SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - A complete 60-minute effort highlighted by two Union goals in each of the first two periods led the Union College men's hockey team to a 4-0 victory over Stonehill Saturday evening, completing the Garnet Chargers first weekend sweep of the 2023-24 season.
 
Senior Chaz Smedsrud, sophomore Carter Korpi, and sophomore Brandon Buhr each found the back of the net for each's fifth goals of the season, while junior Cole Kodsi scored his second goal in two games to pace the Union (6-5-0) offense. Sophomore John Prokop picked up his third assist on the weekend as well, and sophomore Kyle Chauvette stopped each of the 21 shots he faced for his second shutout for his second shutout of the campaign.
 
After Union controlled the first period of play Friday evening but was unable to beat Stonehill goalie Dylan Meilun in the opening 20 minutes, the Garnet Chargers wasted no time taking an early lead Saturday. After a Stonehill penalty gave Union a power play less than a minute into the game, Smedsrud fired home a rocket of a wrister by the dot to give Union a lead they would not relinquish 1:45 in.
 
Korpi would follow less than four minutes later with his second goal of the weekend, carrying the puck from behind the Stonehill net all the way to the top of the slot waiting for a window to open, and when it did, he beat Meilun with a quick wrister to make it 2-0.
 
The special teams would cash in again in the second period, however it would be the penalty killing unit this time that would put the puck in the net. After a Stonehill drive to net sent a number of bodies towards Chauvette's crease, the puck bounced towards the top of the slot where sophomore Nate Hanley picked it up. Kodsi used his speed to get by the retreating Skyhawks defenders, and took a flip pass from Hanley on a breakaway, depositing it short-side.
 
Buhr would be the beneficiary of a defensive zone miscue for Stonehill less than five minutes later. After senior Liam Robertson carried the puck into Union's offensive end of the ice, Buhr would be on the receiving end of a misplaced Stonehill pass at the top of the left circle, taking the puck on his forehand and firing a shot to give the Garnet Chargers the 4-0 lead.
 
Union would outshoot Stonehill 36-21 in the contest, making it a decisive 67-33 advantage in the shots category for the hosts in the weekend series. While Union controlled the pace offensively, they also limited Stonehill from finding many high danger chances, paving the way for Chauvette to post his first shutout since the season-opening victory at Army West Point. Union went 1-for-4 on the power play off the back of Smedsrud's first period tally, while Stonehill went 0-for-4 on the man-advantage.
 
Union remains on the home ice when they return to ECAC Hockey play next weekend, hosting Princeton on Friday at 7:00 before welcoming Quinnipiac to Schenectady on Saturday at 4:00.