Union College Athletics

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Junior Connor Smith continued his career-long heater against Army West Point with a pair of goals as the Union College men's hockey team defeated  the Black Knights 4-2 in its season-debut on Saturday evening at Tate Rink.

The Hugo, Minn. native scored the game-tying goal in the second period and also tacked on an empty-net goal with 1:27 left in the game. Smith has now compiled four goals in three games against Army (0-1), which also means he has scored a goal in all three of Union's last three season-opening games. 

Junior Will Felicio added the game-winning tally with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, helping Union complete a two-goal comeback. The Garnet Chargers (1-0) were no strangers to coming back from behind last season, and Saturday's win marks the team's fifth two-goal comeback since the start of last season. 

The Black Knights built their 2-0 lead with a pair of goals in the first period while outshooting Union 15-4. However, senior Tyler Dunbar was able to get the comeback started early with a score late in the first, assisted by sophomore Tommy Cronin. On Thursday, Dunbar was picked as one of the first six players to represent the United States and the NCAA on the U.S. Collegiate Selects roster at the upcoming Spengler Cup in Switzerland. He also entered play with 13-career goals, which were the seventh-most among active NCAA defensemen. 

Smith scored his first of the day on the power play, assisted by Cronin and junior Riley Brueck at the 7:58 mark. Smith was lurking behind the play as Brueck found him wide-open across the crease, and Smith finished it while crouching down to a knee. While it was Smith's ninth-career goal and third against the Black Knights, it was his first power-play goal. 

Sophomore Brayden Gillespie came up big in the third period, beginning with a denial against an Army 2-on-1 early in the final stanza. He ended up with 11 saves in the third, including one on the penalty kill, and finished his day with a single-game career-high 34 saves. 

The nation's top penalty-kill unit from a season ago killed off the only Union penalty of the day midway through the final period. 

Felicio scored the go-ahead tally 6:32 later after receiving a pass from his classmate Lucas Buzziol. Brueck also assisted on the play, earning him the second multi-assist game of his career. 

Only five seconds after Army pulled its goaltender with 92 seconds left, Smith caused a turnover at center ice, momentarily gave the puck up to junior August Falloon, then scored on the empty net for his first-career multi-goal game. 

Falloon and Cronin both scored points in their Union debuts after transferring in from Minnesota and Alaska Fairbanks, respectively. Junior Jack Henry also debuted as a transfer for Union, and first-years Elliot Gulley, Nathan Free, and Luke Garry got their first tastes of college hockey as well. 

Union hosts Alaska Fairbanks for its home-opener and the second season of hockey at M&T Bank Center at Mohawk Harbor on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.