Union off to good start in faceoff circle

by Ryan Fay

As a general rule, teams that win a national championship don't have that many weaknesses.

But if reigning NCAA hockey champion Union had one glaring fault last season, it was in the faceoff circle.

The Dutchmen ranked 56th out of 59 Division I teams last season with a faceoff winning percentage of .455. In 42 games, they had a better faceoff percentage than their opponents just 10 times. Mike Vecchione was the only regular faceoff option with a winning percentage north of 45 percent. He won 53 percent of his draws.

Coming into this season, Union head coach Rick Bennett knew the faceoff situation had to get better.

Vecchione (above, center) has been Union's
top faceoff option. Photo: Union College Athletics

“That was right up there [on the priority list],” Bennett said before Wednesday's practice.

Through four games – all wins – the second-ranked Dutchmen have improved in the faceoff circle in a big way.

The Dutchmen have the eighth-best faceoff winning percentage in Division I at .561. They have had a better faceoff winning percentage than their opponent in three of their first four games with the exception being Oct. 11 against New Hampshire.

Vecchione credited first-year volunteer assistant coach Aaron Bogosian for the team's improvement in the faceoff circle. He was a center for St. Lawrence from 2007-2011 and spent the last four seasons in the pro ranks.

“Bogisian's been a pretty big part of that,” said Vecchione, who's tied for the national lead in points with nine. “He came in and really cracked down the details of what we need to do to be better in the circle.”

Vecchione, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, has won 63 percent of faceoffs this season and his 57 faceoff victories are third-most in Division I.

“I take a lot pride in [faceoffs]. I hate losing those puck battles," he said. "As a smaller guy, I just try to get as low as I can. [I try to] get under the bigger guys and sneak in there and win those puck battles."

Though a lot of faceoff success comes from the center, the wingers also play a part.

"They help out a lot, getting in those little pockets next to me," Vecchione added. "Winning the puck back isn't always me. It's my teammates as well."

Unlike last year, Vecchione hasn't been Union's only reliable option faceoff option. Sophomore Eli Lichtenwald has captured 54 percent of his draws, up from 45 percent a season ago. Freshman Ryan Scarfo has been a solid third option, coming out ahead in 53 percent of his faceoffs.

Bennett said having multiple reliable options for draws is a big advantage.

“You're not chasing the puck as much, so you're not taxing your legs as much," he said. “It's creating some offensive chances for us and that's what we're looking for.”

Bennett added that Union's success in the faceoff circle can be something that creeps into the opposition's mind.

“It's kind of deflating,” he said. “If you're constantly beating the other team's centermen, it makes them think. And once you get them thinking instead of reacting, it becomes a mental thing.”

Vecchione said the success in the faceoff circle has been an important part of the Dutchmen's 4-0 start. They lead the country with 18 goals entering this weekend's non-conference series with ninth-ranked St. Cloud State at Messa Rink.

"It's a huge factor. It's how you get puck possession," he said. "You can't score goals if you don't have the puck."

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