SCHENECTADY, NY - No. 14/13 Union men's ice hockey (10-5-6, 4-2-3 ECAC Hockey) travels to historic Fenway Park to take on Harvard (4-4-6, 3-3-4 ECAC Hockey) as part of Sun Life Frozen Fenway 2012. The game will be the fifth Division I men's ice hockey game ever played at Fenway Park and the tenth outdoor NCAA Division I men's ice hockey contest. Each of the last four contests between the two teams have been decided by one goal or less. Last Friday night, Union and Harvard tied 3-3 at Messa Rink as the Crimson rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period on goals from Danny Biega and Alex Killorn in the first 7:03 of the frame. Sophomore forward Daniel Carr and sophomore defenseman Mat Bodie each scored on the power play in the second period to give Union a two goal lead, and junior forward Wayne Simpson added a first period goal for the Dutchmen.
Union's Outdoor Hockey History
The Union College men's ice hockey team played varsity intercollegiate hockey outdoors from 1919 to 1949. Union played home contests at a rink constructed in Central Park for College use until 1934, when an outdoor rink was created near the current Memorial Field House. In 1939, an outdoor rink was created on Graduate Council Field, where hockey was played until the end of the 1948-1949 season. Union last played outdoors on Feb. 12, 1949, when the Dutchmen fell 2-0 at Vermont. The last outdoor game played at Union was on Feb. 7, 1948, when the Dutchmen lost 5-2 to Champlain College. Union's last win in an outdoor game came on Jan. 3, 1948, when the Dutchmen beat Lehigh at a tournament hosted by Hamilton College in Clinton, NY.
Road Warriors
Union has established itself as one of college hockey's toughest road teams over the past two seasons. The Dutchmen are 7-3-3 on the road this season. Union is 25-13-6 in road contests over the past two-plus years, including a current 20-game stretch (14-3-3) that includes the final seven (7-0-0) road games of the 2010-11 season. Union's recent eight-game stretch away from Messa Rink, ending at Colorado College on Dec. 31, marked the longest stretch of games away from Schenectady for Union since the 2004-05 season, when the Dutchmen played nine consecutive contests at road/neutral sites from Nov. 19, 2004-Jan. 2, 2005.
Special Teams Success
The Dutchmen have gotten off to another hot start on the power play, which ranks fifth in the nation at 26.9% (28-for-104). Union has scored two or more power play goals in 10 contests this season (7-0-3). The Dutchmen have scored a power play goal in 14 of 21 games this season and have a record of 10-1-3 in those contests. Union's penalty kill, which ranks 22nd in the nation at 83.7% (72-for-86), has also been strong.
Welsh and Carr are Union's Extra Men
Sophomore forward Daniel Carr and junior forward Jeremy Welsh have gotten off to a strong start on Union's fifth-ranked power play unit (26.9%, 28-for-104). Carr, with three power play goals last weekend now has eight on the season (2nd in NCAA). Nipping at his heels is Welsh, who is tied for sixth in the nation with seven power play goals. Carr is tied for second with Olivier Bouchard '07 in the Division I era at Union with 20 career power play goals, while Welsh has 19 career power play goals, both chasing Jordan Webb '05 for the program record of 22 career power play tallies.
Scouting Harvard
After stuggling on offense in 2010-11, Harvard forwards are off to a great start this season. Alex Killorn paces Harvard with 18 points (9-9-18), while Danny Biega (4-13-17) is tied for eighth in the nation averaging just under an assist per game. Biega and Patrick McNally (4-11-15) rank second and third in scoring among defensemen, while McNally leads all freshmen in points per game.
Harvard, which averages 3.36 goals/game is on pace for its highest-scoring season since 2002-03, when the Crimson averaged 3.91 goals per game and ranked sixth nationally in scoring offense.
Harvard's power play is first in the nation and has scored at least one power-play goal in 18 straight games and has netted 28 man-advantage goals in its last 16 ECAC games.
On the flip side, Harvard is allowing 3.57 goals/game, and is 70% on the penalty kill, both in the bottom five nationally. Freshman goaltender Steve Michalek is 4-3-5 with a 3.33 GAA and .888 save percentage.
The Union-Harvard Series
Last season, the Dutchmen swept Harvard for the first time in program history with 2-1 wins on Nov. 5, 2010 and Jan. 22, 2011. It was also the first time that Union has won consecutive games against the Crimson. Union and Harvard tied 3-3 in their first meeting this season on Jan. 6.
Harvard has controlled the series, which began when Union joined Division I in 1991. The Crimson own a 30-7-4 record, including a 6-3-1 record in the last 10 meetings. The Dutchmen are 4-14-2 all-time against Harvard at Messa Rink.
Pacing the Dutchmen
Junior forward Jeremy Welsh has 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in the last 10 games and has scored a goal in seven of his last 10 contests. Welsh leads the team with 14 goals and entered the weekend as one of 9 players in the nation with 14 or more goals. Sophomore defenseman Mat Bodie (three goals, 15 assists), who had a goal and an assist last Friday against Harvard, has points in five of his last six games (goal, five assists). Sophomore forward Daniel Carr has the longest streak on the team with points in six straight games (five goals, three assists).
Starting Off Strong
Union has scored in the first period of 17 of its first 21 games this season and has a 10-2-5 record in those contests. The Dutchmen have scored their opposition 30-15 in the opening frame. Union has scored a goal in the first 10:00 of the first period in nine contests this season (5-1-3) and has twice scored in the first minute of games this season (10/22 vs. RIT and 11/11 vs. Brown).
