SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – For the second night in a row, first-year
Nathan Free scored twice, including the game-winner, and the Union College men's hockey team tallied three first-period goals against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as the Garnet Chargers swept the Engineers in conference action at M&T Bank Center on Saturday evening.
Not only did Union (5-2-0, 2-0-0 ECAC Hockey) claim two wins over its biggest rival in RPI (4-4-0, 0-2-0 ECAC Hockey), but the Garnet Chargers secured six points in the league standings to start the conference season.
Free stepped up for the rivalry games, totaling five points in the weekend series. He remains the leading scorer in ECAC Hockey among rookies and is third in total points overall with 11. During this six-game point streak early in his career, the Calgary, Alberta native is averaging 1.83 points per night. He is also tied for 15th in the country with 11 points and second nationwide among all Division I rookies.
Free scored Union's second goal of the game and the third overall during a wild five-goal first period. Ian Scherzer struck first for the visitors at 7:57, but junior Lucas Buzziol and Free both scored in a 1:46 span to put the Garnet Chargers in front.
After Filip Sitar netted his fourth of the year, some sharp passing in transition up the ice freed first-year Gavin Garry up for his first collegiate score. Quick touches from senior Tyler Dunbar, junior Connor Smith, and Garry's brother first-year Luke Garry put Gavin Garry alone in front with RPI's goaltender Nate Krawchuk. Garry dangled the puck to his right and potted it past Krawchuk to give Union the lead for good.
The two sides cooled off after the back-and-forth first period, and Union nearly went scoreless in the second for the second night in a row. However, Free got some open space and showed off his lethal wrist shot again, sniping past Krawchuk for the fourth time in the last 24 hours.
Union killed off a pair of penalties in the third period and added an empty-net goal from Dunbar with just over five minutes left. Dunbar's third career empty-netter was the longest goal of his career, getting his shot on target from behind his team's net.
RPI was able to break through on the power play with Krawchuk out of his goal again, but Union held on for the 5-3 win, also outshooting the Engineers for the second straight night.
Sophomore Brayden Gillespie made 26 saves, and while he did give up two goals in the first, he made 16 consecutive saves from that point on into late in the third to backstop Union's impressive win.
The Garnet Chargers visit the North Country for their next set of conference games, beginning with Clarkson on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
