Big goal recalled 25 years later (with video)

by Ryan Fay

It was 25 years ago this month that then Union freshman Tim Cregan scored one of the most memorable goals in Union's rivalry with RPI.

It was November 5, 1988, and the Division III Dutchmen were hosting Division I power RPI at Messa Rink. The odds didn't look good for Union. After the rivalry was restarted in 1981 following a 50-year hiatus, the Engineers rattled off nine consecutive victories over the Dutchmen, including a 13-0 thrashing in 1987.

But on that night in 1988, Union earned a slice of the bragging rights for the first time in the modern-era when Cregan scored a dramatic goal at 1:57 of overtime to give the Dutchmen a 4-3 win. It was Cregan's first collegiate game and his first collegiate goal.

The forward still has strong recollections of that tally, which he called his "most memorable."

"I recall skating up the wing, hoping Terry Campbell would see me," said Cregan, who was a late addition to the lineup that night. "He did -- he was a great player. I remember [RPI goaltender Steve Duncan] came way out of his net. When I went to my backhand, the RPI defenseman pretty much tackled me just after I let the puck go. I didn't even see the puck go in. We crashed pretty hard into the corner and I was a little dazed but the cheering was unbelievably loud. What a celebration."

For Cregan, who went on to score 51 points (28 g, 23 a) in four seasons at Union, the goal came at the right time.

"I was a freshman, and I remember being a little homesick just finding my way around campus and school," he said. "You could say that goal pretty much changed everything. Classmates and upperclassmen who didn't know me would come up and congratulate me. It was quite amazing."

The victory was the start to a good season for Union, which finished the 1988-1989 campaign with a 19-8-2 record and an eighth-place finish in the NCAA Division III tournament.

"I believe the win meant a lot to the team," Cregan said. "We had a lot of younger players playing that night and a good core of those players played most of the four years that I was there. We had a lot of success that year with a new coach (Bruce Delventhal) and a young team."

Cregan currently lives in Ottawa, where he is a physician and part of the Ottawa Senators medical staff. He also plays recreational hockey, and he coaches his four kids, who all play hockey. But he still finds the time to follow his old college team.

"I do follow the program and have enjoyed watching the team's recent success," Cregan said. "A few years ago, I played in an alumni game at Fenway Park and after all these years the guys still talked about the goal. I can't believe that it has been 25 years."

VIDEO: See Cregan's dramatic goal (go to the 12:00 mark)

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