This Weekend
After going 1-1-0 with a win over Bentley and loss to RIT, Union travels to #6 UMass this weekend.
Scouting the Minutemen
UMass finished the 2021-22 season with a 22-13-2 record, winning their second Hockey East Championship in a row, before falling to Minnesota 4-3 in overtime in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Minutemen are coming off a weekend sweep of first-place Denver at home. They opened the series with a 4-2 win before blanking the Pioneers 3-0 behind a 30 save effort by sophomore Luke Pavicich. Friday's game saw UMass score two short-handed goals in a span of 1:18 in the first period.
The team is led by sophomore defenseman and 2021 First Team All-American Scott Morrow, who currently leads the team with four points (2-2-4) in three games. Senior Reed Lebster also has two goals on the season.
Pavicich has been the primary goaltender through three games this season, posting a 1.30 GAA and a .965 save percentage. The sophomore stopped 75 of 77 shots against the Pioneers last weekend.
Reigning Rookies
Union's first-year defenders are off to a hot start.
Nick Young was named the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week on Oct. 10 after scoring his first collegiate goal and blocking five shots against nationally-ranked UConn.
John Prokop earned the distinction the following week after recording an assist on five of Union's 10 goals last week.
Gone Streaking
First-years
Nate Hanley and
John Prokop are making a big impact in the lineup through the first six games. They are currently riding a three-game point streak going into this weekend's matchup with UMass.
Juniors
Tyler Watkins and
Chaz Smedsrud are both on a two-game point streak. Not only are all four on a point streak, but they all compiled back-to-back multi-point games last week.
Top of the Pack
First-year
Nate Hanley is one of the leading scorers in the nation with eight points in three games, tying him for third. Classmate
John Prokop sits right behind him with seven points, which is first among first-year defenders.
Watkins Lights the Lamp
Junior
Tyler Watkins has already matched his goal total from last year. Watkins scored twice on the powerplay in the 5-1 win over Bentley and followed up with two goals at RIT.
Faceoff Success
Junior
Ville Immonen is seeing a lot of success in the circle, winning 53.9% of his draws. The forward has 48 wins on the season, placing him 23rd nationally and third in the conference, only three off the conference leader.
Powerplay Makes Statement
After a slow start to the season, Union's powerplay made a statement in a 5-1 win over Bentley, striking three times, including twice in the opening period.
Spread the Wealth
Through six games, Union has seen 17 of 23 skaters score at least one point. Six of the eight first-year skaters all have at least one point.
On the Road October
October is the busiest month for the Dutchmen with 10 games on the slate. Of those 10, only three are at home.
New Kids on the Block
First-years
Nate Hanley,
Carter Korpi,
John Prokop, and
Cal Mell, as well as sophomore
Josh Nixon and senior
Chris Theodore all tallied their first points for Union in the opening weekend. In total, newcomers accounted for 12 of the 15 points scored (4-8-12).
Shut it Down
Union's penalty kill continues to click with a 85% success rate with a man down.
New Bench Boss
Josh Hauge was named the 22nd head coach in Union hockey's history on April 15, 2022. Hauge was previously the Associate Head Coach at ECAC Hockey rival Clarkson University. Hauge earned his first coaching victory in Union's home opener, a 4-3 win over RIT on Oct. 1, 2022.
Transfer Commits
The coaching staff was active in the transfer portal this offseason, committing four student-athletes:
Chris Theodore (AIC),
Mason Snell (Penn State),
Josh Nixon (Lake Superior State) and
Ben Tupker (Cornell).
Rounding Out the Staff
Joining
Josh Hauge and Assistant Coach
John Ronan behind the bench is
Lennie Childs, who previously served as an assistant coach with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.
New Numbers
Josh Phillips and
Thomas Richter changed numbers this season and will wear 4 and 9, respectively.
Set Records
Senior
Connor Murphy made an immediate impact for Union in his first season. He set the program's new single-season save records with 1,060.
Looking to Surprise
Union was picked to finished eighth in the ECAC Hockey preseason coaches poll, earning 45 points. Local media were more optimistic, picking the Dutchmen to finish sixth in the preseason media poll.
NHL Bloodlines
Sophomore
Thomas Richter and junior
Mason Snell are sons of retired NHLers Mike Richter (New York Rangers 1989-2002) and Chris Snell (Toronto, Los Angeles 1993-95), respectively.
