SCHENECTADY, NY – The Union College men's hockey team held on to an early lead to earn a 4-3 upset victory over 19^th-ranked Princeton Friday evening in ECAC Hockey action at Messa Rink. Stéphane Boileau (Blainville, Que.) netted the game-winning goal and picked up an assist, while linemate Adam Presizniuk (Calgary, Alb.) recorded two helpers for the Dutchmen, who improve to 12-9-3 overall and 7-4-3 in league play.

 

Mario Valery-Trabucco (Montreal, Que.), Matt Cook (Belle Mead, N.J.) and Torren Delforte (Shortsville, N.Y.) also scored goals for the Dutchmen, who move into a three-way tie for fourth place in the ECAC Hockey standings along with Princeton and Yale.

 

Union jumped out to a three-goal lead within the first 8:03 of the game, with Valery-Trabucco sparking the outburst with his team-leading ninth goal of the season just under four minutes into the contest. Presizniuk collected a short pass in the left circle from Boileau and fired toward the net. Valery-Trabucco got his stick on it at the far post, redirecting the puck just past Princeton goaltender Zane Kalemba at 3:42.

 

Less than three minutes later on the power play, Cook slipped a one-timer through Kalemba's legs for a two-goal lead. Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, Ohio) sent the puck from the blue line to Presizniuk, who was set up in the left circle again. Presizniuk slid the puck across the netfront where Cook was waiting.

 

Delforte capped the scoring in the first period with his sixth goal of the season just over eight minutes into the game. John Simpson (Boxborough, Mass.) won the draw at Kalemba's left and passed to Delforte who skated it around behind the net before pushing the puck past the Tigers' netminder at 8:13.

 

The Tigers started to come alive in the second period, but Union extended its lead to four on a power-play tally by Boileau midway through the frame. Lane Caffaro (Slave Lake, Alb.) passed from the right point to Jason Walters (Renfrew, Ont.) in the right circle and Walters shot the puck to the left of the net where Boileau knocked it in for his fifth power-play tally of the season.

 

Justin Mrazek (Regina, Sask.) and the Dutchmen defense kept Princeton at bay for the remainder of the second period, but late in the third the Tigers rallied for three goals with replacement goaltender Thomas Sychterz pulled in favor of the extra attacker.

 

Princeton put an end to Union's extensive penalty-killing streak, halting the Dutchmen at 24-straight successful kills with a six-on-four tally by Mike Kramer at 12:58 of the third period. Taylor Fedun followed less than two minutes later by potting a rebound at the near post.

 

The Tigers' third goal, credited at 19:49, was not awarded until the clock had expired. A linesman witnessed Brett Wilson's shot go into the upper right-hand corner of the net, but play was not immediately halted. Once the goal was awarded, with the assist given to Lee Jubinville, 10.8 seconds was put back on the clock and Union's defense kept the Tigers at bay.

 

Mrazek made 27 saves in the win and improves to 7-4-0 on the season. Kalemba took the loss with 15 saves in just under 37 minutes, while Sychterz stopped Union's two remaining shots in the game.

 

Union went 2-for-3 on the power play while holding Princeton to a 1-for-5 effort.

 

The Dutchmen continue their homestand with a 7 p.m. game Saturday against #16 Quinnipiac.