Nearly 3,500 people watched in stunned anticipation Saturday, March 19, as the University of New England Nor'easters men's ice hockey team defeated Utica University in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship and advanced to the national semifinal for the first time in school history.
The Nor'easters overcame the Pioneers 2-0 at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, bringing their program-record win streak to 13 games.
UNE was the only road team to move forward on Saturday and will now compete against SUNY Geneseo this Friday, March 25, at the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York - the site of the Olympic U.S. men's ice hockey team's "Miracle on Ice" in 1980.
The Nor'easters are now 2-0 in meetings with Utica, the first being in the middle of 2016-17 season with a 7-3 triumph.
UNE's only previous game against the SUNY Geneseo Knights came in a mid-year tournament at Norwich University during the 2017-2018 campaign, where the Nor'easters bested the Knights 9-5. After topping the Norwich Cadets the following day, UNE entered the USCHO national poll for the first time ever.
