ITHACA, N.Y. – Junior
Brandon Buhr scored his second hat trick this season and junior
Kyle Chauvette made 30 saves for the Union College men's hockey team in their 4-1 win at Cornell University on Saturday night at Lynah Rink.
Buhr becomes the first Union skater to record two hat tricks in a season since Mike Vecchione and Spencer Foo both scored two each in the 2016-17 season. Buhr's hat trick tonight brings the team's total to three this season, only one off of the four scored in the 2016-17 season.
Union (16-9-3, 9-5-2 ECACH) moves into third place in the conference standings with 31 points, only three back from first-place Quinnipiac.
The Garnet Chargers went 1-for-3 on the powerplay and went a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Senior
Josh Nixon scored his fifth power-play goal of the season in the win while six other skaters found the scoresheet.
Union struck only 1:49 into the first period and did not look back. A shot by first-year
Ben Muthersbaugh bounced off of Ian Shane's pads in front and Buhr cleaned up the rebound in front for his 14
th goal of the season. Union put 12 shots on goal in the opening frame compared to only eight from Cornell.
The Garnet Chargers made it a 2-0 game less than five minutes into the second period. George Gegaras went to the box for tripping and Union needed 48 seconds on the powerplay to capitalize. Junior
John Prokop sent a pass from the point to Nixon in the center of the right circle. The senior fired a wrister past Shane for his 12
th goal of the season. The Big Red found the back of the net 38 seconds later with a goal from Kyler Kovich to make it a one-goal game.
After killing off a penalty to start the third period, Buhr gave Union a two-goal lead at 2:13 with his second tally of the contest. Racing up ice with classmate
Nate Hanley, Buhr sent a pass to Hanley to get around a Cornell skater. Hanley backhanded a shot on net from the left circle and Buhr put home the rebound. The Big Red began putting pressure on the visitors, but Chauvette made several highlight reel saves, including stopping Ryan Walsh on the doorstep with a post-to-post save. With only 3:14 remaining, Shane went to the bench in favor of the extra attacker. Buhr completed the hat trick with 1:11 to go with an empty net goal. After gaining possession in the neutral zone, Buhr took the puck in and tapped it home to seal the game.
Chauvette made 30 saves in the win while Shane stopped 20 shots in the loss.
Union is home next weekend beginning Friday night with ECAC Hockey foe Quinnipiac University. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m. at Messa Rink.
