This Weekend
The No. 7-seeded Dutchmen begin the 2019 ECAC Hockey Playoffs hosting the No. 10-seeded Colgate Raiders for a best-of-three series this weekend, March 8-10. All three games are slated for 7 p.m. (ET) start times.
Media Coverage
Matt Dubrey and Brian Unger will have the call, and the live audio stream will be available for free on UnionAthletics.com. Fans inside in the United States can watch the games online through ESPN Plus, while fans outside the States can watch through StretchInternet. Live stats for the games will be available through UnionAthletics.com.
Social Media
Receive real-time updates during all Union men's hockey games by following the team's official Twitter account @UnionMHockey. Additional behind-the-scenes looks are also available through the team's official Instagram account, UnionMHockey.
Possible Quarterfinals
If Union advances to the quarterfinals after this weekend, the Dutchmen have the potential of traveling to Cornell (two seed), Clarkson (three seed) or Harvard (four seed), depending on the outcomes from the other first-round series. The only top-seeded opponent Union cannot face in the quarterfinals is Quinnipiac.
vs Colgate
Union split the regular-season series with Colgate this year, defeating the Raiders, 6-0, at Messa Rink on Feb. 2, but losing to the Raiders, 5-1, in Hamilton on Feb. 22. Overall, the Dutchmen trail in the all-time series to Colgate 22-36-4; however, 21 of those losses have come in Hamilton.
Seniors
Brett Supinski and
Sebastian Vidmar lead the Dutchmen in career scoring against the Raiders. Both have amassed three goals and two assists each in their careers against Colgate.
Jake Kupsky leads the goaltending group with a 2-1-1 record, a 1.57 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in his career against Colgate.
Scouting the Raiders
Colgate finished the regular season with an overall record of 10-21-3, and enters the postseason as the No. 10 seed in the ECAC Hockey standings after going 7-12-3 in league play. After defeating Union and RPI two weeks ago in Hamilton, the Raiders were swept last weekend on the road at Clarkson and St. Lawrence.
Junior forward Bobby McMann leads this Raiders this season with 23 points, stemming from eight goals and 15 assists. In net, Mitch Benson has posted a 9-19-3 record with a .912 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against average.
Last Time Out
Union finished out the regular season at home with its first weekend sweep since November, defeating Dartmouth in overtime on March 1 and Harvard on March 2. The wins bumped Union up to No. 7 in the final ECAC Hockey standings.
Union vs Dartmouth - W, 4-3 (OT) - March 1 - Messa Rink
Union Goals:
Jack Adams,
Ryan Walker (x2),
Sean Harrison
Dartmouth Goalie: Adrian Clark (L) - 30 saves, 4 goals against
Union Goalie:
Darion Hanson (W) - 18 saves, 3 goals against
Power Play: Union 0-3, Dartmouth 0-4
Noteworthy:
Ryan Walker scored twice, including the overtime winner, and earned an assist. Dartmouth's Quin Foreman scored two goals in the final 2:18 of the third period to force OT.
Jack Adams scored the game's first goal and assisted on Union's second. Neither team scored on the power play, as Union went 0-for-3 and Dartmouth 0-for-4.
Darion Hanson made 18 saves in net for his 10th win of the year. The game marked the 10th overtime game of the season for Union, second most in the NCAA.
Union vs #15/16 Harvard - W, 4-3 - March 2 - Messa Rink
Union Goals:
Brandon Estes,
Sebastian Vidmar,
Liam Morgan,
Ryan Walker
Harvard Goalie: Cameron Gornet (L) - 29 saves, 4 goals against
Union Goalie:
Jake Kupsky (W) - 25 saves, 3 goals against
Power Play: Union 1-4, Harvard 0-4
Noteworthy: Harvard scored in the first three minutes for an early lead, but Union scored twice in the second period to carry a 2-1 lead into the third. Both teams scored two goals apiece in the third, but Union never trailed after gaining the lead in the second.
Sebastian Vidmar recorded his 100th career point, scoring his ninth goal of the season.
Ryan Walker scored the game-winner at the 14:12 mark of the third period.
Anthony Rinaldi assisted on the first three Union goals.
Jake Kupsky made 25 saves in net to earn his 23rd career win.
Major Wins
The Dutchmen are undefeated (3-0-0) in the three games in which they have been assessed a five-minute major penalty: Jan. 25 vs Yale; Jan. 12 at St. Lawrence; Oct. 20 at Northeastern.
Winning From the Box
Union is 7-2-1 in games in which the Dutchmen are assessed more penalty minutes than their opponents, and also hold an 9-2-2 record in games in which Union's opponents have more power-play opportunities. On the opposite side, the Dutchmen are 4-8-3 when they have more power-play chances and are 7-8-3 when assessed fewer penalty minutes than the opposing team.
If You Ain't First, You're Last
Union is 10-2-2 (.786) when scoring the first goal of the game. On the flip side, Union has gone 7-9-3 (.447) when the opposing team scores first.
Best of the Month
Cole Maier was named ECAC Hockey's Player of the Month for October. The senior forward led all conference skaters with 10 points in the month, scoring four goals, including two game winners, and picking up six assists. He was also named the league's first Player of the Week this season, after a five-point weekend against Omaha, Oct. 12-13.
Leading the nation with a .972 save percentage and a 0.97 goals-against average during the month of November,
Darion Hanson was named ECAC Hockey's Goalie of the Month and the Hockey Commissioners Association Goalie of the Month. He finished the month with 104 saves (34.6 per game), posting a 2-0-1 record. After a 34-save performance against Quinnipiac on Nov. 10, the sophomore posted back-to-back 30+ save games against Yale and Boston University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, leading the Dutchmen to the 2018 Friendship Four title while earning MVP honors. He was also named Goalie of the Week twice during the month of November.
Best of the Week
After a four-point weekend against Dartmouth and Harvard, senior forward
Ryan Walker was named the ECAC Hockey's Player of the Week. Walker scored three goals on the weekend, including both game-winners, to help lead Union to it's first weekend sweep since November, with wins over Dartmouth and No. 15/16 Harvard. The senior forward started the weekend off with a three-point night against Dartmouth, assisting on the team's first goal, scoring in the third period, before capping the night off with the OT winner. In Saturday's contest against nationally-ranked Harvard, Walker's goal to put Union up 4-2 late in the third period would end up standing as the game-winner. Walker finished the weekend with eight shots on net and a +3 plus/minus rating.
After a five-point weekend,
Cole Maier was named ECAC Hockey's first Player of the Week for the 2017-18 season. Maier had a hand in all three Union goals in the Oct. 12 game against Omaha, scoring once and tallying two assists. He followed that up with two assists in the finale against the Mavericks.
With a big road sweep against then-No. 12 Northeastern, Union's
Brett Supinski and
Darion Hanson both earned ECAC Hockey weekly honors. Supinski had a stellar four-point weekend leading all skaters in the league. He, had a hand in all three regulation goals in Friday's 4-3 overtime win. In that game, he scored twice in the first period against the Huskies, including potting Union's first shorthanded goal of the season. In net, Hanson was also stellar, leading all goalies in the nation with 68 saves over the Oct. 18-20 weekend, and being one of only four goalies to record two wins that weekend as well. Despite conceding four goals over the weekend, only one was even strength, as the other three were all scored on Northeastern power plays. Hanson ended the weekend with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.
Darion Hanson earned his second Goaltender of the Week award after posting 34 saves to help Union defeat No. 13 Quinnipiac, 5-1. A total of 16 of his 34 saves were made in the second period alone, as Quinnipiac out-shot the Dutchmen 35-23 in the contest. His efforts in net also helped the Union penalty kill go a perfect three-for-three on the night.
Hanson earned his third Goalie of the Week honor after leading Union to a 2018 Friendship Four championship. The sophomore only conceded one even-strength goal all weekend and made a career-high 39 saves against Boston University in the championship game. Hanson was also named the tournament's MVP for his efforts.
Already Spoken For
The Union College hockey team features three student-athletes who have been drafted by NHL teams.
