Darren MacDonald '13, Ryan deMelo '15 and Matt Milne '14 all split time in net for the Soaring Eagles. MacDonald made 14 saves in just over a period, deMelo stopped 16 shots in just less than a period, and Milne made 10 saves in the third period.
 
The EC Men's Ice Hockey team returns to action tomorrow in Utica when it takes on the Pioneers starting at 7:00 p.m.
 
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