Kolias makes "right decision" in Union

by Ryan Fay

Vas Kolias, a defenseman for the U.S. Hockey League's Youngstown Phantoms, announced on Monday that he committed to Union for next season.

It was a decision the 19-year-old wishes he made long ago.

Kolias in action with the Youngstown Phantoms.
(photo courtesy Youngstown Phantoms)

Kolias originally committed to Boston University in the fall of 2013. The Dutchmen were also among the programs interested in his services at the time, but he looked at things differently than he does now.

"I was a little more immature at a younger age. I committed at 16-years-old," Kolias said during a phone interview Tuesday. "The name of a school and all that can kind of get you wrapped up. Boston University was a powerhouse and a bigger name."

The allure of playing for a storied program like Boston University – the Terriers have made 22 Frozen Four appearances with five national titles – was so enticing that Kolias didn't even visit Union at the time.

But he started to have second thoughts about joining the Terriers after assistant coach Steve Greeley left in August to become the assistant director of player personnel for the New York Rangers. Greeley recruited Kolias into the program.

"It was the right move for me at that point in time to move on and find a better fit," Kolias said.

Once he returned to the open market, Union was interested again, as were a few other schools. In the end, he said his decision came down to Union and Harvard.

After making the visit to Union that he didn't make the first time around, he knew the Dutchmen were the best program to continue his career with.

"The visit was incredible," Kolias said. "If I could go back and do it again, I would have gone on that visit and made the right decision the first time. The campus is perfect for me. It's a bit smaller, and everyone's tight knit. The coaching staff is incredible. I stayed with a couple of the guys, and the camaraderie in the locker room is great. It was just a great environment, and somewhere I knew right out of the gate that I'd love to be at."

At 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, Kolias will never be the most physically imposing player on the ice. But the Dutchmen's track record of developing smaller defensemen like Shayne Gostisbehere and Mat Bodie also helped sway him to Schenectady.

"The way they develop smaller defensemen is amazing," Kolias said. "I don't think there's a better spot in the country if you're a small defenseman and want to develop. The focus the coaching staff puts on you is incredible."

Kolias is in his second season with the Phantoms. The Schaumburg, Ill. native had three goals and 14 assists in 48 games a year ago. This season, he has four goals and 14 assists in 45 contests.

Phantoms head coach John Wroblewski praised Kolias for his vision in the offensive zone and his ability to find the open man. But he said his calling card is his skating ability.

"He's the most dynamic skater in the entire USHL," said Wroblewski. "It's something when you see him going from his defensive zone. He either gets it and wheels with it or gets a breakout pass from his partner or supports underneath.

"He beats defensemen to the outside a minimum of three or four times per game. It doesn't always end up in the net, but he puts a ton of pressure on the opposition and adds a dynamic that very few guys in the league have."

With the departure of junior defenseman Noah Henry (family reasons) and the pending graduation of senior defenseman Sebastien Gingras, there could be chances for Kolias to showcase his skills early in his collegiate career.

He envisions settling in as an offensive defenseman, but one who also contributes on the defensive end, an area where Wroblewski said he has improved this season.

But Kolias knows nothing will be given to him.

"Everything that I want to do will be earned," he said. "That's probably my favorite part about [Union's] coaching staff. There's no such thing as being handed something. Everything is earned."

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Dutchmen, Bobcats skate to tie

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

If there was ever a game destined to go into overtime, Saturday's ECAC Hockey clash between Union and top-ranked Quinnipiac was it.

Union's J.C. Brassard had a goal and an assist in

Saturday's 3-3 tie against top-ranked Quinnipiac

at Messa Rink.

(photo: Union College athletics)

The Dutchmen entered play tied for the most overtime appearances in the country with 12. Quinnipiac was tied for second in the nation with 11 overtime contests.

Fittingly, Union (5-8-7 ECACH, 12-11-9 overall) and Quinnipiac went into overtime before settling for a 3-3 draw at Messa Rink.

"I thought we played an excellent hockey game against obviously the No. 1 team in the country," Union head coach Rick Bennett said. "We battled them for 65 minutes. I thought we had some excellent chances."

The tie keeps alive Union's faint hopes of having home ice in the first round of the league tournament. The ninth-place Dutchmen trail eighth-place Clarkson by three points for the last home ice spot with two regular season games left.

"I haven't really looked at standings or win/loss the whole year, but I did reflect on it a little bit this weekend," Bennett said. "I see a lot of to-do about a lot of teams, and they have the same amount of losses and some have one more than us, or two more. I kind of like that we've been low profile this year, especially with a youthful group."

Eli Lichtenwald helped Union force overtime when he tied the game at 3-3 at 13:35 of the third period. After Michael Pontarelli stripped the puck from a Quinnipiac player at the Bobcats blue line, he created a two-on-one chance with Lichtenwald.

By being patient with the puck, Pontarelli drew in a Quinnipiac defender, leaving Lichtenwald alone as he was skating down the right side. Lichtenwald took a cross-ice feed and sent it past Quinnipiac (14-1-5, 23-2-7) goaltender Michael Garteig.

"I had the easy job to shoot it into the net. It was all Mike," Lichtenwald said. "He did a great job causing that turnover. We've been roommates for three years, so I knew it was coming over. We practice it all the time."

Quinnipiac opened the scoring on a tally from Travis St. Denis at 14:02 of the second. Union squared the game at 1-1 with a power play goal at 17:27 after Matt Wilkins fed Mike Vecchione in the right faceoff circle for a one-timer that eluded Garteig.

The Bobcats answered 54 seconds later, grabbing a 2-1 lead on a goal from Connor Clifton. But J.C. Brassard brought Union even again at 4:29 of the third. He collected a loose puck just outside the Quinnipiac blue line before skating in and firing it past a screened Garteig.

"We had great back pressure and were getting all over their guy," Brassard said. "He just coughed up the puck, and I saw there was a chance to jump up into the play. There was a screen by their defenseman. I tried to shoot around him and use him as a screen, and luckily enough the goalie didn't see it."

Quinnipiac was fast to respond again as Soren Jonzzon gave the Bobcats a 3-2 edge at 6:07. Despite another deflating goal by the Bobcats, Union didn't surrender, setting the stage for Lichtenwald's game-tying goal later in the frame.

"We kept up with them the whole game," Brassard said. "We were all over them for some points of the game. We never gave up, and that's been the staple for awhile now."

POSTGAME REACTION

Brassard, Lichtenwald and Vecchione



Bennett



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Big Red ends Union's season in OT

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

Matt Buckles scored in overtime to lift Cornell to a 2-1 win and a series sweep of Union in their best-of-three ECAC Hockey opening round playoff series Saturday at Lynah Rink.

Matt Wilkins scored Union's lone goal in
its season-ending loss to Cornell Saturday
at Lynah Rink.
(photo: Union College athletics)

With the loss, Union finishes the season at 13-14-9. It marks the program's first season with a losing record since 2006-07, when it went 14-19-3. That was also the last season the Dutchmen didn't make it to the second round of the ECACH tournament.

Cornell (15-9-7) advances to the second round of the league tournament next weekend against a to be determined opponent.

Buckles broke a 1-1 tie and scored the game-winner at 3:18 of overtime. He drove in on goal from the right wing before sliding a backhander inside the far post to give the Big Red the series-clinching victory.

The Big Red opened the scoring at 10:25 of the second period after Ryan Bliss' shot from the point bounced off a Union defender and went past goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos.

Matt Wilkins' power play goal tied the score at 1-1 midway through the third. Cornell goalie Mitch Gillam made a stop on a wrister from Brett Supinski, but the rebound found its way to Wilkins in the slot and he sent it into the back of the net.

The tally was the only bright spot for Union's power play, which went 1-for-5 on the night including a 5-on-3 chance in the first. The Dutchmen's power play went 1-for-8 in the series.

Wilkins' goal snapped Gillam's postseason shutout streak at 109:04. Gillam finished the series with 59 saves on 60 shots, including 32 stops in game two.

Sakellaropoulos nearly matched Gillam between the pipes. He made 26 saves in game two and 47 on 50 shots in the series.

The contest was Union's 14th overtime game of the season, a program record. The Dutchmen went 2-3-9 in extra session games this season.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS (courtesy Cornell athletics)

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Dutchmen skate past Big Red 5-1

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

There was good news and bad news for Union on Friday night.

The good news? The Dutchmen picked up a 5-1 ECAC Hockey win over 16th-ranked Cornell at Lynah Rink to extend their unbeaten streak to three games.

Union's Eli Lichtenwald scored twice to lift
the Dutchmen to a 5-1 win at Cornell.
(photo: Union College Athletics)

The bad news? With Clarkson's 2-1 victory over Harvard, the Dutchmen were mathematically eliminated from finishing in eighth place and having the final home ice spot in the opening round of the ECACH tournament next weekend.

Union is locked into ninth place, regardless of what happens in today's 2:30 p.m. regular season finale at Colgate. The contest will be the final game at the 57-year-old Starr Rink, which is getting replaced with a new facility set to open in the fall.

The Dutchmen will play a best-of-three opening round series next weekend at the team that finishes in eighth. Clarkson, Cornell and RPI are all possibilities.

Union jumped out to a fast start at Cornell (13-9-6 overall, 8-8-5 ECACH). Matt Wilkins gave the Dutchmen a 1-0 lead just 38 seconds into the first period after knocking in a loose puck on a scramble in front of the Big Red goal.

Just over eight minutes later, Eli Lichtenwald doubled Union's advantage after scoring his third goal in as many games off a centering feed from Michael Pontarelli.

Christian Hilbrich cut Union's lead to 2-1 at 6:04 of the second after taking advantage of a juicy rebound. But Cole Maier responded for the Dutchmen at 18:39 after finishing a two-on-one rush with Mike Vecchione.

Maier struck again at 13:47 of the third to push Union's lead to 4-1. Lichtenwald notched his second of the night just over a minute later with an empty-net goal.

Union (13-11-9, 6-9-6) picked up a season-high 36 saves from goaltender Alex Sakellaropolus, including 16 stops in the first.

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Dutchmen get by Tigers 2-1

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

Friday home games haven't been Union's strong point this season.

The Dutchmen entered play winless in eight Friday home contests with an 0-4-4 record.

Union's Nick DeSimone scored the game-winner
in Friday's 2-1 ECAC Hockey win over Princeton
(photo: Union College athletics)

But behind goals from Eli Lichtenwald and Nick DeSimone and solid goaltending from Alex Sakellaropoulos, Union ended its Friday home drought with a 2-1 ECAC Hockey win over Princeton at Messa Rink.

With the victory, the Dutchmen (12-11-8, 5-9-5 ECACH) moved to within four points of Cornell and Clarkson for the final home ice spot in the ECACH tournament with three games left in the regular season.

"I thought it was a team effort," Union head coach Rick Bennett said. "It was nice that in the third period you are not holding on and you are trying to be relentless. I thought we did an excellent job of that, something that has been brought up an awful lot."

The win was a painful one for Union. Brett Supinski, the team's third-leading scorer, left early in the first period after sliding awkwardly into the boards behind Princeton's net. He didn't return and his status for tonight's game against top-ranked Quinnipiac is uncertain.

Sebastien Gingras had a tougher night. He had to be helped off the ice late in the second after appearing to hurt his left knee in a collision with a Princeton player. Gingras returned in the third, but his night ended with 2:14 left in regulation after he blocked a Ryan Siiro shot with his head. 

"At the end, it's a big-time play. He's a senior leaving it all on the line so that is what we need," Bennett said, adding he expects Gingras to play tonight.

Lichtenwald gave Union a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 14:44 of the first after redirecting a shot from the point by J.C. Brassard. Lichtenwald was inserted on the power play unit after Supinski left the game.

"Supinski went down there and Rick [Bennett] just said go to the front of the net on the power play," Lichtenwald said. "J.C. made a great read and saw he had a lane there and shot one through and I got a stick on it."

Princeton (5-19-2, 3-14-2) evened the game on a tally from Siiro at 2:34 of the second. But Union took the lead for good just over a minute later. Mike Vecchione won a faceoff and sent the puck back to DeSimone, who fired a wrist shot through traffic that eluded Tigers goalie Colton Phinney.

"[Vecchione] won a good draw and tried to get it back to the point to get shots on the net," DeSimone said. "I was just lucky enough that it didn't get blocked and [Matt Wilkins] had a good screen going and [Phinney] didn't see it."

Union clamped down the rest of the way, holding Princeton to five shots in the third after allowing 22 over the first two periods.

Sakellaropoulos turned in a 26-save performance, including a highlight reel stop on a one-timer from Max Véronneau early in the first to keep the game scoreless.

"It’s late in the season," Sakellaropoulos said. "We know what we have to do to win hockey games. Going into the playoffs, we want to have momentum. We want to play a full 60 minutes and get a big ‘W’ because it will help us in the standings right now."

POSTGAME REACTION

Rick Bennett



Alex Sakellaropoulos and Eli Lichtenwald

Nick DeSimone




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Ciampini promoted to AHL's IceHogs

by Ryan Fay

The American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs recalled former Union star Daniel Ciampini from their ECHL affiliate, the Indy Fuel, on Thursday.

Ciampini

The call-up marks Ciampini's fourth stint with the IceHogs this season. His last go-around with the team was in early-to-mid January.

Ciampini has one goal in eight contests with the IceHogs this season. In 31 games with the Fuel, he has seven goals and 15 assists.

Ciampini is the second former Union player to get promoted to the AHL on Thursday. The Portland Pirates recalled goaltender Colin Stevens from the ECHL's Manchester Monarchs.

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Zajac signs with ECHL's Stingrays

by Ryan Fay

The ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays announced on Wednesday that they agreed to terms with former Union standout Kelly Zajac.

Zajac

The forward had been free agent since getting released by the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose on Feb. 12. He had one assist in 14 games after signing with the team in November.

Zajac began the season with Rauma Lukko of the Finnish Elite League. He had two goals and two assists in 14 contests, but left the club in late October after his two month tryout didn't result in a follow-up agreement.

The 27-year-old recorded three goals and 10 assists in 24 games with the AHL's Albany Devils last season.

Zajac's only previous ECHL experience was a 15-game stint with the now-defunct Trenton Titans in 2012-13.

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Brierley commits to Union

by Ryan Fay

Taylor Brierley, a defenseman for the U.S. Hockey League's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, has committed to Union for the 2017-18 season.

Brierley
(photo: Cedar Rapids RoughRiders)

"I just had my visit there and I really liked it from the get go," Brierley said in a release. "The campus was really nice, [and] it was a smaller school, which was perfect for me. Their rink and campus is unbelievable and has a lot of culture."

The 19-year-old has two goals and 11 assists in 28 games with the RoughRiders this season. He joined the team in November after starting the year with the North American Hockey League's Minnesota Magicians. He had a goal and four assists in 19 games with the Magicians prior to the move.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder had seven assists in 57 contests with the Magicians last season. 

"We are very happy for Taylor," said RoughRiders head coach Mark Carlson. "Union has a great tradition and combination of strong academics and a first class hockey program. A great fit on both sides."

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Vecchione picks up league honor

by Ryan Fay

Union junior center Mike Vecchione was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.

Vecchione

Vecchione had two goals and an assist to power Union to a 4-1 win at Dartmouth on Friday. He added an assist in a 4-1 setback at 9th-ranked Harvard on Saturday to extend his point streak to four games.

His four points for the weekend were tied for the most among ECACH skaters and sixth in Division I. He also finished with an ECACH-best 30 faceoff victories, capturing 61.2% of his draws (30-19).

In 28 games this season, Vecchione has a team-leading 16 assists and ranks second with 24 points.

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Harvard rolls past Union 4-1

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

A hat trick from Ryan Donato powered Harvard to a 4-1 ECAC Hockey victory over Union Saturday at the Bright-Landry Center.

Union's Eli Lichtenwald played in his 100th career
game on Saturday.
photo: Union College athletics

With the win, the ninth-ranked Crimson snapped a 12-game winless streak against Union dating back to Feb. 13, 2010. Harvard was 0-9-3 during the streak.

The loss leaves Union five points behind eighth-place Cornell for the final home ice spot in the first round of the league tournament with four regular season games left. The Big Red lost to Yale 4-2.

Donato gave Harvard a 1-0 lead at 17:50 of the first period with the first of his three goals. The Crimson (14-8-3 overall, 10-5-3 ECACH) extended their lead to 3-0 with a pair of power-play tallies late in the second.

Sean Malone made it 2-0 at 16:49, one second before a slashing penalty on J.C. Brassard was set to expire. Donato picked up his second goal of the night at 19:55, 10 seconds into a hooking penalty on Matt Wilkins.

Wilkins redeemed himself 31 seconds into the third when he tipped in a shot from Nick DeSimone to cut the Crimson lead to 3-1. But Donato iced the win and secured his first career hat trick with an empty-netter with 39 seconds left in regulation.

Sakellaropoulos made 17 saves on 20 shots before being replaced by Jake Kupsky following Donato's goal late in the second. Kupsky stopped all eight shots he faced the rest of the way.

Merrick Madsen finished with 24 stops for Harvard, which outshot Union 29-25.

Harvard finished 2-for-4 on the power-play, while Union went 0-for-3.

The Dutchmen (11-11-8, 4-9-5) resume action next Friday at home against Princeton.

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Dutchmen surge late in 4-1 win

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

Union scored three goals in the latter stages of the third period to pull away from Dartmouth for a 4-1 ECAC Hockey win Friday at Thompson Arena in Hanover, N.H.

Union's Mike Vecchione scored two goals
and added an assist on Friday.
(photo: Union College Athletics)

The Dutchmen picked up a career-high four points from Brett Supinski, who had two power-play goals and two assists. Mike Vecchione added a pair of goals and an assist. Alex Sakellaropoulos made 33 saves in goal, including 12 on the penalty kill.

Supinski broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Dutchmen a 2-1 lead at 14:46 of the third after he redirected a point shot from Nick DeSimone that eluded Dartmouth goaltender Charles Grant.

Union (11-10-8 overall, 4-8-5 ECACH) went ahead 3-1 just under three minutes later after Vecchione received a pass in the slot from Supinski and fired it into the back of Dartmouth's net.

Vecchione returned the favor with just over a minute left in the third when he set up Supinski's second tally of the night to give the Dutchmen a 4-1 advantage.

Early on, it was all Dartmouth. The Big Green outshot Union 16-3 in the opening period, but Sakellaropoulos turned aside all 16 attempts. The Big Green finally broke through and grabbed a 1-0 lead at 11:15 of the second on a five-on-three power-play goal from Grant Opperman.

Union tied it at 16:41 after Vecchione took a pass from Wilkins in the right face-off circle and roofed it past Grant.

Dartmouth (12-11-1, 9-8-0) outshot Union 34-27. The Dutchmen finished 2-for-6 on the power-play, while Dartmouth went 1-for-6.

Grant collected 27 saves in the losing effort.

Union will look to record back-to-back league wins for the first time this season with a visit to ninth-ranked Harvard Saturday at 7.

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Union edges #11 Yale, 2-1

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

Brendan Taylor scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period to lift Union to a 2-1 ECAC Hockey win over 11th-ranked Yale Friday at Ingalls Rink.

Union's Brendan Taylor, seen here against
Michigan earlier this season, had the game-winner 
for the Dutchmen.
(photo: Union College athletics)

The victory snapped Union's five-game winless streak (0-3-2), and it gave the Dutchmen their first league win since a 3-0 shutout of Dartmouth on Dec. 5.

With the loss, Yale saw its unbeaten streak end at eight games (6-0-2).

Taylor broke a 1-1 tie at 2:52 of the third. Yale netminder Alex Lyon stopped an initial shot from Tyler Hynes, but Taylor was able to backhand in the rebound to put Union up 2-1.

Union (10-9-6 overall, 3-7-3 ECACH) goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos made the lead stand as part of a 31-save effort. The tally was Taylor's first career-game winning goal.

The Bulldogs (11-5-4, 6-4-3) grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Carson Cooper scored at 2:24 of the first. Spencer Foo tied it early in the second when he sent a slap shot past Lyon for his 50th career point.

Lyon finished with 29 saves for the Bulldogs, who dropped to 0-4-1 in their last five games against the Dutchmen at Ingalls Rink.

Both teams came up empty on the power-play with Union going 0-for-4 and Yale 0-for-2.

Union resumes action when it travels to Brown tonight at 7. The Bears blew a 3-0 lead and fell 4-3 to 16th-ranked RPI on Friday.

Taylor's game-winner

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Di Pauli von Treuheim nominated for Senior Class Award

by Ryan Fay

Union men's hockey senior forward Theo DiPauli von Treuheim is among the 20 candidates for the 2016 Senior Class Award, the team announced Friday.

DiPauli von Treuheim

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have significant achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

DiPauli von Treuheim, who was the 2014-15 Union Athletics Junior Scholar-Athlete of the Year, has received the team's Thomas Van Arden Award for the highest grade point average in each of his previous three seasons. A two-time ECAC Hockey All-Academic honoree, he received the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, Tau Beta Pi's Engineering Scholarship, the four-year Michael R. Novack Scholarship, the NSF-REU Fellowship Grant and is also a candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship.

A native of Downers Grove, Ill., DiPaul von Treuheim is the co-founder of the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorder at Albany Medical. He visited and created a friendship with terminally ill children prior to home games and invited them to meet the team after the games. As a role model for Hockey in Harlem, he inspires young, underprivileged inner-city youth hockey players to pursue an education and sport-focused lifestyle.

The 20 candidates will be cut to 10 finalists in February, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be named during the Frozen Final Four in April in Tampa, Fla.

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Ex-Union star Carr out 3 months

by Ryan Fay

Daniel Carr's promising rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens is on hold.

The Canadiens announced Tuesday night that the former Union star will miss three months with a right knee injury suffered in the first period of Monday's 5-2 loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Carr controls the puck for the Canadiens
earlier this season.

A report on Sportsnet.ca said Carr won't need surgery. But barring a postseason run, it's possible that the 24-year-old winger has played his last game of the year. Montreal finishes the regular season on April 9.

Carr was in his second stint with the Canadiens. He was recalled last Thursday after being sent down to the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps on Jan. 15.

Carr had five goals and three assists in 19 games with Montreal. He was originally recalled from the IceCaps on Nov. 29 and had a memorable NHL debut on Dec. 5 at Carolina. He scored his first career goal on his first shot during his first shift.

Carr recorded his first multi-point game in the NHL with a goal and an assist in a Jan. 5 contest against former Union teammate Shayne Gostisbehere and the Philadelphia Flyers.

In 24 games with the IceCaps, Carr posted 10 goals and 11 assists.

Carr signed with the Canadiens as an undrafted free agent after leading the Dutchmen to the 2014 NCAA championship. He remains Union's all-time Division I leader in goals (78), assists (79) and points (157).

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Foo on Hobey Baker Award fan ballot

by Ryan Fay

Union sophomore forward Spencer Foo is one of 66 players on the fan ballot for the Hobey Baker Award, it was announced Wednesday. The award is given annually to the top player in college hockey.

Foo

Foo has appeared in all 23 games for the Dutchmen this season and leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 12 assists. He shares the club lead in game-winning goals with two.

The fans' vote accounts for one percent of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year's award winner.

The first phase of fan balloting will run now through March 6, 2016. The second phase of fan balloting will commence on March 17 from the list of the top 10 finalists.

The top 10 candidates will be reduced to three on March 31, and the winner will be named on April 8.

To cast a vote, click here. Fans will be allowed one vote every 24 hours.

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Canadiens send Carr down to AHL

by Ryan Fay

The Montreal Canadiens reassigned former Union forward Daniel Carr to the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps on Friday.

Carr had been with Montreal since getting recalled from the IceCaps on Nov. 29. He played in every game with the Canadiens since his Dec. 5 debut, recording five goals and two assists in 17 contests.

Carr in action with the Canadiens
earlier this season.

But Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien thought Carr's game had dropped off some of late.

“A little bit," Therrien told the media Friday. "It’s normal. Most of the time, especially when you get called up (to the NHL) the first time, you’re so excited. What is tough for young kids is not making the NHL, but to maintain the emotion. But it’s a process. He did really good. We’re really pleased with what we saw.”

In 21 games with the IceCaps this season, Carr had eight goals and nine assists. He is expected to be available for their game against the Toronto Marlies on Saturday.

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Dutchmen to take on CNY teams

by Ryan Fay

Union returns to action this weekend with a pair of ECAC Hockey contests. The Dutchmen host Colgate on Friday at 7 and eighth-ranked Cornell at the same time on Saturday.

Here are five key things to know going into the weekend:

Welcome home

After a season-long four game road trip, Union will be back on home ice the first time in the 2016 calendar year. The Dutchmen will be looking to keep their recent string of success at home going as they are 2-0-1 in their last three games at Messa Rink.

Conference struggles

Union is 7-1-3 in non-conference games this season, good for a .773 winning percentage that ranks ninth in the country in non-conference action. But the Dutchmen haven't found the same kind of success in conference play with a 2-6-2 mark (.300). That has left Union tied with Dartmouth and Brown for eighth place in the league. Four points this weekend could go a long way in separating the Dutchmen from the pack while increasing their odds at hosting playoff games in March.

Disappointing Colgate

Colgate enters play as one of the biggest disappoints in the league. Picked to finish fifth by both the coaches and the media, Colgate sits in 11th place with a 2-6-1 mark. Overall, the Raiders are 6-14-1.

Allowing too many goals has been a big culprit. The Raiders have given up 3.76 goals per game, the second-highest mark in the country. They've given up five or more goals in nine of their 21 contests. Junior goaltender Charlie Finn is in the midst of a career-worst season with a 3.63 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage, figures far worse than his career averages.

A lack of depth has been another issue. Colgate has spent most of the season with just 20 skaters. The Raiders took hits when forward Kyle Baun, their second-leading scorer last season, and defenseman Ryan Johnston gave up their senior years and turned pro last summer. Another blow came in September when recruit Adam Dauda deferred his commitment for medical reasons.

Dauda ended up joining Colgate at midseason after scoring 11 goals and 26 assists in 25 games with the CCHL's Pembroke LumberKings. The forward has two assists in four games with Raiders.

Surprising Cornell

While Colgate hasn't met their preseason expectations, Cornell has exceeded theirs. The media picked them to finish 11th, while the coaches tabbed them seventh. Both predictions are looking far too light. With a 6-1-1 mark, Cornell trails only Quinnipiac in the league standings. Overall, the Big Red are 11-2-2.

One of the biggest questions about Cornell was its offense, or lack of one. The Big Red were sixth-to-last in the country last season with 1.84 goals per game. This year, they're 20th at 2.93.

Junior forward Jeff Kubiak has had a breakout year, leading the team with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) after having 17 combined points in his first two years. Freshman forward Anthony Angello has become an instant contributor, topping the club in goals with eight while chipping in four assists. Another freshman forward, Mitch Vanderlaan, is third on the team in goals with four and points with 11.

As usual, Cornell has done a great job at keeping pucks out of their own net. The Big Red are giving up just two goals per game, third-best in the nation. They're on track to finish in the top 10 in the country in fewest goals allowed per game for the third straight year. Junior goalie Mitch Gillam is in the top 10 nationally in GAA (1.77, 8th) and save percentage (.935, 9th)

Do It For Daron

The Union women's and men's hockey teams will be participating in mental health awareness games on Saturday. The women's team hosts RPI at 3 ahead of the men taking on Cornell at 7.

Union will wear purple laces and use purple tape in support of Do it for Daron, a foundation that increases awareness and inspires conversations about youth mental health issues. Fans are encouraged to join Union in supporting this initiative by wearing purple to Saturday's games.

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100 career points: Who's next?

by Ryan Fay

When Mike Vecchione reached the 100 career point milestone in last Friday's 4-4 tie at Princeton, he reached a level of offensive production few have gotten to throughout Union's Division I era.

Sophomore Spencer Foo is nearly halfway
to 100 career points.
(photo credit: Union College athletics)

He was only the 13th player to reach the plateau in the program's DI era, which dates back to the 1991-92 season.

That begs the question: which other current Dutchmen could be candidates to join the 100 career point club down the road?

Here are five candidates of varying probability:

Matt Wilkins

Wilkins is the nearest active player to the milestone with 75 career points. That's a good career, but the senior forward's chances of getting to 100 are very slim. The main obstacle is time: there isn't enough of it left. Union has at least 15 games remaining this season, 13 in the regular season and at least two more in the playoffs. Considering Wilkins' single-season high in points is 28, it's unlikely he gets the 25 he needs the rest of the way.

Spencer Foo

With 46 career points, Foo is nearly halfway to 100 a little more than a year and a half into his collegiate career. And he's only getting better. The sophomore forward already has a team-leading 21 points this season after having 25 all of last year. Foo is well on track to getting to 100 at some point in his career. At this rate, he could reach it early on during his senior year.

Of the five listed here, Foo's the best bet as things currently stand.

Ryan Scarfo

Scarfo is a little behind Foo's pace, but he's still on a solid trajectory. The sophomore has 33 career points. Like Foo, he's only getting better. With 14 points already this season, Scarfo should get past the 19 he had as a freshman. With continued development, the forward could get to 100 sometime in the second half of his senior campaign.

Jeff Taylor

Taylor's chances to get to 100 were looking much better after last season. A 31 point campaign as a sophomore put Taylor at 47 career points after two seasons. But the defenseman has fallen off pace with just seven points a little more than halfway through this season. In order to get to 100, Taylor's going to need a big finish to this season and a senior year that exceeds the offensive output he had as a sophomore.

As rare as it is for any player to get to 100 career points, it's even rarer for a defenseman to do it. With 124 points, Mat Bodie is the only blueliner in Union's 100 point club.

Brett Supinski

The jump to the collegiate ranks can be tough. But the freshman forward has done fine, picking up 12 points in his first 19 games. While a lot can happen between a player's freshman and senior seasons, Supinski is off to an encouraging start. His offensive potential shouldn't be in doubt after piling up 98 points in 58 games with the British Columbia Hockey League's Coquitlam Express a year ago.

Union's Division I era 100 career points club

Rank	Player	Years at Union	Career Points
1	Daniel Carr	2010-2014	157
2	Adam Presizniuk	2007-2011	131
3	Kelly Zajac	2008-2012	128
4	Mat Bodie	2010-2014	124
5	Daniel Ciampini	2011-2015	118
6	Wayne Simpson	2009-2013	115
t-6	Jason Walters	2006-2010	115
8	Mario Valery-Trabucco	2006-2010	114
t-8	Jordan Webb	2001-2005	114
10	Chris Ford	1993-1997	104
11	Joel Beal	2001-2005	101
12	x-Mike Vecchione	2013-pres	100
t-12	Jeremy Welsh	2009-2012	100

x- = active

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Ciampini recalled by AHL's IceHogs

by Ryan Fay

The American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs recalled former Union forward Daniel Ciampini from their ECHL affiliate, the Indy Fuel, on Saturday.

Ciampini

The call-up marks Ciampini's third stint with the IceHogs this season. He was most recently with the team in late December before being reassigned to Indy.

Ciampini has one goal in eight games with the IceHogs this season. In 19 games with the Fuel, he has three goals and seven assists.

The 25-year-old signed a one-year AHL contract with the IceHogs in July after finishing last season with the AHL's Worcester Sharks.

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Vecchione reaches milestone in tie

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

PRINCETON, N.J. - Mike Vecchione notched his 100th career point, but it wasn't enough as Union settled for a 4-4 ECAC Hockey tie with Princeton Friday at Hobey Baker Rink.

Vecchione scored his 100th career point on Friday
(photo credit: Union College athletics)

Vecchione became the 13th player in Union's Division I history to reach the milestone with an assist on Sebastian Vidmar's goal that gave the Dutchmen a 1-0 lead at 10:19 of the first period. The helper was a team-high 11th of the season for Vecchione, who has 38 goals and 62 assists in his career.

The junior reached the 100 point plateau in his 96th career game, easily becoming the fastest player in the program's D1 era to secure the milestone. Daniel Carr, Union's top D1 career scorer with 157 points, had previously been the quickest having gotten there in 115 contests.

Princeton (3-7-2 ECACH, 4-12-2 overall) went ahead 2-1 on tallies by Kyle Rankin in the latter stages of the first and Max Becker 5:23 into the second.

Vidmar, the reigning ECACH Rookie of the Month, responded with his second of the night to bring Union even just under five minutes later. Brett Supinski gave the Dutchmen a 3-2 lead at 16:48, but Garrett Skrbich tied it with under two minutes left in the period.

Josh Teves put the Tigers ahead at 13:53 of the third, but Ryan Scarfo pulled Union even at 4-4 with 3:01 left in regulation with his team-best 11th goal of the season.

Union picked up a career-high 28 saves from Jake Kupsky, who received the start after relieving Alex Sakellaropoulos in Thursday's 5-0 loss at second-ranked Quinnipiac.

After allowing six power play goals over their previous three games, the Dutchmen (2-6-2, 9-7-2) held the Tigers scoreless on three power plays.

The tie extended the Dutchmen's unbeaten streak against Princeton to 13 games (10-0-3), their longest active unbeaten streak against an ECACH program. Union hasn't lost to the Tigers since a 3-1 setback on March 15, 2009.

Union has played in nine overtime games this season, which is tied for the most in the country. The Dutchmen are 2-2-5 in such games.

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