No. 8 males’s hockey wins Utica Thanksgiving Showcase, nonetheless undefeated

UTICA, N.Y. – Hamilton College’s Clarence Beltz ’29 scored the go-ahead purpose halfway by way of the third interval and the Continentals defeated the Utica University Pioneers 3-1 within the 2025 Utica Thanksgiving Showcase championship recreation inside Adirondack Bank Center on the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Saturday evening, Nov. 29.
 

Season Update

• Nationally ranked No. 8 Hamilton (6-0-0 general) earned the correct to play for the match title with a 6-0 win towards SUNY Morrisville on Nov. 28.
• The 10^th-ranked Pioneers (5-5-0), who’re 4-0 within the United Collegiate Hockey Conference, had received their earlier 5 video games. All 5 of Utica’s losses have come towards ranked groups.

How It Happened

• Hunter Longhi gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead 6:47 into the primary interval on a backhand shot after a slick particular person transfer within the slot.
• The Continentals lastly received on the scoreboard with 3:26 left within the second interval. After penalties on Utica for holding and slashing 53 seconds aside, Hamilton had a 5-on-3 energy play for a bit of over a minute.
• The Continentals did not rating on the two-man benefit, however they did with 40 seconds remaining on the second penalty. Ryan Sordillo ’27 despatched a cross from between the correct boards and the faceoff circle to Luke Tchor ’27, who was chopping in direction of the purpose, for a wrist shot from the low slot. Another shot by Tchor banged off the body of the purpose earlier within the energy play.
• Beltz notched the game-winner after a scramble in entrance of the Pioneers’ web. Carson Hall ’26 despatched a backhand cross from behind the web to Brendan Waivada ’27, who absorbed a vicious hit because the puck arrived. The puck deflected off Waivada’s skate to Beltz and he whacked it into the again of the web from the highest of the crease with 8:12 to go within the third.
• Utica’s Alex Gomez practically tied the rating with about six minutes left however his shot clanged off pipe.
• The Pioneers known as their timeout with 1:41 remaining and pulled their goaltender for a sixth skater. Utica put two photographs on purpose and Aksel Reid ’27 turned each of them away.
• Justin Biraben ’27 clinched the victory with 22.9 seconds to go. Biraben intercepted a cross and his shot from middle ice went into the empty web.

Notes

• Tchor was named the match’s Most Valuable Player whereas Beltz, Reid and defenseman John Wojciechowski ’28 made the all-tournament workforce.
• Biraben completed with a purpose and an help for his third multi-point recreation already this season.
• Tchor has scored a purpose in 5 of Hamilton’s six video games. He’s tied for the NESCAC lead with six targets and leads the convention with 12 factors.
• Beltz registered his second collegiate purpose.
• Sordillo has an help in 4 of the final 5 contests and 5 complete this season.
• Waivada has some extent in three straight video games.
• Hall picked up his first level this season and the 15^th help of his profession with the Continentals.
• Reid made 11 of his 23 stops within the third interval. He owns a 1.50 targets towards common and .937 save proportion in 4 begins.
• Hamilton went 1-for-2 on the ability play. The Continentals weren’t whistled for any penalties and have had simply 19 known as on them this season.
• The two groups final performed one another nearly precisely 11 years in the past. The Pioneers prevailed 5-3 in that assembly.

Next Game

Hamilton returns to its NESCAC schedule on Friday, Dec. 5 when the Continentals play at Williams College (2-3-0, 2-2 NESCAC) at 7 p.m.