SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – A late rally by the Union College men's hockey team fell short as the Dutchmen suffered just their second home loss of the season, 3-2, against Harvard in ECAC Hockey action Friday evening at Messa Rink. Matt Cook (Belle Mead, N.J.) and Sam Bowles (Davidsonville, Md.) scored goals for the Dutchmen (12-10-4, 7-5-3 ECAC Hockey).

 

The opening frame proved to be a defensive battle, as both teams combined for just six shots on net, with Harvard holding a 5-1 advantage. The Crimson lit the lamp shortly after a wide attempt by Jimmy Fraser that marked the first shot attempt of the game nearly three minutes into the contest. Mike Taylor slid the puck along the boards to Alex Biega, who wound up from the right point and sent a shot along the ice through traffic into the left corner of the net at 3:24.

 

Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, Ohio) recorded Union's only shot, a bouncing power-play wrister from the blue line that Harvard goaltender Mike Richter got in front of midway through the period. It was a little over two minutes later that the Dutchmen got their best chance of the frame.

 

Brock Matheson (Gananoque, Ont.) fired across the slot as John Simpson (Boxborough, Mass.) was crashing toward it. Simpson was heavily defended, but flicked the puck on his backhand just wide of the net.

 

Harvard carried a two-goal lead into the intermission after a late unassisted tally by Matt McCollem. The freshman stripped the puck from a Union defender just inside the Crimson zone and skated it all the way in before wristing the puck past Justin Mrazek (Regina, Sask.) for his first career goal at 18:57.

 

The second period was likewise defensively-minded, but Union started to come alive. The Dutchmen outshot their visitors, 9-8, in the frame, including four shots on a late four-on-four situation. Corey Milan (Great Barrington, Mass.) relieved Mrazek at the start of the period, and the freshman proved key in keeping the Dutchmen in the game.

 

In the third, however, Union seemed revitalized, and collected 16 shots in the frame, rallying late for a pair of goals after allowing the Crimson to edge ahead with a power-play tally from Paul Dufault at 14:53.

 

The Dutchmen came out firing, but Richter kept Union off the board for the better part of the period. Mike Harr (Norwood, Mass.) unleashed a slapshot from the right point as Richter was starting to move in the opposite direction, but the netminder reached back to make the glove save.

 

Torren Delforte (Shortsville, N.Y.) centered a backhand pass to Mike Schreiber (Sherwood Park, Alb.) midway through the period, but Richter again picked the puck out of the air.

 

Union finally lit the lamp with 3:31 to play when Bowles picked up a loose puck behind the net and bounced it off of Richter's right leg just inside the post.

 

The Dutchmen cut Harvard's lead to 3-2 with 19 seconds left, with Milan pulled in favor of the extra attacker. Lane Caffaro (Slave Lake, Alb.) slid the puck to Adam Presizniuk (Calgary, Alb.) low in the left circle before the freshman found Cook in the slot for the co-captain's eighth goal of the season.

 

Union kept the pressure on late. Presizniuk fired a bouncing puck from the blueline with 11 seconds remaining, and the Dutchmen kept the play deep in Harvard's zone as the clock wound down.

 

Milan allowed one goal on 17 shots in 37 minutes of relief action. Mrazek made three saves in the opening period. Richter won his ninth decision of the season with 24 saves, including 14 in the final period.

 

Union is back in action at 7 p.m. Saturday against Dartmouth at Messa Rink.