UTICA, N.Y. – Utica's Jordan Hobaica scored the only goal of the game with 7:05 remaining in the third period to spoil another excellent postseason effort by senior netminder Alex Scola (Exeter, N.H./Woodstock Slammers (MJHL)) as the top-seeded Pioneers defeated the fourth-seeded Manhattanville men's hockey team in the ECAC West Conference Tournament semifinals, held on Sunday afternoon at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

One year after upsetting the top-seeded Pioneers in the ECAC West semifinals, lightning could not strike twice for Manhattanville (13-12-2), which sees its season come to a close with the heart-breaking loss. #14/15 Utica (16-4-4) will host second-seeded Elmira in the ECAC West championship game next Saturday.

Scola was the story of the game for Manhattanville, turning aside numerous excellent chances and 26 shots overall while finding a way to keep his team in the game. But Hobaica was able to crack the code 12:55 into the final frame, when he came down the left side and snuck a puck past Scola for his fifth goal of the season.

The Valiants could not get a ton of good offensive opportunities all game long and that continued after the Hobaica score, as the visitors threatened the goal of Nick Therrien but could not get the game-tying goal. Scola was lifted for an extra attacker with 60 seconds remaining, but nothing came of the extra skater.

Utica finished the game with a 27-18 edge in shots. Neither team could do much on the man advantage, as the Valiants went 0 for 5 while the Pioneers went 0 for 3.

The game marks the final collegiate contest for the Valiants' seven seniors: Scola, co-captains Luc Van Natter (Fort Erie, Ont./Aurora Tigers (OPJHL)) and Craig Simchuk (Winnipeg, Man./Winnipeg Saints (MJHL)), assistant captain Adam Young (Edmonton, Alta./Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)), Louie Balzano (Staten Island, N.Y./New York Apple Core (EJHL)), Mark Rivera (Belmar, N.J./Springfield Pics (EJHL)) and JP Witkop (Fairport, N.Y./Merritt Centennials (BCHL)).