Utica Pioneers Salute Fans During Final Regular-Season Game

Update, Sunday, 2/23/25: The Utica Pioneers have won the UCHC Championship which gives them home-ice advantage during the playoffs starting next Saturday. Utica beat Manhattanville, 3-2 Saturday, and Nazareth upset now second place Geneseo, 7-4. Utica will play the lowest seeded team next Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Adirondack Bank Center.  

The Utica Pioneers men's hockey team hoped to be giving fans a taste of an exciting postseason play as they hosted Manhattanville on Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center. Things didn't seem to be working out as expected despite the fact that Utica significantly outshot the Valiants during the game, 40-15.

Manhattanville struck first against Utica at 8:04 in the first period. Utica continued their offensive blitz into the second period when they finally tied the game at 7:35 in the 2nd, when Johnny Mulera scored the Pioneers first goal. The two teams would enter the intermission tied at 1-1.

The 2nd period is when the flood gates would open for Utica. Andrew Della Rovere, Brian Mulera, Brian Scoville, and Alexander Gullichsen would each score in the 3rd period and the Pioneers would leave home fans with a convincing 5-1 win at the Adirondack Bank Center.

The Playoff Picture

Utica and Geneseo are currently tied for first place in the ECAC, however, Geneseo currently has a regular season advantage for home ice in the playoffs if the two teams both win tonight. During the regular season, Geneseo beat Utica twice, and the Pioneers score one win, but won in a shootout following a tie back in December, giving Geneseo the edge. If Utica beats the Valiants tonight on the road, and Geneseo loses to Nazareth in nearby Rochester, then the Pioneers will receive home ice through the playoffs. If Geneseo wins tonight, they receive the home ice advantage and the top seed. The Pioneers will get a first round bye and will play at home on Saturday night at 7, at the Adirondack Bank Center. The UCHC championship game will be held Saturday, March 8th at the home ice of the higher seeded team.

Tickets for the March 1st, playoff game at 7 p.m. are available at the Adirondack Bank Center Box Office or by purchasing online here.