Dutchmen return home to host Crimson

By Ryan Fay

It’s understandable if you forgot that there is a men’s hockey team that plays games at Messa Rink.

The Dutchmen haven't had a game at Messa Rink in 44 days.

Union's last game there was a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Dartmouth all the way back on December 11, a date before some people had their Christmas trees up.

But third-ranked Union finally returns home tonight to host Harvard at 7.

Union played six road games in between home dates, going 4-1-1. The Dutchmen skated to a win and a tie at then top-ranked St. Cloud State on Dec. 13-14 before having nearly a month off.

The Dutchmen opened 2014 with a 2-1 loss at Quinnipiac on Jan. 10 and a 3-0 shutout of Princeton the next day. Last weekend, Union beat then 17th-ranked New Hampshire by identical 3-1 scores.

Despite the road success, the well-traveled Dutchmen (9-2-0 ECAC, 15-4-3 overall) are glad to be playing on home ice for a change.

"Students have been asking when's the next home game since we got back [from break]," said senior captain and defenseman Mat Bodie. "It feels like we haven't played here in forever, so the guys are excited to get Messa rocking [tonight]."

Tonight's meeting will be the second between the Dutchmen and the Crimson this season. Union won the first, 4-2 at the Bright Hockey Center on November 2. But it wasn't easy, as Harvard raced out to an early 2-0 lead before the Dutchmen rallied with three second period tallies.

Harvard (2-8-3, 5-10-3) has also given other formidable opponents trouble of late, tying Quinnipiac 2-2 on Jan. 7 and a losing by only a 3-2 score to Cornell last Friday.

Union head coach Rick Bennett knows Harvard can be dangerous.

"Their transition game is excellent," Bennett said. "They have a lot of dangerous players up front, one-on-one type players that will make you look foolish if you don't finish your checks."

Harvard leading scorer Jimmy Vesey especially concerns Bennett. The sophomore winger has 10 goals and six assists in 18 games this season.

"They have one of the best guys in the league up front in Jimmy Vesey," Bennett said. "He's a dangerous man, so you better find him."

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