SCHENECTADY, NY -- When the final red light turned on 17th-ranked and third-seeded Union College men's ice hockey and the seventh-seeded Quinnipiac had played 150:22 minutes, setting the record for longest game in NCAA I history. The Bobcats' Greg Holt registered the game-winning tally with 9:38 remaining in the fifth overtime, giving Quinnipiac a 3-2 victory in the first game of the quarterfinals of the ECAC Hockey playoffs.
The Dutchmen (18-11-6) are no stranger to five overtime games, having played in the only two in NCAA men's history. Before Friday night's marathon, Union and Yale owned the longest game at 141:35 on Mar. 2, 2006.
The two teams combined for a total of 130 shots, including a school-record 75 by the Dutchmen. Up to the task was Quinnipiac's Dan Clarke, who made 73 stops in the game -- tied for sixth most in NCAA history.
At the other end, freshman
Keith Kinkaid turned away 52 shots in his postseason debut.
The hero of the night, Holt, registered his 10th goal of the season with a wrister from the left face-off circle after winning the puck battle behind the Union net. The goal which came at 1:03 a.m. helped earn Quinnipiac's 20th victory (20-16-2) of the season.
The teams combined for 76 shots in overtime alone. Kinkaid's goals-against average went from 2.73 entering the game to 2.56 at nights end thanks to five straight scoreless periods.
The contest, which began at 7:07 p.m., saw its first goal at 7:13 of the first period when
Stéphane Boileau registered his eighth goal of the season. After a shot was blocked in front, Boileau picked it up and roofed it into the gapping net.
The physicality of the opening period caught up with the Bobcats first as they served a tripping call midway through the first and the Dutchmen took advantage. Sophomore
Kelly Zajac worked the puck up top to senior
Jason Walters at the left point. His shot got through the crowd and hit the pipe. Senior
Mario Valery-Trabucco was there to clean up the rebound for his 22nd goal of the season. The assist was Walter's 114th point, tying him for the top spot on Union's all-time Division I list.
Not to be outdone, Quinnipiac's Scott Zurevinski made it 2-1 at 13:01 of the first with a shot from the left face-off circle.
The Bobcats carried the momentum into the second period and outshot the Dutchmen, 11-1 -- a complete opposite of Union dominating the shot total in the first period, 19-7. It was Quinnipiac's Jeremy Langlois who capitalized on the chances in the second, making it 2-2 1:12 into the period.
The two teams will do battle again on Saturday, Mar. 13 at 7 p.m.
