SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College men's hockey team netted two power-play goals in the second period to defeat Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, 2-1, in ECAC Hockey action Friday night at Frank L. Messa Rink. The Dutchmen, who have won five straight games, improve to 9-8-3 and 4-3-2 in ECAC Hockey play. The Engineers fall to 8-13-3 and 3-5-2 in the league after dropping their eight-straight game.

 

Stéphane  Boileau (Blainville, Quebec) and Adam Presizniuk (Calgary, Alberta) potted goals for the Dutchmen, who finished 2-for-6 with the man advantage while holding RPI 0-for-5 on the night.

 

A 32-minute delay in the first intermission due to a zamboni malfunction gave both teams the opportunity to start the game fresh in the second stanza after playing a scoreless end-to-end action-packed opening frame. The Dutchmen held a 16-9 shot advantage after the first 20 minutes of action, but RPI netminder Jordan Alford kept Union off the board.

 

The Engineers were first to capitalize in middle period when Scott Halpern beat a Union defender as he crossed the blueline into the Dutchmen's zone on the right. Halpern streaked toward the net and drew Union goaltender Corey Milan (Great Barrington, Mass.) out to the right before flipping the puck in the left side of the net. Bryan Brutlag sent a long pass out to Halpern, who gave RPI the lead at 10:42.

 

Union stormed back, taking advantage of both power plays awarded in the frame. Michael Beynon (Nepean, Ontario) sent a pass down through the right circle to Jason Walters (Renfrew, Ontario) before the sophomore slid the puck across the crease. Boileau was there to knock the puck in for the equalizer at 11:09, just 27 seconds after giving up the lead.

 

Presizniuk collected his own rebound just in front of the net and popped in the game-winner less than four minutes later for his fourth goal of the season. Mike Schreiber (Sherwood Park, Alberta) sent the puck down the left side of the ice to Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, Ohio), who curled down below the goal line before feeding Presizniuk at the near post. Alford made a pad save on Presizniuk's original shot, but the freshman placed his shot just inside the left post at 14:37.

 

Union held on the its lead and fended off a late RPI onslaught, holding the Engineers 0-for-2 on the power play in the final frame. The Dutchmen's stingy defense took over, blocking three shots and forcing two wide on a late 41-second five-on-three advantage.

 

Ben Contini looked to even the score with just over four minutes left, accepting a long pass from Bryan Brutlag and carried it the rest of the way before firinga high shot from low in the right circle that Milan got his left shoulder on.

 

Milan finished with 21 saves in his fourth win of the season. Alford stopped 41 shots and falls to 4-6-1.

 

The two teams meet again Saturday night in a 7 p.m. game at Houston Field House in Troy, N.Y. The winner of the game will be awarded the Capital Skates Trophy, given to the winner of the season series. RPI defeated Union, 3-2, in late October. The game will be televised on Time Warner Sports, available on cable channel 3 in the Capital Region.