This Weekend
The Dutchmen hit the ice this weekend, Dec. 29-30, for a series against the Omaha Mavericks. Both games this Friday and Saturday will be played at 8:07 p.m. (ET).
Media Coverage
Fans can watch the games online at NCHC.tv, while an audio stream will also be provided for both games at 1620TheZone.com. Live States will be available through Omaha Athletic's website, OMavs.com. Additionally, fans in the area can listen to the games on the air on Omaha's KZOT 1180-AM.
Social Media
Receive real-time updates during all Union men's hockey games by following the team's official Twitter account @UnionMHockey. Additional in-game updates and commentary will be provided by assistant sports information director
Ross LaDue via his Twitter account @RLaDue.
Current Streaks
Two Union skaters enter the weekend having recorded a point in at least the previous two games:
Cole Maier (8 games - 2g, 7a); and
Ryan Scarfo (2 games - 2g,1a).
Brett Supinski recently had a career0best 11-game point streak, in which he recorded two goals and 14 assists between Oct. 27 and Dec. 9.
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Last Time Out
Union vs Holy Cross - Dec. 9 - Messa Rink
Union Goals:
Jack Adams (PP),
Cole Maier,
Ryan Scarfo,
Ryan Walker (EN)
Holy Cross Goalie: Paul Berrafato (L), 36 saves, 3 goals against
Union Goalie:
Darion Hanson (W) - 19 saves, 2 goals against
Power Play: Union 1-4, Holy Cross 0-3
Noteworthy: The Dutchmen picked up their third win over an Atlantic Hockey team this season with a 4-2 victory against Holy Cross. The Crusaders took advantage of a slow start by Union and took a 2-0 lead in the first period. Union rallied and score two goals in both the second and third periods to secure the comeback win.Â
Union vs Massachusetts - Dec. 10 - Messa Rink
Union Goals:
Ryan Scarfo (PP)
UMass Goalie: Ryan Wischow (W), 31 saves, 1 goal against
Union Goalie:
Jake Kupsky (L) - 30 saves, 2 goals against
Power Play: Union 1-5, UMass 2-4
Noteworthy: The Dutchmen's woes against the Minutemen continued this season, as UMass picked up its second-consecutive win in Messa Rink. All three goals in the contest were scored on the power play, and
Ryan Scarfo opened the scoring at the 7:55 mark of the first period. The Minutemen responded two minutes later, and scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second for the eventual win.
vs Omaha
Omaha and Union have not played each other in nearly 10 years, having last met in 2008 during the Omaha Stampede Tournament. Union lost that meeting on Oct. 18, 2008 in overtime 2-1 and now trails 2-3-0 all-time in the series vs the Mavericks. Prior to the meeting in 2008, Omaha played in a two game series at Messa Rink, in which Union won the first game, 3-2 in OT, and lost the second game 4-2. The very first games occurred in 1997, in which Union split a two-game series in Omaha.
Scouting the Mavericks
Omaha enters the weekend with a 7-8-1 overall record with a 2-6-0 mark in NCHC competition. Even though they sit in eighth place in the NCHC, all eight teams in the conference are ranked or are receiving votes in the USCHO.com poll.
Senior forward David Pope leads the Mavericks this season with 10 goals and nine assists. In net, Evan Weninger has played the majority of minutes and has recorded a 6-6-0 record with a 3.77 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage.
Junior Leadership
Union is fourth in the country for junior class scoring, having produced 25 goals and 48 assists this season. All six junior skaters have recored at least six points this season.
Brett Supinski leads the class, and the team, with six goals and 16 assists. Of the top-6 junior classes in scoring, Union and North Dakota have the smallest junior classes, with six skaters each.
If You Ain't First, You're Last
The Dutchmen hold an 8-2-0 record this season when scoring the first goal. On the flip side, Union has only won two games when the opponents have scored first (2-6-1).
Magic Number
Three seems to be the magic number for Union this season, as the Dutchmen have not won a game yet this season when scoring two or fewer goals. When scoring at least three goals, Union is 10-3-0 and almost perfect, 8-1-0 when scoring four or more goals.Â
Spreading the Wealth
A total of 20 skaters have already recorded a point for Union this season, including 18 who have more than one, and 17 who have scored goals.Â
Fashionably Late
Of the Dutchmen's 59 goals scored this season, the majority of them (25) have come in the third period, and Union is currently sixth in the nation in third-period goal production.Â
Extra Goals
Forward
Brett Supinski is tied for the nation's lead in extra-attacker goals. The junior from Collegeville, PA scored with an empty Union net in back-to-back games, Oct. 13-15. Both of his extra-attacker goals were scored within the final 15 seconds of regulation.
Best of the Week
Posting an undefeated weekend at No. 3 North Dakota, junior netminder
Jake Kupsky was named ECAC Hockey's Goaltender of the Week on Nov. 28. Kupsky made a total of 64 saves over the weekend to help Union earn a 4-1 win and a 2-2 tie at Ralph Engelstad Arena. On the weekend, he posted a .955 save percentage and a 1.44 goals-against average.
With five-point weekend over Oct. 20-21,
Ryan Scarfo led all ECAC Hockey skaters in scoring, and earned Player of the Week honors for his efforts. In the first outing of the weekend, Scarfo put up two assists against RIT in a 6-1 win. Against Niagara, Scarfo scored twice, including the game-winner, and added an assist for a career-tying best three-point night. The weekly honor was the first for the Dutchmen this season.
Apple-trick
Junior captain
Cole Maier set a personal best on Oct. 21 at Niagara, recording three assists against the Purple Eagles. He registered an assist on the game-winner, and had an assist in each of the three periods.
Brett Supinski recorded Union's second 'apple-trick' of the season, tallying three assists in the 4-1 against No. 16 Quinnipiac on Nov. 11. It was also the second three-assist game in the junior's career.Â
What a Debut
First-year goaltender
Darion Hanson made his collegiate debut on Oct. 20 against RIT. Hanson made 24 saves in the 6-1 win, including 14 in the third period, seven of which were made while shorthanded. He followed up his debut with second win, helping Union defeat Niagara 5-1, with the only goal conceded coming on a Purple Eagles' power play.
Winning
With a 5-1 win over Niagara on Oct. 20, 2017, head coach
Rick Bennett became the winningest hockey coach in Union hockey's Division I history. Bennett owns a career record of 142-75-30, surpassing Nate Leaman's record of 138-127-35.Â
Already Spoken For
The Union College hockey team features three student-athletes who have been drafted by NHL teams.Â
Welcome to Union College
The Dutchmen welcome nine new student-athletes to their ranks this season, including five forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender.
Newest Pros
Over the summer Union College had six members of its 2016-17 team sign professional contracts with North American organizations.
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Team |
League |
Date |
| Nick DeSimone |
Jr |
D |
San Jose |
NHL |
March 30 (FA) |
| Spencer Foo |
Jr. |
F |
Calgary |
NHL |
June 27 (FA) |
| Michael Pontarelli |
Sr. |
D |
Quad City |
ECHL |
July 27 |
| Alex Sakellaropoulos |
Sr. |
G |
Fort Wayne |
ECHL |
July 20 |
| Jeff Taylor |
Sr. |
D |
Pittsburgh |
NHL |
March 26 |
| Mike Vecchione |
Sr. |
F |
Philadelphia |
NHL |
March 31 (FA) |
