by Ryan Fay
A look back at Friday's 5-5 tie between 11th-ranked Michigan and 18th-ranked Union at Messa Rink.
MICHIGAN GETS GOING IN HECTIC THIRD
Through two periods, Union (2-0-3) was in control of the game and seemed on its way to picking up the win. The Dutchmen had a 3-1 lead, capped by Mark Dufour's second goal of the game in the closing seconds of the second.
But the Michigan (2-0-1) team that came out in the third was different. The Wolverines fired 16 shots on goal in the third, matching their total from the first two periods combined.
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| Union's Mark Dufour scored his first two collegiate goals in Friday's 5-5 tie against Michigan (Union College Athletics) |
"They came out flying," said Union's Roman Ammirato. “They’re a good team. A lot of talent. We just came out a little flat, and a team like that is going to capitalize."
Michael Pontarelli responded for Union at 10:24 with a shot from the slot that got past Wolverines goalie Steve Racine. Just over four minutes later, Pontarelli set up Ammirato's goal that gave the Dutchmen a 5-4 advantage.
But the lead was short-lived. With the Wolverines skating with the extra attacker, Selman notched the equalizer when he tipped in JT Compher's shot from the slot with 30 seconds left in regulation.
Union head coach Rick Bennett wanted to focus on the positive aspects of the third.
"I like how [we] came back and tied it," he said. "There's some negative, but there’s also some positive about it. That’s what we’re going to feed off of."
DUFOUR GETS FIRST TWO
Dufour's two goals on Friday were the first two of his young collegiate career.
His first goal gave the Dutchmen a 1-0 lead at 2:04 of the second. The freshman stripped the puck from Michigan forward Cristoval Nieves, sped past two defenders, and sent a backhander past Racine.
Dufour struck again with 14 seconds left in the second to put Union up 3-1. He raced down the side of the ice and fired a wrister from the top of the circle that eluded Racine, who seemed caught off guard by the shot.
"I was just trying to simplify my game coming in here and get shots on net," Dufour said. "I was lucky today when they got through and they found the back of the net. It was exciting to break that milestone but it would have been a lot better if we had pulled off the win."
Bennett praised Dufour, who has played in all five games this season.
"I thought Mark was excellent," Bennett said. "He’s a big guy, a big guy with skill. He did a lot of work this summer and the past summers on what he needed to work on, and it’s showing right now. It’s fun to watch him. He does have an edge to his game, as well. He’s kind of something that we haven’t had here in a while. I would say he’s playing some good hockey for us."
WILD ATMOSPHERE
If you didn't know any better, you would have thought Friday's game was a postseason contest.
The standing-room-only crowd of 2,331 and a back-and-forth game created an atmosphere that felt more like a playoff game than a non-conference tilt in late October.
“It was pretty cool,” said Ammirato. “It was just like against BU [Boston University]. It was pretty awesome. We have amazing fans.”
The atmosphere also left an impression on Michigan head coach Red Berenson.
“It was great,” said Berenson, who ranks second among active coaches with 812 career wins. “It’s a great college atmosphere. I think our players will remember this. This was a good experience.”
FIT TO BE TIED
The tie was Union's third in five games this season, and all three have come on Friday's.
The Dutchmen previously tied Sacred Heart on Oct. 9 and Maine on Oct. 16. Both of those games were 1-1 affairs.
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR
It won't be long until Union and Michigan meet again.
The Dutchmen are slated to play two games at Michigan next season, with the dates yet to be announced. The games are part of a three-year agreement between the two schools and RPI. The Engineers played a pair at Michigan last season, and are hosting the Wolverines tonight.
RARE VISIT
Friday's game marked Michigan's first-ever visit to Messa Rink. It was also the Wolverines' first trip to any ECAC Hockey rink in awhile.
A long while, at that. Prior to Friday, the last time Michigan played at an ECAC Hockey venue was Jan. 3, 1988 at Yale.
POSTGAME REACTION
Union coach Rick Bennett
Union's Mark Dufour, Roman Ammirato and Michael Pontarelli
Michigan coach Red Berenson
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