SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Junior co-captain Lane Caffaro (Slave Lake, Alb.) netted the game-tying goal and recorded assists on the Dutchmen's two other tallies as the Union College men's hockey team rallied to tie 11^th-ranked Clarkson, 3-3, in overtime at Messa Rink Friday night. Union stands at 13-11-6 overall and 8-6-5 in ECAC Hockey action, and clinches home ice for the league playoffs. Clarkson clinches a first-round bye with a 17-10-4 overall record and a 12-4-3 league mark.

 

With the Dutchmen down, 3-1, after an early Clarkson onslaught in the second period, Adam Presizniuk (Calgary, Alb.) brought the Dutchmen back within one at 13:48, and Caffaro capped the scoring less than two minutes later with his second goal of the season to top his career-high three-point night.

 

Caffaro slid a long pass across from the right circle to Presizniuk at the netfront as the freshman popped it in for his seventh goal of the season to spark Union's comeback.

 

Corey Milan (Great Barrington, Mass.) cleared a pass out to Mike Schreiber (Sherwood Park, Alb.) who carried it up the right boards as Clarkson was caught in a line change. Schreiber slipped the puck ahead to Stéphane Boileau (Blainville, Que.) who forged ahead into Clarkson's zone while heavily defended. Boileau brought it all the way into the right circle before crossing the puck to Caffaro, who was crashing hard down the left side of the ice. Caffaro placed the puck through Clarkson goaltender David Leggio's legs to knot the game on the power play at 15:39.

 

The Dutchmen struck first, ending an 0-for-20 drought on the power play as Jason Walters (Renfrew, Ont.) lit the lamp at 13:15. Caffaro faked a Clarkson defender above the left circle before stepping in and threading the puck to Walters below the right circle for the sophomore to one-time it past Leggio. Union finished 2-for-6 with the man advantage while holding Clarkson 1-for-6.

 

Clarkson knotted the game just before the teams headed to the locker room. Matt Beca and Grant Clitsome passed back and forth at the blue line at length before Clitsome slipped the puck to Steve Zalewski at the right circle. Zalewski paused and set up before firing a wrister past Milan with five seconds remaining in the frame.

 

The Golden Knights came out firing in the second, registering 11 shots within the first four minutes of the stanza. Clarkson quickly edged ahead, first when Tom Pizzo lifted in a rebound after a flurry of shots by Dan Tuttle and Tim Marks less than a minute into the period. Brandon DeFazio gave the Golden Knights a two-goal cushion when he slid a pass from David Cayer under Milan's pads at 2:07.

 

Union held a 4-9 shot advantage in the third, despite killing off a major penalty in the early going. The Dutchmen received a little assistance in nullifying the opportunity when a Clarkson player was whistled for a minor with two minutes remaining in Union's major.

 

It appeared that Nick Dodge gave Clarkson the win with less than a minute left in regulation, but the officials waved off the goal after consulting the video replay.

 

Union controlled most of the action in the extra session, first when Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, Ohio) fired a trio of shots, including a doorstep attempt in the first minutes. Torren Delforte (Shortsville, N.Y.) turned and fired from the left circle with Andrew Buote (Grande Prairie, Alb.) screening Leggio, but the netminder snagged the shot with his glove.

 

Union looked to have the game in hand as time was about to expire when Michael Beynon (Nepean, Ont.) shipped an ice-length pass to Presiziniuk as the rookie skated in on Leggio unopposed. Presisniuk made a couple moved before drawing to his backhand as he closed in on the left side of the net, but his attempt to slip it in behind Leggio was thwarted by the senior's extended right leg.

 

Leggio finished the game with 34 saves, while Milan stopped 24, including a point-blank attempt by Zalewski in overtime.

 

Union plays its final regular-season home game Saturday against St. Lawrence. After the game, which will be televised on Time Warner Sports, Union will honor its five-member senior class: Delforte, Coyle, Beynon, Sam Bowles (Davidsonville, Md.) and Justin Mrazek (Regina, Sask.).