Freshmen lead Union to first-place tie (w/ 7 videos)

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

In a big game, you might expect a couple battle-tested veterans to come through and provide the spark needed to pull out a win.

But it was freshmen that fueled 11th-ranked Union's 6-4 win over fifth-ranked Quinnipiac Saturday at Messa Rink. The win, Union's seventh in a row, earned a first-place tie with the Bobcats.

Union's freshmen accounted for nine points, five of the team's six goals and four assists.

"In a big game like that, everyone knew it was a battle in trying to tie them for first place," said Union head coach Rick Bennett. "It was a good test and it just happened to be the freshmen tonight."

Freshman center Eli Lichtenwald was key to sophomore winger Matt Wilkins' game-winner at 14:31 of the third period. Wilkins passed to Lichtenwald in the left circle, but if not for the freshman's long frame, the play might not have materialized.

Licthenwald used his big frame to keep control of the puck and pass it back to Wilkins who sent it past Quinnipiac sophomore goaltender Michael Garteig.

VIDEO: See Wilkins' game-winner

"It’s lucky that Eli’s [6-6] because I passed it a little far in front of him," Wilkins said. "He made a nice back-door pass to me, and I was lucky enough to get a stick on it.”

Freshman center Michael Vecchione opened the scoring at 4:42 of the first period when he cashed in on a rebound off a shot from sophomore defenseman Sebastien Gingras.

After Quinnipiac's Bryce Van Brabant tied the game at 1-1 on a power play goal at 18:33, Union responded when freshman winger Michael Pontarelli took a feed from Vecchione and put the Dutchmen up 2-1 at 19:38.

Quinnipiac tied the contest via a fluke goal at 3:54 of the second when junior defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere accidentally lost control of the puck in the Union zone only to see it sail into an empty net.

Junior goaltender Colin Stevens was off the ice, as the play transpired on a delayed hooking call on Quinnipiac defenseman Devon Toews. Gostisbehere made a valiant effort to save it, but he and the net crashed into the boards behind the Union crease. The goal was awarded to Quinnipiac's Matthew Peca, the last Bobcat to touch the puck.

Union (10-3-2, 7-1-0 ECAC) responded as Lichtenwald gave the Dutchmen a 3-2 lead in the waning seconds of a power play at 5:48.

Gostisbehere redeemed himself later in the frame, as he saved a right-circle shot from Peca with Stevens out of position.

VIDEO: See Gostisbehere's busy second period

“We all make mistakes,” Bennett said. “He responded, and he saved a goal. As I look at it, it’s even. And for our guys to come back and get a power-play goal after that just shows the push back. That’s a sign of maturity.”

Quinnipiac scored two times in the first 5:20 of the third to take a 4-3 lead. Travis St. Denis sent a wrister top-shelf on Stevens on the power play at 4:18 before Kellen Jones evened the score at 5:20.

But the Dutchmen battled back in the face of adversity once again as Pontarelli and Vecchione worked together to record the equalizer.

After Vecchione won a draw, Pontarelli gained possession of the puck and sent a wrister from the high-slot past a screened Garteig.

“I was struggling on draws tonight,” said Vecchione, who lost 10-of-16 faceoffs. “I just found a way to get it back to him. He did a great job of picking the seam and finding the top shelf.”

It was Pontarelli's second of the game, and sixth of the season. Entering Saturday, Pontarelli had a nine-game goal drought after collecting four in his first four games.

“It’s nice to put a couple in tonight,” Pontarelli said. “ ‘Vechs’ did a great job of winning the face­off. It found its way to my stick. The coaching staff has been telling me a lot to shoot more. I just tried to throw it on the net. I guess good things happen when you shoot.”

Lichtenwald iced the win with his second of the night, an empty-netter with three seconds left in the third.

The loss didn't sit well with Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold, whose team fell to 13-3-3 overall and 6-2-2 in ECAC action.

“I thought we stunk tonight,” he said. “I thought we were absolutely atrocious. We’re running around, our ‘D’ didn’t do what it was supposed to do, our forwards didn’t do what they’re supposed to do. We blew two backchecks, blew a faceoff coverage. It was chaos. That’s not how we’re supposed to play. Really disappointing.”

Union, which is off to its best start in ECAC play since going 7-0-3 to start the 2009-2010 campaign, resumes action against league foe Dartmouth Wednesday at Messa Rink. Gametime is 7 p.m.

End Notes: Assistant captain Cole Ikkala missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. He is considered day-to-day... senior winger Daniel Carr had three assists, moving his career points total to 125. He needs seven more to break Adam Presizniuk's Division I era school record.

POSTGAME VIDEOS

Can't see the videos? Click here.

Union head coach Rick Bennett




Union freshmen Eli Lichtenwald and Michael Vecchione


Union freshman Michael Pontarelli


Union sophomore Matt Wilkins


Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold

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