This Past Weekend (2/17-18)

Union had another strong weekend, picking up all four possible points to give them a two point lead in the conference heading into the final week.

On Friday the Dutchmen faced Princeton. The last time these two teams met, Union blew a three goal lead in the third and walked away with a tie. This time things were different.

Union dominated the game from start to finish, outshooting the Tigers 60-18 highlighted by a 24-2 second period. Union ultimately won 3-0. Daniel Ciampini, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Josh Jooris scored the goals for Union, and Troy Grosenick recorded the shutout.

The following night was Senior Night, and the place was packed. The Dutchmen fed off of that energy and beat Quinnipiac 5-2. Greg Coburn, Daniel Carr, Kevin Sullivan, Jeremy Welsh, and Matt Hatch scored the goals for Union.

The big storyline of the game was the loss of Troy Grosenick. Grosenick left the game in the second period after re-injuring his ankle. There is no word yet on if he will be available for this week's games. Good news is Union has secured a first-round bye in the ECAC playoffs, so Grosenick will have the following week to rest up.

For full recaps check out these links:
Princeton at Union - Union Athletics
Quinnipiac at Union - Union Athletics

Right now Union is ranked 7th in the Pairwise Rankings. While the rankings are no guarantee, they are a pretty good indicator of seeding in the NCAA tournament. So right now Union is looking at a 2 seed. Again, while there are no guarantees, it really seems like the only way Union misses the tournament is if they lose all of their remaining games. Even then, there is a chance they could sneak their way in.

With Saturday's win Union has guaranteed themselves the second seed, at the very least, in the ECAC playoffs. A win next Friday against Cornell would clinch the Cleary Cup for the Dutchmen and the top seed.