BIG RAPIDS, MI – A four-goal second period carried the Union College men's hockey team to its second straight win of the season, a 6-5 triumph at Ferris State Saturday evening. The Dutchmen's six goals marked the most in a road game since a 6-0 win at Princeton on February 27, 1998.

 

Jason Walters (Renfrew, ON) put the Dutchmen on the board at 9:55 in the first period with a top-shelf shot from below the left circle. Junior Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, OH) passed to Olivier Bouchard (Quebec City, QUE), who was breaking out of the neutral zone on the right side. Bouchard carried the puck deep in the zone, feeding Walters the puck as he crossed the slot. Coyle notched three assists on the evening.

 

Ferris State answered back at 13:40 with a Blair Riley (Kamloops, BC) power play goal. Sophomore Dan Riedel (Rochester Hills, MI) found a loose puck at the right faceoff dot and passed to Riley, who one-timed it past the right Union goaltender Justin Mrazek (Regina, SASK). The Dutchmen had previously killed 24 straight man-down situations, spanning four games dating back to last season.

 

Reidel and Riley teamed up to put the Bulldogs ahead, 2-1 with a Reidel power play tally four minutes later, but the Dutchmen answered back right away with a Chris Potts (Phillipsburg, NJ) breakaway goal. Matt Cook (Belle Mead, NJ) fed the puck to Potts whose wrister bounced past Ferris State goaltender Derek MacIntyre (Stanwood, MI).

 

The Dutchmen took advantage of a five minute major on Ferris State freshman Aaron Lewicki (Livonia, MI) at 3:09 of the second, netting three goals in less than two minutes. The first came from a T.J. Fox (Oswego, NY) slapshot from the point, with the second from a low-angle right-side shot from Mario Valery-Trabucco (Montreal, QUE), just 28 seconds later.

 

Following the change of Ferris State goaltender to Mitch O'Keefe (Almonte, ON), the Dutchmen netted their third goal of the period when Bouchard found the loose puck in front of the net and slipped it in past the right of O'Keefe. Bouchard finished the night with a goal and two assists.

 

Ferris State's Matt Verdone (Summerstown, ON) brought the Bulldogs to within 5-3 at 9:41 of the second with a breakaway goal, but Walters answered with his second goal of the game at 14:54. Verdone added a power play goal with a blast from the point at 18:48 of the second, bringing the Bulldogs back within two at 6-4. 

 

Ferris got within one at 15:33 in the third when Lewicki one-timed a pass from Verdone from the right circle, but the Dutchmen's defense held the Bulldogs quiet for the remainder of the game.

 

Mrazek made 35 saves in his second win of the season, while O'Keefe and MacIntyre combined for 15 saves for Ferris State.

 

"Tonight both teams were making a lot of plays," said head coach Nate Leaman. "I thought it was a very good hockey game. It was up and down the ice and since it's early in the season, both teams made some key mistakes, but we were able to capitalize."

 

The Dutchmen are back in action on Saturday, October 14 in their home opener against Rochester Institute of Technology. Game time is 7 p.m.