SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Sophomore Nate Hanley scored the game-winner in the shootout as the Union College men's hockey team closed out the homestand with a 2-2 tie, but a shootout win against St. Lawrence University for the extra ECAC Hockey point on Saturday night at Messa Rink.

Hanley factored in both of Union's goals tonight with a goal and an assist. Senior Chaz Smedsrud tallied his team-leading ninth goal of the season. In the shootout, sophomore Kyle Chauvette denied both St. Lawrence skaters while classmates Carter Korpi and Hanley scored.

Union opened the scoring only 5:58 into the first period. After killing off a 5-on-3, senior Ben Tupker passed the puck to Hanley at the Union blue line. The sophomore took it all the way up the ice and fired a wrister from the right circle to give Union a 1-0 lead. The Garnet Chargers ran into penalty trouble later in the frame when sophomore John Prokop was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. The Saints struck twice on the player advantage to take a 2-1 lead into intermission.

The hosts tied up the game at 15:04 of the middle stanza. Sophomore Brandon Buhr gained possession in the neutral zone and took advantage of a two-on-one situation. Buhr sent a short pass across the slot to Smedsrud, who tapped the puck in for the score.

A scoreless third period paved the way for overtime. Union killed off 1:50 minutes of a penalty to start overtime. Chauvette made three big saves to hang on in the extra frame to forced the game to a shootout.

Chauvette made 27 saves including 10 in the second period. Ben Kraws made 21 saves on the night.

Union heads out on the first road series of 2024 with a trip to Dartmouth College on Friday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Thompson Arena.