Union College Athletics

TROY, N.Y. – The Union College men's hockey team ensured the Capital Skates trophy will stay in the Electric City for a third straight year after holding on for a 4-3 win at Houston Field House against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Friday night, boosted by a two-goal performance by first-year Nathan Free.

In his first taste of ECAC Hockey action, Free scored the first and fourth goals for Union (4-2-0, 1-0-0 ECAC Hockey), including the game-winner on an empty net. The defending conference rookie of the week extended his point streak to five games and also tallied his second power-play goal in the last three games. His goal on the man advantage in the first period gave Union seven power-play goals in the last three games. Union owned the top power-play percentage in the country entering Friday and now is converting at a 41.7% clip after going 1-3 against the Engineers (4-3-0, 0-1-0 ECAC Hockey). 

After Free's early goal, senior Tyler Dunbar and junior Riley Brueck also found the back of the net in the first period to put the road team up 3-0. Brueck recorded an assist on Free's first goal, giving him two points in three consecutive games. 

Despite being outshot for the second straight period, RPI started to claw back in the middle stanza. Rainers Rullers, who entered the game with 10 points, scored on the power play, then Alfred Lindberg scored with less than five minutes before the second intermission to bring RPI within one. 

Sophomore Brayden Gillespie made five saves in the third period before the Engineers pulled their goaltender with 2:52 left in regulation. Free potted what ended up being the game-winning goal by scoring unassisted on the empty net less than 30 seconds after Nate Krawchuk abandoned his crease. Krawchuk made 27 saves on the night, but his nine third-period saves were matched by nine from Gillespie as well. After eventually scoring with the extra skater to get within one for a second time, RPI had eight seconds to finally tie the game up for the first time all night. However, Gillespie made a save on a wrister with 1.8 seconds left and covered up. RPI won the ensuing faceoff but did not get another shot off. 

Union improved to 10-2 against RPI in the last five years and has a chance to extend its winning streak against its bitter rivals to three with a home matchup against the Engineers at 5 p.m. inside M&T Bank Center.