POTSDAM, N.Y. – The Union College men's hockey team scored five game-tying goals, erased multiple two-goal deficits, and forced overtime against Clarkson University on Saturday evening but eventually fell 8-7 inside Cheel Arena despite killing off a penalty in overtime and getting nine saves from its backup goaltender first-year Brendan Holahan.

Senior Colby MacArthur scored twice, netting the fifth and final game-tying goal for the Garnet Chargers (16-10-2, 6-9-1 ECAC Hockey) and making the score 7-7 with 1:40 left in regulation. First-year Etienne Lessard recorded four assists and helped set up MacArthur for his second score of the night. Lessard is the first Union men's hockey player to tally four assists in a game since Cole Maier '19 on Jan. 4, 2019 vs St. Cloud State. Sophomore Will Felicio and senior Brandon Buhr also dished out multiple assists. 

Despite coming back from a two-goal deficit on two separate occasions, the Garnet Chargers never led in the game and eventually fell on an overtime score from Clarkson's Owen Van Steensel. However, Union did earn one point by forcing overtime and is tied with Clarkson at 21 points in seventh place of the ECAC Hockey standings as of Saturday evening. 

Clarkson registered four of the first five shots of the game and converted that early pressure into the game's first goal at 6:41 from Jared Mangan. Battling through a seven-game winless streak, Clarkson had only scored the first goal of the game in one of its last seven contests.

The Garnet Chargers responded when junior Tyler Dunbar caught a puck out of the air at center ice on a clearing attempt from Clarkson. He sent it back up the ice to senior Parker Lindauer to re-enter the zone, setting up Lindauer's first goal since Jan. 16. The Madison, Wisc. native got the puck right back after passing to sophomore Ben Muthersbaugh and sniped over the glove of Keenan Rancier. With the secondary assist, Dunbar improved his team-leading point total to 27 and has a point in three of his last four games. Muthersbaugh has 14 assists on the season, one away from matching his first-year total. 

The first period featured four total goals between the two sides after Clarkson scored twice to close out the opening 20 minutes. Union has played in seven first periods this season featuring three or more combined goals and entered play Saturday 2-3-1 in those games. 

It seemed Union would have a power play to open the second period. Matthew Mayich was called for cross-checking, sending Lindauer to the ice as he was headed to the locker room for the first intermission. However, the referees determined Lindauer embellished the play, and the two teams opened the second period with a 4-on-4 instead. 

The Garnet Chargers responded well to start the second despite the disappointing call on Lindauer, and MacArthur scored 1:14 into the resumption of play. Felicio cut through the heart of the Clarkson defense, entering the zone with speed before dishing off to Buhr. Union's leading goal scorer deferred to his classmate MacArthur, who found the back of the net for the seventh time this season. Still skating with four players per side, sophomore Riley Brueck tied the game up 28 seconds after MacArthur's goal. Brueck picked the puck up off the boards on the right side and skated uncontested to the net to score his seventh of the season. He registered his 11th point of the season, outdoing his total from 2024-25. He has more than doubled his goal total from his rookie year as well.

Since head coach Josh Hauge took over at the helm in 2022-23, the Union-Clarkson series has featured nearly 10 penalties per game (69 penalties in seven games). That rough-and-tumble style really started to materialize after Union tied the game up at 3-3. 

Clarkson retook the lead with a power-play goal at the 5:20 mark. Then, the Golden Knights were called for two penalties in a 22-second span, giving Union an extended opportunity with a two-man advantage. Muthersbaugh rocketed home his fourth power-play goal of the season on a one-timer from Lessard with three seconds left in the 5-on-3. 

Union did not get another shot off on the 5-on-4, and Clarkson earned another power-play of its own, but the Golden Knights ended up retaking the lead again at 17:13 in the second at even strength. 

After Clarkson scored again to go up by two for the second time, Holahan took over in the crease for classmate Brayden Gillespie with 17:29 left in the third period. Before Holahan faced a shot, Felicio brought Union back within one, scoring at the 4:09 mark. Not only did Felicio notch his first-multi point game at Union, but his three-point night also marked a collegiate high for the sophomore transfer from Michigan. Dunbar tied the game up 6-6 at the 11:48 mark, but Clarkson jumped back ahead again 2:35 later.

MacArthur netted his second goal of the game with 1:40 left after Union pulled its goalie and on a delayed penalty. He picked his spot over the right shoulder of Rancier, earning his second two-goal game of the season. MacArthur notched the fifth game-tying goal of the night for Union, forcing overtime.

In overtime, Holahan came up with two massive saves on a breakaway right after Union was called for a penalty. While on the kill, Union blocked four shots, Holahan saved another, and Buzziol earned a breakaway of his own.

After Union killed its third straight penalty, the teams skated 4-on-4 until Clarkson finally put the Garnet Chargers away once and for all with a goal from Van Steensel with 1:50 left in overtime. 

Union lost its first game of the season when scoring more than three goals and lost for the first time when Buhr records at least one point. Holahan finished with nine saves during his longest outing of his rookie year, and Union lost in overtime for the first time since Jan. 20, 2024 at Harvard. 

The Garnet Chargers return to Schenectady to start a four-game home stand, beginning Friday, Feb. 13 vs Colgate at 7 p.m.