Dutchmen collapse late, lose Stuart

by Ryan Fay

When the Dutchmen (10-7-4, 4-3-3 ECAC) held a 2-0 lead at Quinnipiac through two periods, things were looking good.

Then the third period happened. The fifth-ranked Bobcats scored three unanswered goals and won, 3-2. It was the first time this season that Union lost when entering the third period with a lead.

The Dutchmen lost more than just the game. According to the write-up in Sunday's Gazette, head coach Rick Bennett expects defenseman Shawn Stuart to miss some games. Stuart, who will be evaluated today, suffered an upper-body injury in the first period.

Make no mistake about it, this was a deflating loss for #16 Union, which was 20 minutes from handing Quinnipiac its first league loss of the season. It would have been Union's biggest win of the season and a win that would have erased many of the recent doubts. The loss makes it even more unlikely that a third straight Cleary Cup will be hoisted by the Dutchmen. Quinnipiac (17-3-3, 11-0-1) has opened up a 12 point edge in the standings over the two-time defending regular season champions (23 to 11). The two teams do not meet again during the regular season.

While tonight will leave a sour taste in people's mouths, there was some good news. Senior forward Wayne Simpson picked up his 100th and 101st career points. The 100th came on a power play goal and the 101st via an assist on Greg Coburn's power play tally. Simpson became only the ninth Union player in the program's Division I era to reach the 100 career points milestone.

Union returns home for the first time since December 1st when they host Cornell on Friday. Gametime is 7 PM and tickets appear to be going fast.