Ice Knights fall short in UCHC championship rematch against Utica
Photo courtesy of Geneseoknights.com
In the 2024-25 season, Geneseo’s inaugural season in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC), the Ice Knights emphatically defeated the Utica Pioneers 7-3 in the conference championship game. The statement victory last season, pronounced to every other UCHC team that the Knights were a serious threat and could dominate the conference for years. Except this season, despite an identical scenario, things played out a little bit differently; Utica played like a team desperate for revenge and downed Geneseo 4-1 in the championship on Saturday, Mar. 8. While a disappointing end to the season, the Knights' valiant effort showed exactly why this team has had so much success under head coach Chris Schultz. In this article, we will break down the entire Championship game from start to finish.
In the game’s opening period, Utica wasted no time getting comfortable, as for the majority of the period, they swarmed the Knights with relentless pressure, which resulted in a bevy of scoring chances early on. Thankfully for Geneseo, junior Jacob Torgner was in between the pipes. The goaltender was up to the task early on, making a total of 16 saves in the first period alone. Nonetheless, Utica’s persistence would pay off when they finally fired one past Torgner at 15:29 of the period. The first period would come to a close with the Knights down 1-0. For Geneseo to come back in the game, they needed to find a way to generate more shots against a stout Utica defense, managing only two for the entire period.
As second-period action was underway, the Knights had made the necessary tweaks and were finding ways to sustain offensive pressure. Yet, the combination of Utica’s impregnable defense and exceptional goaltending prevented Geneseo from getting on the score sheet. Torgner once again proved his mettle, as he withstood another barrage of Pioneer shots, stopping all 17 that he faced, to keep the Knights within one goal as the second period concluded.
With time running out on their season, it was paramount for the Ice Knights to generate offensive momentum quickly and find a way to thwart Utica goaltender Kyle Curtin. 12 minutes into the third, it appeared an insurmountable task. Yet, Geneseo’s ubiquitous resolve paid off when junior forward Filip Wiberg was able to find the back of the net to tie the game up at one goal apiece. Senior defenseman Dakota Zarudny and sophomore forward Payne Gatewood recorded the assists on the goal. Despite tying the game, in a cruel twist of fate, Utica would score just two minutes later to take back the lead.
Utica’s goal 14 minutes into the third period would prove to be the game-winner, as Geneseo battled hard for the equalizer, but it was now Utica’s turn to capture the UCHC championship. The Pioneers would add a pair of empty net goals to push their tally up to four. Even though the game would come to a close with the score at 4-1, the final score doesn’t do justice to how close the Knights came to sending this contest into overtime. Nonetheless, it was Utica’s night, and they deserve praise for avenging their UCHC championship defeat last season by outplaying the Knights this time around.
On Geneseo’s side, the MVP of the game was unquestionably Jacob Torgner, who was phenomenal in the pipes for the Knights. Despite facing an onslaught of shots, the Swedish netminder made 36 saves out of 38 shots, finishing the game with an outstanding .947 save percentage.
Despite this loss, in just two seasons of UCHC play, the Knights have found themselves in the championship game both years. There’s no reason to believe that they won’t bounce back next year and reclaim conference glory.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge and commend seniors Alex Dameski and Dakota Zarudny. Dameski was named UCHC player of the year and led the Ice Knights in goals (21) and points (37). The Oakville, Ontario native finished his career with 98 points in 108 games. Zarudny is an ever-reliable and productive player who started all four years of his career, recording 75 points in over 100 career games. Both of these players might have played their last game as Ice Knights, but their achievements and dedication to the Ice Knights have left a lasting legacy.