FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK – The Union College men’s hockey team scored a pair of third period goals to break open what was a 1-1 tie to defeat St. Thomas University (New Brunswick), 3-1, in the opening round of the Pete Kelly Cup Saturday afternoon at the Aitken Centre. Brendan Milnamow (Wilton, Conn.) led the Dutchmen with a goal and an assist and was named the “Monster Player of the Game” for his efforts.

 

Union dominated the first period of play and did not allow a St. Thomas shot on net well into the stanza. The Dutchmen held a 23-4 shot advantage in the frame, including five on three power-play opportunities, but could not solve Tommies’ netminder Guillaume Miszczak.

 

One of Union’s better chances came midway through the period after Jeff Christiansen (Elm Grove, Wis.) took a St. Thomas turnover off the left boards and transitioned it back behind him to Mario Valery-Trabucco (Montreal, Quebec), who fired it from atop the left circle through Christiansen’s screen, only to find the pads of Miszczak.

 

St. Thomas scored on their first shot of the frame early in the second period on the power play. Antony Butera took a pass across the point from Matthew Seymour before firing. Union netminder Corey Milan (Great Barrington, Mass.) made the save, but the rebound sailed high into the air and fluttered about before getting knocked in off the extended stick of Justin Bowers at 2:36.

Union held the Tommies without a shot for seven minutes after the goal and were afforded a 1:10 five-on-three, but the St. Thomas defense held the Dutchmen without a shot with the extra man.

 

On the Tommies next penalty, the Dutchmen finally converted to knot the game. Milnamow fired from the high slot, but his shot bounced off Miszczak’s pads. Christiansen tipped the rebound into the corner where Andrew Buote (Calgary, Alberta) collected it and fed Milnamow high in the slot again before the junior wound up for a hard slapshot that slipped behind Miszczak at 12:20.

 

The Dutchmen came out firing again in the third period, and picked up a pair of goals in just over three minutes apart on their first two shots of the stanza.

 

Sam Bowles (Davidsonville, Md.) carried the puck down the left and dragged it to the crease on his backhand before leaving it for Jason Shaffer (Eagle Creek, Alaska) to poke in for the lead just 1:19 into the period.

 

Milnamow fired from the point on the power play and Bowles was at the doorstep to sweep the rebound to the left for Chris Potts (Phillpsburg, N.J.) to poke just inside the left post for a 3-1 lead at 4:16.

 

The Tommies threatened midway through the period as Kyle Gailey gathered a defensive miscue and fired from below the right circle, but his shot hit the post and dropped to the ice. Joel Litner tried to jam the puck in the net, but Milan got his stick in the way before covering the puck.

 

That was the last shot of the game for St. Thomas, as Union dominated the last 10 minutes of the game to hold on to the lead.

 

Milan finished with 10 saves, while Miszczak stopped 35 Dutchmen shots.

 

Union will play host New Brunswick in the tournament championship game at 4 p.m. EST on Sunday. The Varsity Reds defeated Acadia, 3-1, in Saturday night's game. The Dutchmen return to NCAA action next weekend at home against UConn at 7 p.m. on Friday before traveling to Army for a 7 p.m. game on Saturday.