Box Score

HERSHEY, PA— The Lebanon Valley College ice hockey team played a tight game, but ultimately fell, 2-1, to Utica College in an ECAC West game Friday night at Hersheypark Arena.

The Dutchmen (1-5-0, 0-3-0 ECACW) received a great performance from freshman goaltender Rich Drazin, who made 29 saves in the outing.

Freshman Ray Nicks got the only marker for the Valley, scoring just 13 seconds into the third period.

The teams skated evenly over the first half of the opening stanza. However, the tide began to turn against the Valley as they allowed three short-handed shots while on the powerplay. Not long after that, Mike Lane broke the scoreless tie with an-end to-end rush, blowing past the Dutchmen defense and handcuffing Drazin.

LVC looked to rebound shortly after the goal was scored but a couple of errant passes diminished their chances of tying the game. Freshman Brad Surdam had the Valley’s best chance but hit the side of the net on a great feed from Nick Harris. The Dutchmen skated into the first intermission down a goal on the Pioneers.

In the second period the Valley saw four power play opportunities pass by as they outshot  the Pioneers 10-7, but Utica’s Joe Watson did the damage at 5:02 and LVC fell into a 2-0 hole.

With 1:03 of powerplay time on the clock for the start of the third, the Dutchmen started the period with a bang by the Valley. Nicks streaked up the left side and snuck a shot through Anthony Luckow on the near side. This goal gave the Valley a boost; for the rest of the period, save one penalty kill, the ice was tilted towards Luckow and the Pioneer defense.

Surdam had a golden opportunity with four minutes left as he hit the post off a centering feed from Casey Mignone.

LVC will play host to No. 2 Manhattanville on Saturday. The puck drops at 3 p.m. at historic Hersheypark Arena.