Wilkes hockey looks to make its mark in top-15 matchup against Utica
The young Wilkes ice hockey program has not had much time to stack up big games. But despite the program being in its second season, the Colonels have already played in more of them than anyone could’ve predicted.
Another one is set for 5 p.m. Friday, as No. 12 Wilkes hosts No. 6 Utica at Toyota SportsPlex.
This will be the first time Wilkes will host a matchup of USCHO ranked teams, and it will be one of the biggest games of the season in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC).
Outside of the playoff game Wilkes hosted last season, this will be the biggest game of the program’s short history.
“Overall we have said that this is the biggest week in program history,” Wilkes coach Tyler Hynes said. “Every night in the UCHC is a dogfight and a battle, and this won’t be any different.”
The Colonels head into this game with a 11-3 record, fresh off a 6-5 overtime loss to SUNY Cortland.
“It wasn’t the way we wanted to start the week, but it is a good lesson,” Hynes said. “If we don’t play the way we should, then anybody can beat us. It was like getting a piece of humble pie heading into the weekend.”
Donald Flynn continued his impressive campaign with a multi-point night despite the loss. He has been a key part of the Colonels offense and arguably the most dominant player in the UCHC since he came to Wilkes as a freshman.
Flynn leads the UCHC in points with 30 points. Last season he finished fifth with 38 points, 10 off the lead with six fewer games played.
Although he is leading the conference now, Flynn hasn’t had to do things alone. Nick Fea has also put together an impressive season. He ranks third in the UCHC in points with 23 and first in assists with 17. Captain Tyson Araujo has been crucial to the offense, sitting in seventh in the UCHC with 17 points.
Flynn, Fea, Araujo and the rest of the Colonels may have to step up on Friday because Wilkes may be without reigning USCHO Rookie of the Year Tyler Barrow. He is tied for fifth in scoring in the UCHC with 18 points and is currently listed as questionable after missing Tuesday’s game against Cortland.
“He is questionable right now with an upper body injury,” Hynes said. “We are hoping that he can play but with the condensed week he is really a game-time decision.”
The challenge ahead of the Colonels will be the toughest yet. Wilkes has one win against a ranked team, Stevenson. The Mustangs were not ranked when the Colonels defeated them 3-2, but they were as high as 10th as of last week and are now 14th.
Utica defeated Wilkes 2-1 and 4-2 in the two meetings between the teams last year. The Pioneers have an impressive freshman of their own, Brandon Osmundson. He is the second highest scorer in the UCHC with 24 points.
“Our game plan is to focus on us and what we want to do. Since it’s a home game we have the second change and we can line match,” Hynes said. “A lot of it comes down to not overthinking it. They have a ton of skill and a ton of good players, similar to Elmira. We’ll be prepared, and we’ll know who their horses are
”At the same time though, we have guys that they need to stop, too. We feel pretty good about that.”
Utica has not had an easy start to the season, losing tightly contested games against Elmira and Stevenson. They also tied with Lebanon Valley. To this point, the most impressive game of the season for the Pioneers so far has been a 5-1 victory over No. 10 Salve Regina. They also picked up a pair of wins against No. 15 Adrian.
When these two teams met last season, Utica goalie Gianluca Baggetta stood on his head, as he had a majority of last season. This year, Baggetta has average numbers among the conference leaders with a .907 save percentage and 2.80 goals against average.
“When you play good goalies, you want to say just get a lot of pucks to the net, get shots on goal,” Hynes said. “But a lot of shots don’t beat good goalies, quality shots do. We need to find that balance between when to shoot, when to create a rebound and also when to hold onto the puck and make a pass somewhere. It’s more difficult to stop shots when you are moving so we need to do that.”
Wilkes’ success has also hinged on the emergence of freshman goalie Michael Paterson-Jones. His numbers hover close to Baggetta, with a .904 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average.
This game could be crucial for the Colonels, who are currently undefeated in conference play. A win against Utica could make them the favorites to win the conference heading into the second half of UCHC play.
Having the top seed for the UCHC playoff tournament gives the team home ice and a first-round bye, avoiding the one game play-in.
