Box Score
 
SCHENECTADY, NY – Junior forward Jeremy Welsh recorded his second career hat trick, as the No. 11 Union men's ice hockey team earned a 3-3 tie against No. 12 Western Michigan (2-0-2) in front of 1,623 fans at Messa Rink.
 
Welsh helped Union (1-0-2) come back from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1, with a goal on the power play in the first period and another at even strength just 52 seconds into the second period. His third goal at 8:52 of the second period on the power play gave Union a 3-2 lead heading into the third.
 
For Welsh it was his first hat trick since December 10, 2010, when he scored three goals in an 8-1 win over American International.
 
But Western Michigan's Chase Balisy scored at 8:04 of the third period to knot the game at 3-3, where it stood at the end of overtime.
 
Western Michigan's Dan DeKeyser gave the Broncos an early lead on their first power play of the night with Union's Kyle Bodie in the penalty box for holding. DeKeyser fired a shot from straightaway through traffic that beat sophomore goaltender Troy Grosenick low at 6:39.
 
Union responded just over two minutes later, on their own man advantage. Western Michigan took a too many men penalty with Shane Berschbach already in the penalty box for cross-checking, giving Union 1:08 on the two man advantage. Just as Berschbach's penalty expired, Welsh took a pass from senior forward Kelly Zajac and fired a one-timer past Western Michigan goaltender Nick Pisellini at 9:15 to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Berschbach would strike at 18:09 to give Western Michigan the lead, scoring from the slot off a feed from Chase Balisy.
 
Welsh's strike early in the second period came off a tip pass from sophomore forward Daniel Carr, helping Union tie the game at 2-2.
 
The junior forward would complete the hat trick on the power play, with Western Michigan's Robert Francis in the penalty box for tripping. Welsh scored from the slot on a pass from behind the net from freshman forward Max Novak, giving Union a 3-2 lead at 8:52 of the second period.
 
But Balisy's third period goal, set up by a shot off the boards from Dennis Brown, sent the game into overtime.
 
Grosenick made his best save of the night to keep the game tied at the :45 mark of overtime, grabbing Berschbach's wrist shot off a faceoff the help Union earn the 3-3 tie.
 
Grosenick finished with 23 saves on the night, while Pisellini stopped 27 shots for Western Michigan. Union finished the night two-of-six on the power play, while Western Michigan went two-for-five on the night with the man advantage.
 
The Dutchmen will hit the road to take on Niagara next Friday, Oct. 21 at 7:05 p.m.