SCHENECTADY, NY -- Riding one of the longest unbeaten streaks in team history, the Union College men's ice hockey team returns to Messa Rink for a pair of ECAC Hockey contests this weekend against Colgate and Cornell. The Dutchmen, who are playing at home for the first time in nearly a month, hosts Colgate on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. and Cornell on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7:07 p.m. Tickets for both games can be purchased at UnionAthleticsTickets.com.
Fans that can't make it to Messa Rink can listen to the broadcast on WRUC 89.7 FM or online (
click here). Video will also be available (
click here) along with live stats (
click here). Saturday's game will also be televised locally on Time Warner Sports Channel 3 in the Capital District.
Union is on a six-game unbeaten streak, which ties for the fourth longest in team history. In 1993-94, the team went on a ten-game streak (8-0-2). The 2004-05 (6-0-1) and 2007-08 (7-0-0) seasons saw seven game spans and the 1996-97 year had a six game streak (6-0-0).
Through 13 games the team's winning percentage stands at .615, which is the second highest all-time in program history. Union posted a .654 percentage during the 2003-04 season (7-3-3).
Leading the Dutchmen into the weekend is sophomore
Kelly Zajac. After producing two points and 10 shots in seven games in October, Zajac came alive in November, registering a team-high eight points and 16 shots. Zajac not only led the team in points, but also in goals with five. He registered at least one point in five or seven games.
>> Scouting Colgate
After going on a six-game unbeaten streak, which included four-straight wins, Colgate has gone 1-2 in its last three outings and is coming off a 4-2 loss at Cornell on Nov. 24. The Raiders are sitting in third place in ECAC Hockey with a 4-2-1 conference record.
They are led by a pair of pro prospects who have each produced 18 points. Sophomore forward Austin Smith (Dallas) has registered eight goals and 14 assists, while senior forward David McIntyre (New Jersey) has posted four goals and a team-high 14 assists.
Senior Charles Long and sophomore Alex Evin have shared time in goal. Long is 4-2-2 with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage, while Evin is 2-2-2 with a 3.45 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage.
>> The Union-Colgate Series
Friday's meeting will be the 50th all-time between the two schools and Colgate leads 34-14-2 and 24-11-2 in Division I action. The programs first squared off on Feb. 15, 1929 and Union claimed a 3-1 win.
Between Feb. 21, 2003 and Feb. 10, 2007, the Raiders produced a series-long nine-game winning streak. However, in the last five outings, Union has gone 3-1-1, including a 4-2 victory at the 2008 Governor's Cup last season.
>> Scouting Cornell
Seventh-ranked Cornell enters the weekend as the third-highest scoring team in the country with a 4.00 goals-per-game mark. Leading that charge is senior forward Blake Gallagher, who is averaging 1.67 points-per-game is tied for second in the nation. Gallagher has registered 15 points, including a team-best nine goals, in nine games.
Senior forward Colin Greening (Ottawa) is right behind Gallagher with a 1.56 average, which ranks fifth in the country. He has 14 points with team-high 10 assists.
Senior Ben Scrivens has been the fixture between the pipes, playing all nine games, posting a 2.10 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. For his career he has posted 50 wins, a 1.97 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage.
The Big Red, which is second in the ECAC Hockey standings with a 5-2-0 record, is coming off a 3-3 tie against Boston University at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 28. The two teams played in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,200.
>> The Union-Cornell Series
The two teams first met on Feb. 22, 1928 and Cornell skated away with a 7-4 victory, propelling them to a 6-0-1 record against Union in the first seven outings.
On Feb. 22, 1992 the Dutchmen earned their first victory, 6-4, against the Ithaca, NY team. Cornell owns the all-time series lead with a 27-12-5 mark and a 22-12-4 Division I record. The Dutchmen's last victory came in the form of a 3-2 win at Cornell on Feb. 15, 2008.
