by Ryan Fay
Union's 5-4 win over Boston College in Thursday's Frozen Four semifinal featured arguably the longest five minutes in the history of Union Hockey.
Eighteen seconds after Daniel Ciampini gave Union a 3-2 lead with a power play goal at 6:31 of the third period, Dutchmen senior winger Matt Hatch was called for checking from behind and was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
Some teams might have panicked, but not Union, which has dealt with its fair share of adversity this season ranging from injuries to suspensions.
"I thought the guys just basically responded in the right way," said Union head coach Rick Bennett. "The bench was actually pretty calm when [the penalty] happened."
The Dutchmen clamped down on the penalty kill and came out unscathed against a power play unit that entered the game fifth in the country at nearly 25 percent.
"The team talked on the bench and just said it's time to bear down," said senior captain Mat Bodie, who had a goal and an assist. "It was an unfortunate play for Hatch. And we're family in here and he's one of our brothers and we didn't want him to go out that way. And I think everyone stepped up and we didn't really give them much."
During the five-minute stretch, Union blocked more shots (five) than it allowed (three).
"They're a great shot‑blocking team," said Boston College forward Bill Arnold, who assisted on the Eagles' first goal of the game. "I was net front and I couldn't even see the puck because they had two or three guys in the lane every time."
Boston College head coach Jerry York, the all-time winningest coach in college hockey with 963 wins, said the Eagles made it easy for Union to block the lanes.
"[We] were just a little bit a little bit out of sync with passing the pucks a little too slowly, not quick enough, and then it's easier for the lanes to be blocked," he said.
Four seconds after the penalty expired, things got even worse for Boston College. Union went ahead 4-2 on a Michael Vecchione goal at 11:53. Kevin Sullivan stripped the puck from Eagles defenseman Steve Santini and skated in alone down the slot. Eagles goalie Thatcher Demko turned Sullivan's bid aside, but Vecchione cashed in on the rebound.
"I think we gained confidence once that kill was over," Bodie said. "To score that goal was huge."
York immediately called a timeout.
"You have to try not to get frustrated, and coach called a timeout there," said Arnold. "It starts with him, he's our leader. He stayed calm and kept us on point."
Boston College cut Union's lead to 4-3 when Ryan Fitzgerald scored at 18:15, but the Dutchmen responded 36 seconds later. Ciampini, who also scored Union's second goal of the game, potted an empty-netter for the first hat trick in the Frozen Four since Boston College's Nathan Gerbe in 2008.
After Patrick Brown made it 5-4 with four seconds left, Gaudreau's at-the-buzzer bid was stopped by Union goalie Colin Stevens, who finished with 34 saves.
The win advances Union to the national championship game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Minnesota, which edged North Dakota, 2-1, in the other semifinal.
“Instead of going home, we’re going to be playing,” Bennett said. “You want to make a step, and we took that tonight, but we want to make another step. We didn’t just come for one game. We want to come for two.”
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