Box Score
PRINCETON, NJ – Junior co-captain Sean Streich (Kimberley, BC) scored his first goal of the season with 47 seconds left in overtime to lift Union past Princeton 5-4. A day after having its unbeaten streak snapped, the Dutchmen played the role of spoiler, snapping the Tigers six game unbeaten streak at home. The win assured Union home-ice in the first round of the ECACHL playoffs for the third straight season as they improved to 16-12-6 overall and 9-7-4 in the league.
Union came out with a little more fire in this game which produced a scoring chance in the first 20 seconds. Freshman Chris Potts (Phillipsburg, NJ) fired a shot from the left slot. He was sent to the penalty box for hitting after the whistle, taking exception after being greeted by a Princeton defenseman following the play.
Princeton came back with a pair of chances. Brian Carthas had a shot at 6:00 from the right point that was gloved by Union goaltender Kris Mayotte (Pittsburgh, PA). Landis Stankievech was stopped by Mayotte a minute later on a shorthanded opportunity.
After trading chances Grant Goeckner-Zoeller got the Tigers on the board at 14:10 to pick up his 14th goal of the season. He took a pass from Brett Wilson into the Dutchmen zone and beat Mayotte high to his right side with a shot from the point through traffic.
Junior Olivier Bouchard (Quebec City, QUE) countered for Union to tie the game with 21 seconds left before the first intermission. Senior Jonathan Poirier (St. Jerome, QUE) sent a pass on the tape of Bouchard's stick before taking a vicious hit along the right side boards. Bouchard skated into the Princeton zone and rang a slap shot off the inside left post.
The Dutchmen went after Princeton in the second period, outshooting them 24-9, and added two goals to make it a two-goal lead. Freshman Augie DiMarzo (West Haven, CT) scored his second goal in as many games at the two minute mark during a four-on-four. After taking a pass from Scott Seney (Silver Spring, MD) he skated on goal from the right side and was able to rip a shot into the top right corner past Leroux, who was expecting a pass across the slot.
Scott Wheeler (Camillus, NY) scored his first career goal to make it a two-goal Union lead at 16:04. Jason Visser (Mississauga, ONT) won the face-off in the Princeon zone to the left of Leroux. Scott Brady (Sutton, MA) picked up the puck and sent it up to Wheeler at the right point for a strike to the far post.
The Tigers struck late in the period this time, putting up a power play goal with 37 seconds left to pull within one. Mayotte made a stick save on a shot by Carthas from the Union blueline but the puck deflected up in the air and was batted down into the goal by Kevin Westgarth.
Princeton scored its second power play goal of the game to tie things up at three in the third period. Brett Wilson snuck a shot past Mayotte amidst a crowd in front of the net. Seamus Young was credited with the primary assist.
A 10-minute misconduct call on Mayotte forced Union to make a goaltender change at 9:12, bringing in Justin Mrazek (Regina, SASK) for his fifth appearance of the season and first in seven games. The Tigers took advantage of the change by scoring the go-ahead goal on the power play at 12:05. Goeckner-Zoeller scored his second goal of the game, depositing a pass across the slot from Young inside the right post. Princeton finished three-for-nine on the power play for the game.
Union continued to challenge Leroux but the senior netminder came up with several big saves in the bottom half of the period.
The Dutchmen pulled Mrazek in favor of an extra attacker with less than two minutes to play and it paid off when Poirier scored at 18:38 to tie the game at four. Torren Delforte (Shortsville, NY) sent a pass from behind the net to set up a one-timer by Poirier.
Mayotte re-entered the game in overtime and kept Princeton off the scoreboard the rest of the way to set up Streich's late-game heroics. He took a pass from Visser at the left point and beat Leroux to his right side, setting off a celebration on the Union bench.
Mayotte finished with 22 saves, including two in overtime to pick up his 16th win of the season. Mrazek made three saves during his appearance in the third period. Leroux made 43 saves in an outstanding effort for the Tigers.
Union outshot Princeton 48-29 for the game.
The Dutchmen return home to close out its regular season next weekend and look to improve its seeding for the upcoming ECACHL playoffs. They start things off against Colgate on Friday, February 24 at 7:00 p.m.
