SCHENECTADY, NY – Backstopped by 37 saves by junior goaltender Justin Mrazek (Regina, SK), the Union College men's ice hockey team defeated Dartmouth, 4-1, in ECAC Hockey League action at Messa Rink Friday night. The Dutchmen held the Big Green 0-for-10 on the power play, snapping a 13-game streak of allowing at least one opponent power-play goal.

 

Union (9-8-2, 2-5-0 ECACHL) struck first as Lane Caffaro (Slave Lake, AB) netted his third power-play goal of the season at 7:00 of the first period. Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, OH) passed from the bottom of the left circle to Jason Walters (Renfrew, ON) at the point. Renfrew sent the puck across the point to Caffaro, whose one-timer deflected off of Dartmouth goalie Mike Devine's helmet and into the net.

 

Dartmouth (5-7-2, 4-5-2 ECACHL) knotted the game less than seven minutes later when J.T. Wyman knotted knocked in a rebound from David Jones' shot.

 

Coyle picked up the game-winner when he poked home a shot from T.J. Fox (Oswego, NY). Fox's shot from the right circle slid through Devine's legs, and Coyle edged the puck across the line for his seventh goal of the season.

 

Dartmouth outshot the Dutchmen, 17-7, in the third period, including 14 shots on four power-play attempts, but Mrazek stymied the Big Green. Midway through the final frame, Mrazek stopped a T.J. Galiardi point-blank slapshot while the Big Green was on the man-advantage.

 

The Dutchmen killed off a five-on-three power play before Olivier Bouchard (Quebec City, QC) registered netted his third power-play goal of the season at 15:20 of the third. Caffaro again connected with Walters across the point, this time with Walters carrying the puck up to the hashmarks. He fired across the slot to Bouchard, who took his time setting up a wrister past Devine.

 

Matt Cook (Belle Mead, NJ) extended his point streak to seven games with an ice-length empty-netter just before the clock expired. Mike Wakita (Kitimat, BC) picked up his first collegiate point with the assist on the goal.

 

Mrazek made 12 saves in the first period, eight in the second and 17 in the final frame, and improves to 8-7-2 on the season. Devine stopped 23 Dutchmen shots in the loss; he falls to 5-7-2.

 

Union is back in action Saturday when the Dutchmen host Harvard in a 7 p.m. ECACHL contest. The game will be televised throughout New York State on Time Warner Cable Channel 3.