POTSDAM, N.Y. – The Union College men's hockey team settled for a weekend split with Saturday's loss to ECAC Hockey foe Clarkson University, 4-1, at Cheel Arena.
Senior
Chaz Smedsrud was the lone goal scorer for Union. Junior
Caden Villegas extended his point streak to four games with an assist and sophomore
John Prokop scored his fourth point of the weekend.
Union went 1-for-3 on the powerplay and went a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Clarkson kept sophomore
Kyle Chauvette busy through a majority of the first period, peppering the netminder with 15 shots. Union had some chances in the second half of the opening frame, but the game remained scoreless.
The Golden Knights broke through at 4:21 of the middle stanza and went on to score three goals in a span of 3:34. Erik Bargholtz opened the scoring before George Grannis and Eric Ciccolini each found the back of the net to give Clarkson a 3-0 lead.
Smedsrud broke the shutout bid at 3:25 of the third period on with a power-play tally. In the scramble from the faceoff, Villegas gained possession and chipped the puck back to Smedsrud. The senior sent the puck back to Prokop at the point. A quick pass back to Smedsrud at the top of the left circle and a shot by the senior saw the puck go in for Smedsrud's fourth goal of the season. Chauvette was pulled with 5:25 to go in favor of the era attacker, but Ciccolini struck again with an empty net goal to ice the game.
Chauvette and Roden each made 28 saves. Chauvette stopped 15 shots in the first period, while Union kept Roden busy with 14 shots in the final frame.
Union is off for final exams and will return to the ice on Friday, November 24
th against Stonehill College. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Messa Rink.
