NEW HAVEN, CT – Riding high on a 10-game ECAC Hockey unbeaten streak, the Union College men's hockey team was side tracked with a pair of losses last weekend to Harvard (4-1) and Dartmouth (3-1). The Dutchmen will try and right the ship as it travels to sixth-ranked Yale on Friday, Jan. 29 and to Brown on Saturday, Jan. 30 – both games are at 7 p.m.
The Dutchmen (13-6-5) enter the weekend in first place in ECAC Hockey with a 7-2-3 record (17 pts.). The Bulldogs (11-5-3) are tied for second with a 7-3-2 mark (16 pts.), while the Bears (6-12-1) are in ninth place with a 4-7-1 record (9 pts.).
As usual the two-headed broadcast team of Matt Dubrey and Brian Unger '93 will provide the coverage on WRUC 89.7 FM and online at Teamline.cc. Live stats and video for Friday's contest can be seen at YaleBulldogs.com, while both features for Saturday's game can be accessed at BrownBears.com. Follow the action on Twitter at @UnionHockey.
The Dutchmen are 8-1-1 this season and on a seven-game winning-streak on the road. Their last loss away from Messa Rink came on Oct. 17 at 19th-ranked St. Cloud (1-3). Since then Union has knocked off ECAC Hockey opponents St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Rensselaer (twice), Princeton and Quinnipiac. Senior
Jason Walters leads all Union scorers with 16 points, including eight goals and eight assists. Seniors
Mario Valery-Trabucco (7g-5a) and
Mike Schreiber (3g-8a) are second and third with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
No Union student-athlete has ever enjoyed a run like the one Walters is on right now. The Renfrew, Ontario native is riding a 15-game scoring streak, producing 11 goals and 12 assists during the span. He is a plus-11 with three power-play goals and two game-winners during the stretch and is cashing in on 19.3 percent of his shots.
>> Scouting Yale
The 2008-09 ECAC Hockey Champions have gone 2-2-1 in their last five games and are coming off a 4-2 loss at St. Lawrence on Saturday. In the Bulldogs last 13 games, they have posted a 9-3-1 record.
Like Union, Yale has three players with 20 or more points. Sophomore Brian O'Neill leads the team with 23 points and 15 assists. Behind him is junior Broc Little with 22 points and a team-high 15 points. Senior Sean Backman has registered 21 points, including 12 goals.
In goal, freshman Nick Maricic and Jeff Malcolm have shared time with eight games each. Maricic is 4-2-2 with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage, while Malcolm is 5-2-0 with a 2.74 GAA and a .887 SV%.
>> The Union-Yale Series
In a series that dates back to Jan. 10, 1992, the Bulldogs own a 20-15-4 advantage over the Dutchmen.
In the last five outings, Union has posted a 2-1-2 record. Its only loss came last year in a 4-2 game at Messa Rink on Feb. 13, 2009.
The two teams took part in the longest game in NCAA history when Yale defeated Union in a five overtime game, 3-2, during the 2006 ECAC Hockey Playoffs. The game, which lasted 141:35, 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.
Union is 8-8-2 at Yale.
>> Scouting Brown
Brown halted a five-game skid with a 3-2 win at Clarkson on Saturday. After going on a five-game winnings streak, which included wins against Princeton and Quinnipiac, the Bears lost five straight.
Junior Harry Zolnierczyk and sophomore Jack Maclellan lead the Bears with a 17 points each. Zolnierczyk has produced a team-best nine goals to go along with eight assits, while Maclellan has a team-high tying 10 assits and is tied for secco with seven goals.
Sophomore Mike Clemente has been the workhorse in goal this season, appearing in 18 games. He has posted a 6-8-1 record with a 3.37 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
>> The Union-Bron Series
Saturday's contest will be the 38th meeting all-time between the two schools and the 37th since Union went to Division I in 1991. Brown leads all-time 19-10-9 and 19-9-9 in DI play.
In the last five outings, the Dutchmen have posted a 1-2-2 record.
On the road, Union is 4-10-4 all-time at Brown.
>> Next Up
Union returns to Messa Rink on Friday, Feb. 5 to take on Clarkson (5-16-3, 1-9-2) on national television. The game is the fourth of five televised Dutchmen games this season by Capital District Time Warner Sports. The telecast will be picked up by the NHL Network. The Dutchmen then welcome St. Lawrence (13-8-4, 7-3-2) on Saturday, Feb. 6. Tickets can be purchased at UnionAthleticsTickets.com.
