BOX SCORE Utica, NY (Feb. 22, 2022) - #7 Alvernia University (11-14-1) saw its 2022 campaign come to a close with a 4-0 loss to #2 Utica University (21-5) in a UCHC Championship quarterfinal matchup with the Pioneers on Tuesday afternoon at Utica's Adirondack Bank Center.

With the game locked at 0-0 after the opening period, Utica put up three in the second to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The Pioneers then capped it off with a late third period goal for the 4-0 win. The Pioneers outshot Alvernia 55-11. 

Alvernia's offensive opportunities were limited in the first period, but Alvernia goalie Julia Beaven made 20 saves in the opening 20 minutes to keep the Pioneers off the board. Those saves included a phenomenal diving stick save off the right post with 10:23 on the clock to keep it scoreless midway through the first.

The Pioneers did not need much time in the second period to get things going. Just 30 seconds into the second, Carly Stefanini passed it in from the left face-off circle to Georgiana Santullo off the right post. Santullo then sent a quick shot that deflected off the right post and into net to break the scoreless tie. 

Just under eight minutes later, Utica's Rebecca Brown made it a 2-0 game after showing some shifty puck handling skills to get by multiple defenders and fire a shot past Beaven. 

Utica kept things rolling in the second with Maggie Rylott connecting on a backhanded shot with just over two minutes remaining in the second period to make it a 3-0 game. 

Alvernia did not get a shot off the rest of the period as the Pioneers took the 3-0 advantage into the final frame.

One of Alvernia's best looks of the afternoon came off a breakaway shot by Abby Reisinger midway through the third, but Utica's Angela Hawthorne was able to make the stop to keep the Golden Wolves off the board. 

Alvernia would have five shots total in the third period - its most of the game - but were unable to find the back of the net.

Utica capped off the game with a one-timer from Carly Stefanini to make it 4-0 with just over three minutes to play. 

Beaven finished the game with 55 saves in net, just over 24 hours after making 48 stops on 49 shots at Manhattanville on Monday. 

#2 Utica will advance to face the second-lowest remaining seed of the final three quarterfinal matchups slated for Wednesday. 

With the loss, Alvernia finishes its second full season of competition with 11 wins, a seven-win improvement from its 4-21 season in the first year of competition in 2019-20.