TROY, N.Y. – The Union College men's hockey team exploded for four power-play goals in a 6-3 win over Capital Region rival Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as the Garnet Chargers took game one of the weekend series on Friday night at Houston Field House.

The four power-play goals scored tonight is the most for a Union team they scored four on the player advantage on February 11, 2017, an 8-3 win at Dartmouth.

Union (5-1-0, 1-0-0 ECACH) went 4-for-9 on the powerplay with 23 shots on goal on the player advantage.

The last time Union won game one in the home-and-home series was on October 27, 2017.

First-year Ben Muthersbaugh and junior Colby MacArthur each scored twice on the powerplay to lead the team. Junior Parker Lindauer recorded three assists and senior Caden Villegas rounded out the multipoint scoring with a pair of assists. Senior Cullen Ferguson and junior Carter Korpi both found the back of the net for their first and third goals of the season, respectively. 

A penalty by Felix Caron for interference only 13 seconds into the first period put Union on an early powerplay. Senior Caden Villegas received a short pass from junior Parker Lindauer at the bottom of the left circle. Villegas sent a pass from the corner of the crease to MacArthur racing through the left circle and the junior fired a wrister past Jack Watson to put Union on the board. Senior Cullen Ferguson made it a 2-0 game with a wrister from the center of the right circle for his first goal of the season. Rainers Rullers scored at 10:25 to pull the game within one goal. Muthersbaugh gave Union a two-goal lead after he intercepted a clearing attempt by the Engineers and fired a shot past Watson for his fourth goal of the season.

RPI struck twice early in the second period to tie the game at three each. A penalty on Union for too many players put the visitors on the penalty kill only 1:51 into the second period. Thirty seconds later, Jakob Lee scored to pull the game within one. John Beaton collected a rebound that bounced off of junior Kyle Chauvette's pads and snuck it past the goaltender's left skate to tie the game. Caron was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for contact to the head with 2:05 to go to put Union on the powerplay. Muthersbaugh only needed seven seconds on the powerplay to put Union up 4-3 with his second goal of the night.

MacArthur scored his second power-play goal of the game at 1:29. Villegas took a shot from the top of the left circle. Watson initially made the save, but MacArthur was there to pick up the loose puck in front and score. Trailing by two, RPI pulled Watson in favor of the extra attacker. After Lindauer won a faceoff in the defensive end of ice, Korpi gained possession near the left-wing boards and sent a shot almost the length of the ice to seal the game.

Chauvette made 27 saves in the win. Watson stopped 34 shots in the loss.

The series heads to Schenectady tomorrow to determine the winner of the Capital Skates trophy. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Messa Rink.