Box Score
TROY, NY – Three power-play goals in the second period lifted Union to a 3-0 victory at Capital Region rival Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Friday night. Senior defenseman
Lane Caffaro matched a career high with three points, leading Union with a goal and two assists. Sophomore goaltender
Corey Milan pitched his second career shutout by trying away 31 saves.
The Dutchmen jump the Engineers in the standings with a 6-8-1 conference mark and a 13-12-2 overall record. RPI moves to 5-9-1 in ECACH and 6-19-2 overall.
After a scoreless first period, the Dutchmen capitalized on three RPI penalties to build its substantial second period lead. Caffaro broke the scoreless tie at 6:17 on a 5-on-3 advantage after junior forward
Jason Walters and senior defenseman
Brendan Milnamow setup the Slave Lake, AB native for a one-timer atop of the right face-off circle.
Moments later at 7:54, sophomore forward
Adam Presizniuk went to the net hard and extended around RPI senior netminder Mathias Lange. Senior forward
Matt Cook and Caffaro worked the puck in the zone before finding Presizniuk in the right corner.
Union's power play wasn't done yet. At 14:16 junior forward
Mario Valery-Trabucco found pay dirt off a feed from Caffaro and Milnamow.
Caffaro tied a career high with three points and Milnamow produced his fifth multi-point game of the year with two assists.
Presizniuk potted his team-leading 12th goal of the season and 19th of his career. He increases his point total to a team-best 28. His line mate, Valery-Trabucco, increased his 10th goal of the season and 31st of his career, while Walters moves his point total to 22 points.
The first period had nothing doing for either team and Union killed off three penalties to send the game into the intermission at 0-0. It marked on the third time this season the Dutchmen and its opponents skated to a scoreless first and the fifth time they produced a scoreless period.
Milan turned away 12 shots during the opening round and the Dutchmen defense limited the Engineers to only two shots with the man advantage.
After taking the lead in the second, Union turned its attention to its defensive efforts and only allowed six shots on goal the rest of the way and killed a penalty.
The final shot total stood at 31-17 in favor of RPI, but the Dutchmen went 3-for-7 on the power play and killed all five of its penalties.
The cross-town showdown continues at Messa Rink on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.
