Box Score
SCHENECTADY, NY – Freshman forward
Kelly Zajac scored with 1:41 into overtime to give the Union College men's ice hockey team to a 2-1 victory against rival Rensselaer on Saturday night in front of a sold out Messa Rink crowd. The goal secured the Dutchmen's fifth straight Capital Skates Trophy victory and moved Union into a sixth-place tie with St. Lawrence and Clarkson in the ECAC Hockey standings. Union is now 7-8-1 in the conference with a 14-12-2 overall record. RPI, now in 10th place, goes to 5-10-1 in ECACH and 6-20-2 overall.
The game-winning play began with senior defenseman
Mike Harr moving the puck from behind Union's goal to sophomore forward
Stéphane Boileau on the right end boards. After tipping the puck ahead, Zajac carried the puck through the neutral zone and into RPI's end where he fired his fifth goal of the season and second game-winner past the glove of freshman Allen York.
Boileau picked up his 12th assist and 20th point of the season, while Harr earned his first point of the year and 14th of the season.
Junior defenseman
Mike Wakita picked up his second career goal, while junior defenseman
Mike Schreiber and junior forward
Mario Valery-Trabucco each tallied assists.
Sophomore goaltender
Corey Milan extended his shutout streak to 119:29 minutes before giving up a goal in the third period. He turned aside 14 shots to improve to 14-12-2 on the year and 20-20-8 all-time.
The first period mirrored both team's efforts from the pervious night with both teams coming up big on the penalty kill. Union fought off three RPI man-advantages, while the Engineers killed the Dutchmen's lone power play.
York, playing in only his seventh career game, robbed sophomore forward
Adam Presizniuk of only the fifth penalty shot in Union history. After Engineer junior Erik Burgdoerfer hauled down Presizniuk on a breakaway, the Union-leading scorer deked and went wide on York, who grabbed the backhand attempt out of the air. The freshman finished with 20 saves.
Just like Friday night's game, a Union defenseman broke the scoreless tie early in the second period. Wakita notched his second career goal on a one-timer setup by Schreiber 4:30 into the period. Valery-Trabucco picked up the second helper, his career-best 13th assist of the year.
RPI drought of 167:01 of scoreless hockey against the Dutchmen was snapped at 3:21 of the third period with a goal by sophomore Chase Polacek. The play was setup by sophomore Tyler Helfrich and freshman Patrick Cullen.
Both penalty kill units kept the board clean by denying six man advantages each.
The Dutchmen now turn their focus to the Friday, Feb. 13 game against Yale, which will be broadcast national on the NHL Network and locally on Time Warner Sports Channel 3. The game, which will be played at Messa Rink, begins at 7:30 p.m.
