Game Notes

SCHENECTADY, NY – The Dutchmen enter the weekend riding a two-game winning streak and are unbeaten in their last three outings. They welcome ECAC Hockey's top team when Yale comes to Messa Rink on Friday at 7:30 p.m. for a nationally televised game. The Time Warner Sports Channel 3 feed will be picked up by the NHL Network and televised across the United States and Canada. The following night, Union hosts Brown for a 4 p.m. Valentine's Day special.

Fans can catch both games on WRUC FM 89.7 or online at Teamline.cc. Live stats and video will be provided through UnionAthletics.com.

 

The Dutchmen registered win number 14 on Saturday with a 2-1 overtime win against cross-town rival RPI. The win not only secured Union's fifth consecutive Capital Skates Trophy, but also guaranteed its fourth straight 14-plus win season and its seventh all-time. Union's fastest to 14 wins came in 27 games during the 1993-94 season. This year, along with the 1996-97 season, it has taken the team 28 games. The Dutchmen have hit 15 wins three times, including last season and the the 1996-97 squad got to 15 wins in 29 games.

 

Prior to Union's victory on Saturday, the team went into RPI's Houston Field House for a Friday night game and left with a 3-0 victory. Special teams led the way with three power-play goals and killed off all five penalties. During Union's 14 wins this season, the power-play has produced on 17-of-78 opportunities for a .218 conversion rate. The Dutchmen are 8-5-1 when scoring on the man advantage and 7-1-1 when having two more man-advantage goals. The Union penalty kill didn't budge this past weekend denying RPI on all 11 of its man-advantage chances. It marked the third time this season Union had not allowed a power-play goal in back-to-back outings. (Nebraska-Omaha/RPI and Yale/AIC). Union is 5-1-1 when holding opponents scoreless on the power play.

 

With two wins last weekend, sophomore goaltender Corey Milan earned his 19th and 20th career victories. He can now be placed on some of Union's all-time goaltender lists. Currently, Milan's 2.56 career goals-against average is first among Union goaltenders with at least 20 victories. His .907 career save percentage ties him for second with Kris Mayotte behind Trevor Koenig (.913)

 

The first-place Bulldogs are on a seven-game winning streak, which is currently the second longest in the nation. They are also on a nine-game unbeaten streak and their last loss came on Jan. 16 to Clarkson, 4-3. Junior forward Sean Backman and sophomore forward Broc Little lead the team with 25 points each. Backman has a team-high 14 goals to go along with 11 assists, while Little has 13 goals and 12 helpers. Junior forward Mark Arcobello and sophomore forward Denny Kearney are also 20-point scorers with 23 and 21 points, respectively.

Senior goaltender Alex Richards has played in 14 games, posting a 12-2-0 record with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

 

In a series that dates back to Jan. 10, 1992, the Bulldogs own a 19-15-3 advantage over the Dutchmen. In the last six outings, Union has posted a 4-1-1 record. Its only loss during that span was a five overtime 3-2 loss in the 2006 ECAC Hockey Playoffs. The game, which lasted 141:35, is still the longest game in NCAA History. The contest started at 7 p.m. and finished at 1:10 a.m. The previous record was 129:30 on Mar. 8, 1997, with Colorado College defeating Wisconsin, 1-0.

 

After falling behind 2-0, the Dutchmen responded with five unanswered goals to skate out of Ingalls Rink with a 5-2 victory against Yale Dec. 6. Sophomore forward Justin Pallos registered the game-winning goal at the 10:48 of the third. Sophomore forwards Adam Presizniuk, Stéphane Boileau and senior forward Chris Potts each scored goals. 

 

Pallos' first goal of the season and first career game winning goal came after sophomore forward Andrew Buote made a feed from behind the net, allowing Pallos to cash into the wide open net.

 

The Bears are on a five-game skid and have only won one of their last 14 contests. Last weekend they dropped games against Dartmouth (5-2) and Merrimack (2-0). Senior forward Matt Vokes leads the team with eight goals, 12 assists and 20 points. During conference only games, he has seven goals, nine assists and 16 points. Freshman defenseman Jeff Buvinow is second on the team with 11 assists and 14 points. Senior forward Ryan Garbutt and junior forward Jordan Pietrus are next with 10 points each. Junior goaltender Dan Rosen has played 15 games, posting a 1-11-3 record with a 3.93 goals against average and a .900 save percentage.

 

Saturday's contest will be the 36th all-time meeting between the two schools and the 35th since Union went to Division I in 1991.Brown leads all-time 19-9-8 and 19-8-8 in DI play. In the last five outings, the Dutchmen have posted a 2-2-1 record. At home, Union is 4-10-4 all-time against Brown.

Freshman forward Kelly Zajac registered a career-high four points, but Brown prevailed with a 5-4 victory on Dec. 5 at Meehan Auditorium. Senior defenseman Brendan Milnamow (1G-1A) and junior defender Mike Schreiber (1G-2A) each registered multi-point games and senior co-captains Lane Caffaro and Matt Cook both registered a point.

 

Union held a 41-23 advantage in shots, marking the first time the Dutchmen had held an opponent to under 30 shots and lost. On the power play, the Dutchmen finished 2-for-7, while the Bears went 3-for-6.