Union College Athletics

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Union College men's hockey team scored three power-play goals for the second matchup in a row against Niagara University on Friday night at Dwyer Arena in a 4-1 win and now has six power-play goals in four games to start the 2026-27 season, marking its most in a four-game stretch at the beginning of a campaign since scoring nine to begin the 2013-14 season.

Juniors Connor Smith and Riley Brueck and first-year Nathan Free potted man-up goals with Brueck's first score of the year also coming on an empty net. Junior Lucas Buzziol deposited one without a goalie in the crease at the end of the game as well. 

Sophomore Brayden Gillespie put together yet another stellar performance between the pipes for Union (3-1-0) with a 30-save performance. He was also shutting out the Purple Eagles (3-4-0) through the first 58:35 of gameplay.

The first period started out physical, and Union earned a power-play 1:30 into the action. Niagara's penalty kill sported a .960 percentage coming into the night and generated two chances while a man down during its first opportunity Friday. However, the Purple Eagles only had to survive 42 seconds on the kill as a penalty from first-year Luke Garry created a four-on-four situation. Junior Will Felicio registered the only shot on goal from either side during the four-on-four, and Gillespie made one save during Union's subsequent kill. Gillespie finished with nine saves in the first period as the Garnet Chargers outshot the home team 14-9.

Union doubled its shot total in the middle stanza, outshooting Niagara 14-9 over 20 minutes for a second straight period. Smith took one of those 14 shots, netting his third power-play goal of the season. Smith entered the evening with only six shots on goal and three goals overall. His goal came on his second shot of the night, keeping his shot percentage at an impressive 50 percent for the season.

Smith's power-play tally, assisted by Free and sophomore Alex Laurenza, was also the first goal Niagara allowed on the kill in 18 consecutive opportunities dating back to Oct. 8 against Notre Dame. Union has now scored at least one power-play goal in three of its four games this season. Free and Laurenza both extended their point streaks to three games. 

A total of seven penalties were assessed between the two sides in the final two minutes of the second period, but neither side earned a power play after all the whistles. Four minutes into the third, Union earned its third power play of the game and for the second time on the night, the Garnet Chargers converted. Free picked up the puck after it ricocheted off a pair of players in front of the net, dragged it towards his skates to evade a defender, then sniped on the top-left corner for his second goal of the year. Not only does he have a point in three straight games, the first-year also tallied his second consecutive game with a goal and an assist. 

Niagara pulled its goaltender with 4:40 left, and then a power play for the home team made it a six-on-four in favor of the Purple Eagles. Gillespie came up with two saves while Union was outnumbered by two on the ice, but then Brueck drew a penalty with 3:38 left to cool off the pressure from the Purple Eagles. 

Niagara kept its goalie on the bench during the penalty kill and ended up conceding an empty-net power-play goal to Brueck. After Niagara was able to evade the shutout with goal of its own, Buzziol put the finishing touches on the contest with another empty-netter with 53 seconds left.

Union has now outscored Niagara 10-1 over the last two matchups against the Purple Eagles with six power-play goals. Union also improved its unbeaten streak against Atlantic Hockey America opponents to 13 games, going 12-0-1 in that stretch. 

Union will look to continue its unbeaten ways against Niagara on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.