Men's ice hockey plays to tie at No. 10 Utica

The Hamilton College Continentals and the nationally ranked No. 10 Utica College Pioneers played to a 4-4 tie in a non-conference game played in front of a sellout crowd at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Jan. 25.

Box Score

This was the third straight tie score between the two programs and the all-time series stands at 5-5-4. Special teams played a big role in tonight's game as just two goals were scored while the teams skated at even strength.

Truman Landowski '17, Kenny Matheson '16 and Pat Curtis '15 paced Hamilton with one goal and one assist each. Landowski has five points in the last three games. Brad Smelstor '17 tallied the other goal and Dom Jancaterino '14 was credited with two assists. Conor Lamberti '17, Robbie Murden '17 and Marko Brelih '16 added one helper each. Zach Arnold '15 made 33 saves, including 18 in the second period, in his first collegiate start.

Ridge Garbutt led Utica with two goals and one assist. Kevin Kirisits posted a goal and an assist and Trever Hertz tallied the other goal. Louie Educate picked up a pair of assists and Marcus Zelzer stopped 30 shots.

After a scoreless first period, the Continentals (4-9-2) grabbed a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Matheson at 2:11 of the second. Murden and Lamberti assisted on Matheson's seventh goal this season.

Garbutt tied the score with an unassisted short-handed goal at 6:33 of the second period. Hamilton went on another power play 67 seconds later and Smelstor scored his first collegiate goal on assists from Jancaterino and Landowski at 9:29 of the period. Landowski gave the Continentals a 3-1 advantage on his third goal with 5:44 left.

Kirisits cut the Pioneers' deficit in half on his power-play goal 22 seconds into a five-on-three advantage with 3:59 remaining in the second period. Utica held a 20-9 shot advantage in the period.

The Pioneers (10-4-4) drew even just 42 seconds into the third period on another power-play goal -- this one scored by Garbutt while the teams skated four-on-three. Hertz gave Utica its first lead of the night at 4-3 with his fifth goal on assists from Educate and Justin Hogan 59 seconds later.

The Pioneers' lead was short-lived as Curtis rounded out the scoring with his fifth goal on assists from Matheson and Brelih at 3:54 of the third. Hamilton took two shots in overtime and Utica had one.

For the night, the Pioneers held a 37-34 edge in shots. The Continentals went 3-for-6 on the power play and Utica scored twice in five opportunities.

Hamilton travels to Wesleyan University for a NESCAC game on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m.