Box Score

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ –   Sophomore forward Daniel Carr scored two goals and junior forward Jeremy Welsh set a new single season goal scoring record with his 24th goal of the year to lead No. 6/6 Union College (23-7-7) to a 6-2 victory over No. 20 Colgate (19-16-3) in an ECAC Hockey Semifinal Game at Boardwalk Hall. Sophomore forward Josh Jooris had a goal and assisted on three others in the victory.

The Dutchmen will face either Cornell or Harvard in Saturday night's Championship Game at 7:30 p.m. It is the second time in program history that the Dutchmen will play for the ECAC Hockey Championship, as Union lost to Cornell in Albany in 2009-10. The Raiders play at 4:30 p.m. in Saturday's Third Place Game.

Union, 8-1-1 in the last 10 games, won all three meetings against the Raiders this season.
Early in the contest, Colgate's Jeremy Price was stopped by sophomore goaltender Troy Grosenick (28 saves) at 1:20, with a kick save on a clear drive from the right point.

Just 1:35 into the game, the Dutchmen struck first. Carr blasted home a shot just inside the left side of the blue line. It was assisted by Josh Jooris and the tally gave him 17 goals on the season.  It also gave Carr four goals in the last two meetings against the Raiders, including his hat trick on February 25. Union was 17-3-4 when scoring first entering this game.

Grosenick made a glove stop of a Mark Nasca shot inside the point after a rebound at 7:17. Midway through the period, the Raiders had an 8-2 shot advantage.

The Dutchmen threatened with 7:19 left, as Carr attempted a wrap around but the left pad of Eric Mihalik denied him. A failed clear was taken by Jeremy Welsh, who fired a wrister that was stopped by Mihalik.  Moments later, at 13:11, the Dutchmen made it 2-0. Freshman forward Max Novak scored his eighth of the season with a shot from straight out between the circles, and the Dutchmen had a two goal lead after a flurry that produced five shots over three minutes.

Colgate had the first power play of the game at 15:52 on an interference call on Ryan Forgaard.  He made consecutive pad saves in close on Robbie Bourbon and Chris Wagner, and a nice stop after that on Austin Smith, all coming on the final seconds of the man advantage.

Colgate had a 12-9 shot advantage after one period of play, but the Dutchmen outshot the Red Raiders, 11-1 in the second half of the stanza.

The Red Raiders pulled to within one at 2-1 at 19:34 of the second period. Chris Wagner had a drive stopped by Grosenick, but the Red Raiders picked up the rebound and continued the pressure, capped by Joe Wilson's 10^th goal of the season. Assists were credited to Wagner and Austin Smith. Colgate had more chances at 1:45 with doorstep shots by Wagner and Smith both saved.

Colgate had another power play at 4:51 and the best chances came on strong save of a shot by Wagner just outside the crease.

With 10:30 left, Carr's drive from the left circle was stopped by Mihalik and he made two more stops during this opportunity.  At 12:19, Union's Kyle Bodie nearly regained the two goal lead outside the crease with a scrum in front but the wrister just went wide.

Union's first power play was quite productive right from the start at 13:38. Colgate was called for two many men on the ice, and after a pair of saves off Welsh right point drives, Jooris made it 3-1. Jooris took a nice feed from behind the net from sophomore defenseman Mat Bodie and drilled it top shelf for his sixth of the season.

Matching roughing penalties to Mat Bodie and Mark Nasca produced a four-on-four at 16:48. Right after both teams returned to full strength, Colgate's Corbin McPherson skated in deep to Grosenick's left and came out in front to look to tuck it in but the sophomore goaltender made a big right pad stop.

Second period shots were in favor of Colgate, 13-12, as Grosenick had 24 saves through the first two periods and Mihalik had 18 saves.  

At 1:11 of the third, Colgate's John Lidgett found Smith open on the left circle, but the one timer was stopped by Grosenick.

Sophomore forward Matt Hatch was whistled for boarding at 2:38, producing Colgate's third power play opportunity of the game. But a defensive giveaway in the Red Raiders zone, and the deep forechecking  of Welch and Carr, gave the Dutchmen a 4-1 lead. Welsh intercepted a poor pass and gave an open Carr the helper, and Carr deked and went high for his second of the night and 18^th of the season. It was also his third shorthanded score in 2011-12.

That goal gave Union six shorthanded goals for the season, the most since 2002-03 and triple the total of last season's squad.

That forecheck did the trick again, and it was 5-1 as Union chased Mihalik at 7:19. Another turnover by the Raiders led to Jooris dishing to Welsh, who fired home a record breaking 24^th goal of the season. That score broke Mario Valery-Trabucco's school record set in the 2009-10 season.

Senior Alex Evin took over the goaltending duties for the Raiders after the score. He was tested during a rare four-on-three after matching penalties followed by a Colgate single penalty gave Union the opportunity at 8:25. Welsh had two strong drives from the right circle to test the new netminder during the man up.

Colgate's second of the night came at 6:40. Matt Firman got a loose puck at center ice and came in alone, tucking it in inside the right post for his seventh of the season.

Union closed out the scoring at 18:19 when junior defenseman Shawn Stuart blasted home his first of the season from between the circles. Jooris and Hatch assisted.