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UTICA, N.Y. – A dominant second period was the difference for third-ranked Utica Sunday as the Pioneers ended Nazareth's 2019-20 men's hockey season with a 3-2 victory over the Golden Flyers in the semifinals of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference playoffs.

The victory enabled the Pioneers to sweep the two-game semifinal series with the Golden Flyers, who dropped to 12-13-3 overall. The Pioneers also won 5-2 Saturday and extended their winning streak to 18 games. They will bring a 23-2-2 overall record into next weekend's two-game UCHC championship series against Wilkes with the winner gaining an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Nazareth senior James McDonald scored his team-leading 16th goal in the third period and became the Golden Flyers all-time leader in goals scored with 35 – one more than All-American Dominik Gabaj totaled between 2014 and 2017.

Utica outshot the Golden Flyers 16-3 in the second period and broke a scoreless tie with three goals in a span of 6:23 to take a commanding lead into the final 20 minutes.

The game was still scoreless when Nazareth's Cody Antonini was whistled for a two-minute holding penalty at 11:12 of the second. Just 38 seconds later, Utica capitalized on a goal by Donovan Ott. The Pioneers kept the pressure on and scored again two minutes later on a goal by Cameron Bartkoski. Vaden McManus scored less than five minutes after that.

The Golden Flyers stayed competitive and gained momentum when Casey Kubara scored his sixth goal of season at 5:12 with assists from McDonald and Grant Gallo. Just four minutes later, McDonald sliced the Utica lead to 3-2 as he fired a shot over the glove-side shoulder of Pioneers goaltender Gianluca Baggetta. Kubara and Owen Kuhns assisted.

In a desperate attempt to tie the game and force the obligatory 20-minute mini game, Nazareth kept the pressure on and pulled goalie Michael Tilford for the final minute of play in favor of an extra skater. The game ended after Nazareth's Mateo Capriotti game-tying bid sailed wide.

Utica finished with a 33-17 advantage in shots on goal overall. Tilford, one of seven seniors playing in their final game, finished with 30 saves. McDonald, who also tied a career record by skating in his 105th game, completed his career with 58 points to rank third all-time. In addition to McDonald and Tilford, Antonini, Kuhns, Sean Hallice, Brian Miller and Zander Pryor suited up for the last time.