PRINCETON, NJ – The Dutchmen made history with their two-game sweep of Clarkson last weekend to advance to the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals where they will face third-seeded and 11th-ranked Princeton for a three-game set, beginning on Friday, Mar. 13 and continuing on Saturday, Mar. 14. If necessary, the deciding game will take place on Sunday, Mar. 15. All three games are slated to begin at 7 p.m.

Union advanced with two wins against Clarkson, securing the program's first ever postseason series win. Behind two goals by junior forward Mario Valery-Trabucco, Union took game one on home ice, 5-3. Senior forward Chris Potts and sophomore forward Andrew Buote each scored a career-high two goals in a 7-2 game two win. During Friday's game, sophomore forward Stéphane Boileau had the game-winner at the 7:05 mark of the third period and sophomore forward Adam Presizniuk had a multi-point effort with a goal and two assists. The following night, Potts scored the game-winner late in the first as Union unloaded for three goals in the opening period and four goals in the third. Both Potts and Buote had shorthanded goals. Sophomore goaltender Corey Milan made 18 saves on Friday and 32 stops on Saturday.

 

Union's five goal performance on Friday against Clarkson was the most it had ever scored in a playoff game. Then Saturday rolled along and Union unloaded seven goals. The Dutchmen's four goals during the third period were the most scored by Union in its DI postseason history. The last time Union scored a combined 12 goals in back-to-back games was during an 8-1 win against Bentley on Oct. 28, 2005 and a 4-3 win at UMass-Lowell on Oct. 29, 2005. 

Presizniuk registered five points during the two games against Clarkson and now leads the team in goals (15), assists (21) and points (36). He is only one point away from tying Jordan Webb (2002-03), T.J. Fox (2006-07) and Joel Beal (2002-03) for most points in a single season. During Union's DI history, only two players have finished leading all three categories. Craig Ferrero led the 1991-92 team with 15 goals, 17 assists and 32 points. Kris Goodjohn was tops in 2001-02 with 10 goals, 17 assists and 27 points.

 

The Dutchmen scored first for the 11th time this season on Saturday and carried a 3-0 lead into the first intermission. Union has found success when scoring first (11-5-1) and when leading after one (9-3-1). Just as important Union has not fumbled in the third period. The team is 12-1-0 when leading and 3-0-1 when tied after two.
                                                                         

The Dutchmen are 4-8-2 on the road this season with a win at Princeton (3-2). Junior forward Jason Walters leads the team in away games with 14 points, including six goals and eight assists. Presizniuk (5G-7A) and senior defenseman Lane Caffaro (4G-8A) are tied for second with 12 points. Union's power play has been better on the road with a .179 conversion rate (15-for-84), while posting a .163 mark (15-for-92) at home.

The Tigers enjoyed a weekend off after earning a first-round bye in the third spot of the ECACH standings. However, Princeton is on a two-game skid, losing at Dartmouth (0-2) and at Harvard (3-2) during the last week of the regular season. Before that Princeton was winners of six of its last seven.

 

The Tigers are led by Ivy League Player of the Year junior goaltender Zane Kalemba, who has posted a 20-7-0 record with a 1.61 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage. In conference only games, he went 14-7-0 with a 1.48 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.

 

Offensively, senior forward Brett Wilson leads the way with 23 points behind nine goals and 14 assists. Junior forward Dan Bartlett (9G-10A) and junior defenseman Jody Pederson are tied for second with 19 points.

 

In a series that dates back to 1982, Princeton owns a 20-17-4 record and an 18-16-4 Division I mark against the Dutchmen. In the last 10 outings, Union has posted a 6-3-1 record with its last victory coming on Jan. 9, 2009 (3-2) at Princeton. Four of the last seven contests have gone into overtime with the Dutchmen posting a 2-1-1 record in those games.

 

The two teams met in the playoffs during the 1994-95 season and the Tigers skated away with a 5-2 at Hobey Baker Rink. Union is 8-12-1 all-time at Princeton and 8-10-1 during the Division I years.

 

Torren Delforte, a 2008 graduate of Union College, and member of the Central Hockey League's New Mexico Scorpions is a candidate for the leagues rookie of the year award. Delforte, who played 130 games for the Dutchmen from 2004-08, is in the running against Laredo's Darryl Smith, Odessa's Jeff Pierce, Rio Grande Valley's Nicolas Dumoulin and Arizona's Adam Perry. This season Delforte, a center, has potted 21 goals to go along with 30 assists in 57 games.