ITHACA, N.Y. –  The Union College men's hockey team scored three unanswered goals, rallying from a two-goal deficit to defeat Cornell, 3-2, Friday evening at Lynah Rink. Matt Cook (Belle Mead, N.J.) scored a career-high two goals in the game and freshman Andrew Buote (Grande Prairie, Alb.) picked up the game-winner for the Dutchmen (13-10-5, 8-5-4 ECAC Hockey), who captured the season series with the Big Red (11-10-3, 9-7-1 ECAC Hockey) for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

 

With his career-high two-goal game, Cook becomes the first Union player to net a multiple-goal game this season. Buote's game-winner marked the second on the season for the rookie. Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, Ohio) recorded two assists in the game.

 

Buote netted the game-winner at 13:55 of the third with his second goal of the season. Mike Schreiber (Sherwood Park, Alb.) fed Coyle behind the net before the senior centered it to the Buote, who was planted at the doorstep and knocked in the puck to cap Union's three-goal comeback.

 

Union spent the bulk of the first period on the penalty kill, starting early in the period when Coyle and Torren Delforte (Shortsville, N.Y.) were both whistled for minor penalties just over five minutes into the frame.

 

Union goaltender Justin Mrazek (Regina, Sask.) came up big in the five-on-three, making three saves, first on a Blake Gallagher point-blank shot from just inside the left circle.

 

Coyle later gave the Dutchmen one of their best chances of the period when he scrunched along the boards to keep the puck in the zone, then collected it and skated to the netfront, only to have Cornell netminder Ben Scrivens make a quick pad save.

 

Delforte intercepted a Cornell clearing pass in the slot with under two minutes to play. Delforte paused and wound up, only to be denied by Scrivens again.

 

The Big Red capitalized on its fourth power play of the period to take a one-goal lead into the locker room. Colin Greening won the puck deep in the left corner and slid it to Gallagher, who dragged the puck across the crease to draw out Mrazek before slipping the puck past the senior's stick at 18:56.

 

The Big Red edged ahead with a textbook play at 6:43 of the middle frame. Doug Krantz carried the puck into Union's zone before passing to Raymond Sawada on the left side. Sawada briefly paused with the puck and slid it across the slot to Topher Scott whose shot sailed into the upper right corner for a 2-0 lead.

 

Union rallied later in the period, and cut the Big Red's lead to one goal with under four minutes to play in the period. Walters won the puck behind the net and slipped it to Coyle before the senior centered it to Cook who one-timed the puck in for his ninth goal of the season at 16:53.

 

The Dutchmen kept the pressure on late in the period, including a quick transition play that sent Lane Caffaro (Slave Lake, Alb.) into the Big Red zone after Coyle connected with the defender on a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. Caffaro fired from the left circle, but Scrivens was able to handle it.

 

Cook knotted the game at 4:23 with his team-leading tenth goal of the season. From below the left circle, Delforte fed Brendan Milnamow (Wilton, Conn.) at the left point. Milnamow wound up and fired, finding Cook at the far post for the tip-in.

 

Mrazek earned the win with 25 saves, while Scrivens took the loss for the Big Red with 34 stops.

 

Union is back in action Saturday in a 7 p.m. ECAC Hockey game at Colgate.