NCAA Frozen Four Union College Hockey All-Access and HighlightsPHILADELPHIA, PA – Daniel Ciampini scored three goals to lead the Union College men's ice team to a 5-4 victory over Boston College in the first semifinal game of the 2014 Frozen Four at the Wells Fargo Center Thursday night.
The Dutchmen, winners of 11 straight, improved to 15-0-1 over the last 16 games and 31-6-4 overall. The Eagles ended the season with a record of 28-8-4. Union will meet Minnesota in the NCAA Championship Game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN).
The Eagles got the early lead at 2:08 of the first period. Kevin Hayes came to the inside of the right boards and fed Bill Arnold, who had a wrister stopped by
Colin Stevens. But Johnny Gaudreau was parked in front of the crease and backhanded the rebound into the net for his 36
th goal of the season.
At 3:25 senior captain
Mat Bodie had a drive through traffic that sat out in front but there was too much traffic for anyone to find the net. The Dutchmen were on their first power play at 3:25 but the Eagles killed that off. BC got its first man advantage at 8:45. BC's Teddy Doherty had a shot from the mid point that was targeted high but Stevens made the stop. With 50 seconds left on the BC power play, the Eagles took a penalty. But the Dutchmen got one shot off during that 1:10 man up.
Shayne Gostisbehere let go a quick strong wrister shot between the circles with 2:42 left in the first period, but Thatcher Demko made the glove save. The Dutchmen controlled play in the final few minutes, and wound up outshooting the Eagles, 11-9.
Union came out strong to start the second period, and the captain led the charge. At 2:39, Bodie, after holding and looking for a screen, found one and notched his seventh
th of the season at 2:39. Sebastian Gingras got the assist on the Dutchmen's first tally. For Bodie, it gave him a goal in each of the three NCAA playoff games this season. The flurries in "Philly" continued, as a shot from the point in the right post, and soon thereafter a Michael Ponterelli (in close) shot and a Bodie shot were stopped by Demko. With 9:23 left, the back and forth action featured a sharp left pad save by Stevens off Patrick Brown.
The Dutchmen took their first lead at 2-1 at 10:45 of the second. A face off won by senior forward
Daniel Carr led to a point pass to Gostisbehere. The junior defenseman ripped a high shot over a crowd that was gloved by Demko…for a moment. The puck dribbled out of his glove and fell to his right, where Ciampini was there to bang home his 20th goal of the season.
With 5:30 to go in the second, BC's Arnold barreled near the net but Stevens and his two defenseman thwarted that threat. At 15:53, Steve Santini tied it for the Eagles at 2-2. He got a cross zone pass from Chris Calnan and fired from the top right circle into the net for his third of the season. Stevens made a nice save on a shot from the left dot by Scott Savage with just under four minutes left in the second. Shots were 17-15 Union in the second, and 28-24 after two periods.
Max Novak broke into the Eagles zone 50 seconds into the third but was stopped and from the same left side Ciampini had a shot that was stopped by the glove of Demko. BC came back with a point shot from Savage that left a rebound out for Hayes, but his sweeping attempt was stuffed by Stevens. Union went on the man up at 3:56 of the third. The Dutchmen took a 3-2 lead at 6:31. Ciampini tipped a mid point shot from Gostisbehere after he received a dish from
Mike Vecchione, who was at the left point. It was Ciampini's second of the night and 21
st of the season.
Union was put on a five minute disadvantage after a hit from behind call. But the Dutchmen killed it off, with the toughest threat coming with just 13 seconds left in the BC power play. Stevens stopped Teddy Doherty's shot in close off a point shot rebound. Then, the Dutchmen added must needed insurance.
Kevin Sullivan's in tight shot was stopped by he quickly dished out the rebound to an open Ciampini, who wasted no time in scoring into the open net for his second of the night and 21
st of the season.
The Dutchmen had an empty netter with 1:09 left and BC scored with 3.2 left. Gaudreau had a chance to tie it with a wrister but Stevens made a save right as the buzzer sounded. Union wound up outshooting the Eagles, 41-38. Ciampini's hat trick was the first by a player in the Frozen Four since BC's Nathan Gerbe scored three vs. North Dakota on April 10, 2008. It was the first hat trick for any Union player this season and Ciampini's first of his career. He has six career NCAA tournament scores.
Union's last national championship came in 1929 by the men's lacrosse team. Since then three teams, including football twice and Division III men's ice hockey once, have reached NCAA championship games.
