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No. 13 Dutchmen Return To Action To Face Surging ECAC Foes
After two weekends without games, the Union men's ice hockey team (7-2-3, 2-1-1 ECAC Hockey) returns to action this weekend against two of the hottest teams in ECAC Hockey. On Friday night, the Dutchmen will face the Brown Bears.
The Bears (3-2-3, 2-1-1 ECAC) are unbeaten in their last four games (2-0-2) including two road ties last weekend against No. 5 New Hampshire (5-5) and No. 2 Boston University (4-4). Union is looking for its first win in Meehan Auditorium since Jan. 26, 2007, when they beat Brown 5-3. Union is 1-3-3 at Brown under head coach Nate Leaman.
On Sunday, Union will travel to New Haven, CT to face No. 2/3 Yale (8-1-0, 4-0-0 ECAC Hockey). The game will be nationally-televised on ESPNU, marking Union's first appearance on the ESPN family of networks.
Yale has won its last three games and boasts the nation's No. 1 scoring offense with an average of 5.22 goals per game. Yale's top-scoring offense will matchup against Union's top-ranked defense, which leads the nation with just 1.92 goals allowed per game. The Dutchmen have won three of their last four meetings against the Bulldogs at Ingalls Rink, with Yale winning their most recent game, 4-3, on Jan. 29, 2010.
Union Ranked No. 13 in Polls, Extending Streak to 22 Weeks
The Union College men's ice hockey team were ranked for a school-record 22nd consecutive week in the top-20 in the USCHO.com poll, staying at No. 13 in the rankings that were released on Nov. 8. The Dutchmen received 404 points after its second consecutive idle weekend.
Union also checked in at No. 13 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, receiving 126 poll points
Scouting Brown
Currently 3-2-3 on the season and 3-1-3 in their last seven games, Brown is led by junior forward Jack Maclellan, who has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and ranks fifth nationally with 1.62 points per game and fourthth nationally with 1.12 assists per game.
The Bears have gotten off to an impressive start, attributed largely to the success of their offense. Brown finished last season tied for 38th in the nation in scoring offense ay 2.78 goals per game. This season the Bears have the eighth-best scoring offense in the nation, averaging 3.62 goals per game through eight games.
The Bears have a young defensive corps with just three upperclassmen, a unit that has been vulnerable early on, yeilding 3.50 goals per game (49th in the nation)
The Series
Frday's contest will be the 39th meeting all-time between the two schools and the 38th since Union went to Division I in 1991. Brown leads all-time 19-10-10 and 18-10-10 in DI play.
In the last five outings, the Dutchmen have posted a 1-2-2 record.
On the road, Union is 4-10-5 all-time at Brown.
Last Meeting
Two first-period, man-up goals established an early 2-0 lead, but Union settled for a 2-2 tie at Brown on Jan. 20, 2010.
Mike Schreiber netted Union's first goal and his sixth of the season thanks to a dish from Adam Presizniuk at 6:23.
The Dutchmen established its two-goal lead thanks to a snipe by Greg Coburn from the top of the left face-off circle at 16:51. The play started when John Simpson's shot from the right point sailed wide. Stéphane Boileau grabbed the loose puck behind the net and found Coburn at the left point. The goal was the second of Coburn's career, while Boileau and Simpson earned their 15th and 16th points of the season, respectively.
Despite going 0-for-3 on the power-play in the second period, Brown still took advantage of two Union penalties. Jack MacLellan made it 2-1 at 4:15 just after a Dutchman returned from serving two minutes.
The Bears then tied the game, 2-2, on a delayed penalty call. Tyler Fernandez grabbed a rebound off the end boards and stuffed it in for his first career goal.
Union had a chance to win it with 1:54 remaining in overtime with a power-play opportunity, but Brown denied Union's chances, including Kelly Zajac's great chance in front on a one-timer with 32 seconds remaining.
Keith Kinkaid turned away 32 shots in his second consecutive start. Brown's Michael Clemente made 31 saves.
Scouting Yale
No. 2/3 Yale (8-1-0. 4-0-0 ECAC Hockey) has achieved its highest ranking in program history, reaching No. 2 in the latest USCHO.com poll. The Bulldogs have gotten off to a hot start, buoyed by the nation's top ranked offense, averaging 5.22 goals per game.
Goalie Ryan Rondeau, who owns all but two of the decisions this season, has been consistant in net. He currently ranks 13th in GAA (2.15) and 22nd in SP (.918) in Division I. Eight of the 15 goals he has allowed this year came on the man-advantage.
Yale senior forward Broc Little leads the team with eight goals and 18 points. He has recorded a point in all nine games that Yale has played this season. Little (104 gp, 61-56-117), who has 13 more points than career games played, led the 2009-10 Bulldogs with 27 goals, a Yale record for juniors, while leading all of Division I in goals per game (.79).
The Series
In a series that dates back to Jan. 10, 1992, the Bulldogs own a 21-15-4 advantage over the Dutchmen.
In the last five outings, Union has posted a 2-2-1 record. Union has won three out of the last four meetings at Ingalls Rink.
The two teams took part in the second-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.
Union is 8-9-2 at Yale.
Last Meeting
No. 6 Yale's 4-3 victory against No. 18 Union on Jan. 29, 2010 didn't come without controversy. Yale's third goal of the game sent the officials into the back room for a second look. After several minutes of video replay, they concluded that junior Brendan Mason's shot crossed the line before the whistle blew.
The goal came minutes after senior Jon Lareau knotted things up, 2-2, at 3:03 of the second. Cain's diving backhand through the crease left Lareau a tap in goal.
In the third period, the Bulldogs added to their lead with a goal at 6:44 off the stick of Mason. The Dutchmen attempted a comeback with 1:01 remaining in the game when John Simpson threw a shot that was deflected in off a Yale player.
Yale jumped out to a 1-0 lead only 45 seconds into the game after Yale's Andrew Miller blocked a shot and Sean Backman raced the other way for a breakaway goal.
Cain opened the scoring for Union after falling behind 1-0. Jason Walters caused a turnover in the offensive end, Cain turned and fired beating Nick Maricic along the ice at 3:05 of the first.
The Bulldogs regained the lead at 5:56 wehen Brian O'Neill scored short side after receiving a pass from Miller.
Between the pipes, freshman Keith Kinkaid made 36 saves while at the other end, Maricic turned away 22 shots.
