Some notes from Union's 4-3 win over tenth-ranked Rensselaer in front of a soldout crowd of 2,254 Friday night at Messa Rink.
Box Score
Bend, not break
It looked like the Dutchmen were going to breeze to an easy victory over the Engineers when Eli Lichtenwald and Nick Cruice scored 44 seconds apart early in the third period to increase Union's lead to 4-1.
But instead of giving in, the Engineers sprang to life. Rensselear fired 11 shots on goal in the third period after mustering just ten through the first two. Matt Neal fired one past Union goaltender Colin Stevens at 3:40 before cashing in on a 5-on-3 advantage at 11:50 to cut Union's lead to 4-3.
“We talked a lot after the second period. We just really wanted to come out strong,” Neal said. “We had a couple of hiccups, and that kind of whacked us back into it. We decided, as a team, we needed to be better. We started talking more on the bench, and just got into it from there."
It was starting to look like the game might become the fifth time this season that Union blew a lead. The Dutchmen went 0-2-2 in the other four games where they wasted a lead.
But the Dutchmen outlasted the Engineers just enough, holding on for a 4-3 win, their ninth consecutive over their Capital District rival.
“It says a lot about our team,” said Union defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. “We went up, 4-1, and we got a little too comfortable at the end. We battled back. We just kept battling, stuck with it and got the ‘W.’ ”
Union head coach Rick Bennett saw it as a learning opportunity.
"I think we learned a pretty good lesson; that RPI's not going to quit," he said. "We have some young guys in that lineup who saw that, so that's a good thing."
“Actually, I whiffed on both of them,” he said. “I was trying to go upstairs, but they ended up going five-hole.”
“At least he was honest,” he said. “That’s good to know because in practice, he’s usually going top shelf. It was his night. The puck had eyes.”
Bad bounce
Rensselaer opened the scoring at 4:56 of the first period when Brock Higgs recorded a fluky shorthanded goal.
After Stevens cleared a loose puck, it hit Higgs' shin pads, and got behind Stevens and into the net.
The lead was short lived as Daniel Ciampini tied it for Union a shade under nine minutes later when he deflected a Gostisbehere shot from the high slot.
Super sub
With senior forward Kevin Sullivan still sidelined with an upper-body injury, sophomore Nick Cruice appeared in the lineup for the third straight game.
Cruice made the most of it, scoring at 13:17 of the second period to increase Union's lead to 2-1 and then he recorded what proved to be the eventual game-winner at 1:48 of the third. It was Cruice's first multi-goal game at the collegiate level.
Both tallies went through the five hole of Rensslaer netminder Scott Diebold. But that wasn't Cruice's intent.
Bennett appreciated the candor.
Bad bounce
Rensselaer opened the scoring at 4:56 of the first period when Brock Higgs recorded a fluky shorthanded goal.
After Stevens cleared a loose puck, it hit Higgs' shin pads, and got behind Stevens and into the net.
The lead was short lived as Daniel Ciampini tied it for Union a shade under nine minutes later when he deflected a Gostisbehere shot from the high slot.
A perfect pair
Gostisbehere and defensive partner Jeff Taylor, a Clifton Park native, had a strong night. The pair each chipped in two assists.
"It's going great," Gostisbehere said of the pairing. "They wanted to put us together at the beginning of the year. I don't know why they didn't. But it seems to be working out. He's a very good freshman. Sometimes we forget that he's a freshman, but he's definitely a great player."
Up next
Postgame reaction
Union head coach Rick Bennett
Union forward Nick Cruice and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere
RPI players Matt Neal and Matt Tinordi, plus head coach Seth Appert
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