TROY, N.Y. – The Union College men's hockey team scored four unanswered goals to defeat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 4-1, Saturday evening at the Houston Field House. The Dutchmen (10-8-3, 5-3-2 ECAC Hockey) tie a program record with their sixth consecutive win, and jump three spots to a three-way tie for fourth place in the ECAC Hockey standings.
The win also earns the Capital Skates Trophy for the Dutchmen, who take the regular season series with their cross-town rivals with a 2-1 advantage. Union lost the first game of the season to RPI, 3-2, at the Governor's Cup in late October before this weekend's sweep.
RPI (8-14-4, 3-6-2 ECAC Hockey) took an early lead when Jonathan Ornelas scored on a high shot from the left side. Ornelas crashed the net after taking feed from Paul Kerins before giving the home team the lead at 6:47.
Union rallied with a pair of goals, first with an even-strength tally from Simpson less than a minute after the Engineers took the lead, and then with a power-play score from Boileau at 12:25.
Simpson completed a two-on-one rush with
Chris Potts (Phillipsburg, N.J.) on his right.
Justin Pallos (Glastonbury, Conn.) fought with an RPI defender along the left boards in the neutral zone before chipping it ahead to Simpson. The freshman curved toward the net before placing the puck in the upper right corner for the equalizer at 7:42.
Simpson set up Union's power-play score, finding Caffaro up at the blue line. Caffaro slid it down to Boileau who was planted at the doorstep before the freshman flipped the puck in for his second power-play score in as many nights.
The Dutchmen were afforded a five-on-three power play for 1:42 late in the frame. Shortly after RPI's bench was whistled for a minor penalty at 17:14, Dan Peace was assessed a major penalty for fighting. Union only managed one shot during the span, and found three of four shots in the remaining 2:56 of Peace's major in the opening of the second period blocked.
Union added a pair of second period goals, first from Coyle at 4:27 before Valery-Trabucco added his seventh goal of the season at 14:40.
Caffaro set up Coyle's goal with a long pass from deep inside Union's zone to
Matt Cook (Belle Mead, N.J.). Cook collected the puck as he entered the zone with Coyle crashing to his left. Cook slid the puck just in front of the crease to Coyle who tucked it inside the left post for his seventh goal on the year.
Valery-Trabucco skated in hard with Boileau but found himself entangled with an RPI defenseman. Valery-Trabucco dropped the puck to Boileau and evaded his attacker before the freshman pushed the puck back ahead to Trabucco, whose shot clanged off the post and behind Mathias Lange for a three-goal lead with just over five minutes left in the middle frame.
Union started the third period on a power play, but it was RPI that claimed the one shot in the first two minutes of the frame. The Engineers gained momentum as Union allowed the home team three power plays in the opening half of the frame, including a 24-second five-on-three opportunity.
Mrazek proved key in the situations when the Union defense did not block shots, including gloving a puck in mid air while screened, and then getting down to block a swift attempt at the doorstep. Union finished the night blocking 17 RPI shots.
The Engineers pulled their goalie in favor of the extra attacker with 3:04 left to play, but the Dutchmen's defense proved stingy again, holding the hosts to just two shots on net in the final minutes.
Mrazek made 24 saves, including 21 over the final two periods for his sixth win of the season, while Mathias Lange took the loss with 24 saves.
The Dutchmen travel to St. Lawrence and Clarkson next weekend before starting a four-game homestand on February 1 against Princeton. Union's contest at St. Lawrence on Friday, January 26, will be televised on Time Warner Sports, which may be found on cable channel 3 in the Capital Region.
