SCHENECTADY, NY – The Union College men's hockey faithful got a treat at the annual Garnet and White game, showcasing the 2008-09 squad headed by sixth-year head coach Nate Leaman. After three 10 minute periods, the teams went head-to-head in a shootout with the white team prevailing with an overall score of 3-2.
Senior defenseman and team co-captain
Lane Caffaro notched the winner in the fifth round of the shutout by going high blocker side on sophomore goaltender
Corey Milan (Great Barrington, MA).
Earlier in the contest, sophomore forward Stéphane Boileau (Blainville, QE) put the Garnet team ahead, 1-0, 1:13 into the second period when the puck found his stick in a scrum in front of the net.
The white team responded with a marker in the middle of the final period. Junior forward
Jason Walters (Renfrew, ON) went short side off the post on junior goaltender
Brett Bothwell (Red Deer, AB).
The score remained evened into the second frame of the planned shootout and Garnet senior captain
Matt Cook (Belle Mead, NJ) avoided a poke check by junior goalie
Rich Sillery (Gaithersburgh, MD) and roofed it glove side.
In the same round, sophomore forward
Justin Pallos (Glastonbury, CT) evened things up by going five-hole on Milan.
After two-and-a-half scoreless rounds, Caffaro won the game and met the rest of the winning team at center ice.
The Dutchmen will have one more exhibition (Satuday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. against the United States Under-18 team at Messa Rink) before opening the season against Quinnipiac at the Omaha Stampede on Friday, Oct. 17 at 5 p.m.