Dutchmen: Midseason awards and more

by Ryan Fay

The Union men's hockey team has played exactly half of their 2015-16 schedule, making now a good time to hand out some midseason awards and look ahead at what is to come.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - SPENCER FOO

Foo leads the Dutchmen in scoring with eight goals and seven assists in 17 games. He's been especially good lately with four goals and six assists over his last five contests.

Spencer Foo leads the Dutchmen in scoring
this season.
(credit: Union College athletics)

He's also proven to be a versatile player. Though he's primarily played right wing in his year and a half at Union, Foo also spent time at center earlier this season and handled the task well. His .597 faceoff winning percentage is second on the team, a few ticks behind Mike Vecchione's .603.

And while Foo doesn't wear a letter on his jersey, he has emerged as one of the team's top leaders.

“I think it started a couple of months ago, probably about five games in,” Union head coach  Rick Bennett said on Dec. 20. “It was on the bench, and it was at home. He really rallied the guys through his play and on the bench. He was vocal, and then he brought it out on to the ice. I know he’s not wearing an ‘A’ or a ‘C,’ but he’s right up there with the leaders as far as that. It’s one thing to sound off on the bench, but it’s another thing to follow through on the ice.”

TOP ROOKIE - BRETT SUPINSKI

Supinski leads Dutchmen rookies -- and ranks fifth on the team -- in scoring with two goals and nine assists in 15 games. He has notched a point in six of his last seven games, and seems to be only scratching the surface of his big offensive potential. His plus-3 defensive rating is third on the team.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: ALEX SAKELLAROPOULOS

For the first time in awhile, Union entered the season with uncertainty between the pipes. Following the graduations of Colin Stevens and Dillon Pieri, Sakellaropoulos was left as the only returning netminder on the roster.

While he had his moments throughout his first two seasons as Stevens' backup, he also had an uninspiring 2.80 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage. It was an open question if he was going to be able to make the jump to being a number one and hold off freshmen Jake Kupsky and Joe Young. But outside of a couple early season hiccups, those questions have largely been answered.

In his last nine games, Sakellaropoulos has a 1.71 GAA and a .941 save percentage. Overall, his 2.18 GAA and .927 save percentage this season are on par with what Stevens delivered a year ago. Sakellaropoulos has stepped up his game and has exceeded expectations.

BEST MOMENT - FOO'S GAME-WINNER VS VERMONT

Foo capped Union's first half in grand style, scoring a highlight reel goal at 2:54 of overtime to give the Dutchmen a 3-2 win over Vermont on Dec. 20. It gave the Messa Rink faithful something they hadn't seen in quite some time: a home overtime win. The Dutchmen hadn't won in overtime at home since a 2-1 win over RPI way back on Feb. 7, 2009.

WORST MOMENT - 5-1 LOSS TO RPI ON OCT. 30

Union opened its ECAC Hockey slate with a complete dud. The Dutchmen were routed 5-1 on home ice by RPI, their biggest rival. The Engineers scored four times in the first period and never looked back. After the game, Bennett called the loss Union's worst in his 10 years with the program.

BEST FIRST HALF PERFORMANCE - FOO'S EFFORT VS HARVARD

Foo notched a career-high four points with a goal and three assists in Union's 4-4 tie with then eighth-ranked Harvard on Dec 4.

The Crimson jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but Foo's goal cut the lead to 2-1 and then he recorded the primary assist on Union's next two tallies to give the Dutchmen a 3-2 lead. After Harvard tied the game, Foo set up Ryan Scarfo's second goal of the night to put Union up 4-3. The Crimson spoiled Foo's big game with a goal late in the third.

THINGS TO WATCH FOR IN THE SECOND HALF

Mike Vecchione closing in on 100 career points

Vecchione is closing on 100 career points.
(credit: Union College athletics)

The center is five points away from becoming the 13th player in Union's Division I era to reach the century mark in points. He has 38 goals and 57 assists in 92 career games, including five goals and six assists this season.

He would be the only third junior to crack the 100 career point plateau, joining Jeremy Welsh and Daniel Carr.

David Roy still searching for first goal
After a stellar junior hockey career with the Central Canada Hockey League's Brockville Braves, it seemed like David Roy was going to be a big offensive contributor for the Dutchmen.

That hasn't happened. The senior forward is still searching for his first collegiate goal 76 games into his Union career. His chances to get that elusive goal are dwindling; he has appeared in just three contests this season. No forward in Union's Division I history has played in as many games as Roy without getting a goal.

GAMES TO WATCH IN THE SECOND HALF

Jan. 7 at Quinnipiac
The third-ranked Bobcats sit atop the ECACH standings at 6-0-2. With a win, Union can make a statement in their first conference game of the new year. The contest will be a rare Thursday night game for the Dutchmen; Quinnipiac's schedule was shifted to accommodate a game against Harvard at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 9.

Jan. 16 vs Cornell
The game will be Union's first on home ice in the 2016 calendar year, and it figures to be quite the challenge. The surprising Big Red are ranked eighth in the country and reside in second place in ECACH at 6-1-1. They handed top-ranked Providence their first loss of the season in the semifinals of the Florida College Hockey Classic on Monday.

Jan. 23 vs RPI in the Mayor's Cup at the Times Union Center
The Route 7 rivals meet in the fourth annual non-league Mayor's Cup game. Union will be hoping to defend the Cup while avenging two losses to the Engineers in October.

Feb. 27 at Colgate
The Dutchmen visit the Raiders in the regular season finale for both teams. It will also be the last regular season contest at Starr Rink, which opened in 1959. The Raiders are set to open a new facility next season.

SECOND HALF OUTLOOK

Union's stock has gone up in recent weeks. The team is on a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) and hasn't been beaten in regulation since Nov. 6 at St. Lawrence.

The power play, one of their biggest weaknesses earlier this season, has shown signs of life. After operating at a 11.1% clip in October, it was 19.1% in November and 21.4% in December. The goaltending situation has been solidified. Key freshman like Supinski and Sebastian Vidmar have started to find their grooves, adding depth to the offensive attack.

Union has ground to make up in the ECACH standings after losing five of their first six league games this season. The Dutchmen are currently tied with Colgate for 10th place. But if they can maintain their recent level of play, they should at least find themselves on home ice during the first weekend of March.

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