HAMDEN, Conn. – The Union College men's hockey team fell 7-2 against #8 Quinnipiac University on Friday night at M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn.

After a 27-day winter break, the Garnet Chargers (12-6-2, 3-5-1 ECAC Hockey) hit the ice for the first time in a regular-season contest since Dec. 13, while the Bobcats (15-4-2, 7-2-0 ECAC Hockey) were coming off a pair of blowout wins over Harvard and Dartmouth on Jan. 2-3. A handful of Garnet Chargers had even longer layoffs, with senior DJ Hart and sophomore Cameron Korpi playing in their first games since Dec. 5, and senior Colby MacArthur suiting up for the first time since Dec. 6. 

The Garnet Charger with the longest time between games, senior Carter Korpi, showed no signs of rust by netting the first goal of the game 4:26 after the opening faceoff. First-year Troy Pelton stayed with the play after missing his first shot of the evening wide. He was able to turn Quinnipiac over and fire another shot, this time getting it on target. While the Clifton Park, N.Y. native's shot was saved, Korpi followed it up by burying the rebound for his first goal since Nov. 22 against Colgate. Korpi last appeared in a game for Union overseas against Miami on Nov. 30.

Union only led for 18 seconds before the Bobcats found the back of the net for their first of four goals in the opening period.

Shortly after Quinnipiac's game-tying goal, junior Tyler Dunbar collided knees with Mason Marcellus at center ice and was assesed a game misconduct. Five seconds after the reigning ECAC Hockey Defender of the Month and HCA national Defender of the Month runner-up made his way to the locker room, Quinnipiac scored on the ensuing faceoff to start its five-minute power play.

The Garnet Chargers entered the evening as the top penalty-killing team in the country, and Antonin Verreault's goal was the first power-play score against Union since Nov. 30.

With 1:28 left in the Dunbar major, Parker Lindauer got loose on a breakaway and was tripped up, earning a 4-on-4 and 32 seconds of a power play for Union. The Garnet Chargers didn't get a shot off during their brief power play, and the Bobcats lit the lamp three more times before the first intermission.

Brayden Gillespie, the defending ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Month and HCA national Goalie of the Month runner-up, started the second period in the crease. He earned his December accolades after a 3-0-0 month including a 31-save shutout of the Bobcats on Dec. 6, but Quinnipiac exacted its revenge on the first-year netminder by scoring twice in the second period. 

Union did have its chances in the second stanza however, earning three trips to the power play and a handful of breakaways. Sophomore Ben Muthersbaugh put his breakaway chance off the post, and Lindauer lost control of the puck in front of the net during his odd-man rush, moments before Union drew one of its three, second-period power plays.

While the Bobcats did add one more goal to their ledger in the third period, Union was able to add to its power-play streak when first-year Etienne Lessard scored 6:02 into the final period. Lessard's third goal of the season marked Union's fifth straight game with a power-play goal and the team's 15th score on the man advantage in the last 12 games.

Gillespie made 19 saves over his 40 minutes of action. Despite only playing one period, Korpi stopped 10 shots in the game.

The Garnet Chargers have another ranked matchup this weekend, taking on #20/19 Princeton on the road Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.