Q&A with Union Hockey broadcaster Matt DuBrey

by Ryan Fay

I recently caught up with the "voice of Union Hockey," Matt DuBrey, to take a look back at the Dutchmen's first half and what might be in store the rest of the season.

DuBrey, who has been calling Union Hockey games since the 2002-2003 season, dishes on the Dutchmen's freshmen, most improved player, first half MVP, and more.

RYAN FAY (RF): Considering the talent lost after last season, are you surprised Union has been this good so quickly?

MATT DUBREY (MD): Honestly, yes. Not only has the team's success surprised me, but how they have been successful has surprised me. Union lost a lot of firepower from last year's team. I felt the defense and goaltending were going to be set this year, but the question was going to be the offense. I thought the team could be successful with tight play, low scoring games, and good defense. However, this team has been winning with offense.

You can't bank on freshmen -- no matter how highly touted -- instantly becoming offensive contributors. But Union's first year players include three forwards and a defenseman who have been putting up lots of points. That has been amazing.

In addition, the resurgence of senior Kevin Sullivan and the evolution of junior Daniel Ciampini took me a bit by surprise. I had them penciled in as half point per game players, and they've obviously been much more. This is critical not only for this season, but in Ciampini's case, also looking ahead as Union looks to graduate another monumental class this year.

RF: How would you assess each of the freshmen so far?

DuBrey (l) with analyst Brian Unger (r)

MD: You never really know what to expect from freshmen in hockey. These guys are scouted and recruited young. They continue to grow and change, and who knows how they will adapt to the college game and different coaches. I have been pleasantly surprised. 

6-foot-6 Eli Lichtenwald gives the team something they've never really had, a big body up front - and we're already seeing the dividends.

On the opposite end of the height spectrum, 5-foot-7 Michael Pontarelli has been such fun to watch. He's going to be a fan favorite in no time. He's extremely dynamic and has amazing vision, something which I think surprises even his teammates at times. Once they catch up to him, we're going to see some fantastic playmaking. 

Michael Vecchione has quietly improved as the season has gone on. He may not have the flash of the other two I just mentioned, but he's going to be a rock for Union for years to come. 

On the blue line, Noah Henry, Matt Krug and Jeff Taylor have all played quite well. Taylor's offensive numbers have been a pleasant surprise to I think most everyone around the team. 

Goaltender Alex Sakellaropolous was thrown into a very tough situation in the beginning of the year, but he's had a couple standout games, including the 4-1 win at then top-ranked St. Cloud State on December 13. He's going to provide some pressure for Colin Stevens, and Union will be in great shape when 'Sak becomes the starter.

Forward Alex Gonye and defenseman Griffyn Martin have had a tough go. This is a very, very tough lineup to crack. Both have seen limited action, so it's tough to have an opinion on their play.

RF: Who has been Union's most improved player so far this season?

MD: Without a doubt, it has to be Sullivan. He had a remarkably tough season last year, but bounced back strong for the NCAA tournament. He has looked like a new player this season, more like what we expected last year. Obviously, playing with the guys he is playing with helps, but he's making great passes, and he's much tougher on the puck. Last year, for whatever reason, he seemed to really shy away from contact. He's playing with a lot more strength this year.

RF: Are there any Union players who haven't shown as much as you expected so far this season?

MD: Sophomore defeneseman Sebastien Gingras is stuck a little bit. He wants to be a more offensive defenseman, but because of Mat Bodie and Shayne Gostisbehere filling those roles, he really needs to focus his energy on his defensive play. He hasn't found his identity on the ice yet. He doesn't look much different from last year, and I am waiting for him to take another step in his development.

Stevens is a guy I still believe needs to be better if Union is going to go deep in the playoffs. It feels weird to say that about a guy who is 9-1-1 with a 2.31 GAA, but his .905 save percentage needs to improve. His best game may have been the 3-3 tie at St. Cloud State on December 14, which is very encouraging. He also had that 2-0 shutout against Princeton on December 6, so maybe he is getting into his groove.

RF: Who would you say has been Union's first half MVP?

MD: I am going to cop-out here and give co-MVP's to Daniel Carr and Bodie. I tried picking one over the other, and just couldn't do it. They are the heart of this team, their play is always top shelf, and they are both great leaders and players.

RF: What are your expectations for Union the rest of the season?

MD: Union is on the road a lot during the second half of the season. They have some very tough league games, including two against Clarkson, who I am looking forward to seeing. They also have the trip against New Hampshire in mid-January, which could be critical when things shake down at the end of the year.

But really, the team is healthier than they have been all year, the young guys are settling into the college game, and Stevens is improving. They don't have another brutal five games in nine days stretch coming up, so barring several injuries, there's no reason the team isn't going to be competing for the Whitelaw and Cleary Cups again, but also the NCAA tournament.

Thr Dutchmen got a win and a tie on the road against St. Cloud State (then the top-ranked team in the country) and beat Quinnipiac, who was ranked and ahead of them in the ECAC standings at the time. It's very exciting. Union once again appears to be a Frozen Four contender.

There is one caveat, though. Union's penalty kill (75.4%, fifth-to-last in the country) absolutely must improve. It has been a surprisingly weak element of the team this season, and for them to make a deep run, it will have to be better.

RF: Who has been the best opposing player you've seen so far this year?

MD: I don't know if I can separate the two of them, so I am going to go with Kellen and Connor Jones from Quinnipiac. They are incredibly dynamic, and are a threat every time they are on the ice. They skate hard, aren't afraid to hit, and are responsible defensively.

That being said, it should be pointed out that we haven't seen Greg Carey (St. Lawrence) yet.

RF: Other than Union, who is the best team you've seen so far this year?

MD: We haven't seen some teams in the league yet, but Colgate was the one that stood out to me the most. It may have been a combination of Union playing a poor game, but Colgate really looked great against the Dutchmen. They had four line depth, skated well, and got fantastic goaltending. Lake Superior State was also impressive to watch. They have a lot of size on that team, but they also skated very well.

Listen to DuBrey and Unger gamenights -- locally on WPTR Sporty 1240 AM or anywhere at teamline.cc (code 1160).

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Union returns to USCHO poll

by Ryan Fay

The Dutchmen are ranked 17th in this week's USCHO top 20 poll.

Over the weekend, they swept then #10 Rensselaer by scores of 4-3 and 4-1.

The Dutchmen (5-1 ECAC, 6-3-2 overall) were last ranked in the Oct. 14 poll when they were slotted 16th. They fell out of the poll the following week after getting swept at home by Lake Superior State.

After focusing on final exams this week, Union resumes play with a two-game non-conference series at Penn State from Nov. 30-Dec. 1.

Rensselear (2-3-2, 6-4-2) dropped to 14th in this week's poll.

UPDATE: The Dutchmen also rejoin the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. They were ranked 15th, making their first appearance since earning the same ranking in the Oct. 14 poll. Rensselaer dropped out of the poll after being tenth a week ago.

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Dutchmen top RPI, 4-1 (with videos)

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

Make it ten in a row.

Union defeated #10 Rensselaer, 4-1, at the Houston Field House on Saturday to sweep the weekend series and collect their tenth consecutive victory over their Capital District rivals.

"It doesn't get old," Union forward Daniel Carr said of the Dutchmen's recent domination of the Engineers. "Obviously this rivalry is huge. It's one of those things. It's the reason you come play college hockey: rivalries like these."

Physical finish

The bigger story was arguably the mess in the last five minutes of the third period. In a nutshell, all hell broke loose.

Union (6-3-2, 5-1-0 ECAC) and Rensselaer (6-4-2, 2-3-2) combined for a whopping 159 penalty minutes in the final period, with the overwhelming majority of that coming in the final five minutes. There were a dozen 10 minute misconducts handed out in the final minutes of play.

"That's hockey," said Union head coach Rick Bennett. "If you've played hockey before and haven't been in one of those altercations then you haven't lived."

Added Carr, "if that was junior [hockey], we would have had four or five line brawls."

Overall, the two teams finished with a combined 177 penalty minutes (83 for Union, 94 for RPI).  Engineers forward Jake Wood racked up 33 penalty minutes, while Union defenseman Charlie Vasaturo piled up 22.

The best there is

Union defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists in Union's 4-3 win over Rensselaer on Friday.

On Saturday, he scored twice in a 75 second span in the third period to help the Dutchmen pull away from the Engineers. Gostisbehere's tallies increased Union's lead from 2-1 to 4-1.

He left a big impression on Rensselaer head coach Seth Appert.

"Gostisbehere is the best player in the country," Appert said of the 2012 third round Philadelphia Flyers draft pick. "We've played a pretty good schedule, and we played [against] Johnny Gaudreau [of Boston College]. It's no sleight to him. He's a heck of a hockey player for BC. But Gostisbehere is the best player we've seen this year."

Asked what he liked about Gostisbehere, Appert said "everything" before adding "he's fast, tenacious, tough. He's fantastic. He was just outstanding. He was special this weekend."

Gostisbehere has 12 points (4 g, 8 a) in 11 games this season.

Powerful power play

After going 2-for-26 on the power play in the past five games, the Dutchmen righted the ship on Saturday, finishing 3-for-9 on the man advantage.

Forwards Eli Lichtenwald and Carr scored on the power play in under a three minute span in the second period to put Union up 2-0. Gostisbehere added a power play marker in the third.

"Our power play really stepped up tonight," said Carr. "We did a better job of getting the puck down low and getting it low to high. That was one adjustment made and it worked out well. The guys did a great job of getting traffic in front of the net which allowed the point shots to go in."

Sullivan returns

After missing three games with an upper-body injury sustained in a 4-2 win at Harvard on Nov. 2, senior forward Kevin Sullivan rejoined the lineup.

He picked up right where he left off, collecting a pair of assists to bring his season total up to 13. He is tied with Boston College's Bill Arnold and St. Lawrence's Greg Carey for the most assists in the country.

"We call him the dish master right now," Gostisbehere said of Sullivan. "He's getting apples (assists) like its nothing."

With Sullivan returning to action, freshman forward Michael Pontarelli sat out his first game this season.

Stevens shines

Union junior goaltender Colin Stevens was nearly perfect on Saturday, turning aside 17-of-18 Engineers shots. The exception was a Brock Higgs tally on sustained Rensselaer pressure at 14:49 of the second period that cut Union's lead to 2-1.

"That was our fault," Gostisbehere said. "We battled there for almost two and a half minutes. But he stepped up big for us through the shadows of [ex-Union goaltender] Troy Grosenick."

One more to go

Union and Rensselaer have one more game scheduled this season, the second annual non-league Mayor's Cup at the Times Union Center on Jan. 25.

"That's going to be fun," Carr said.

The Dutchmen will be seeking their 11th straight win over the Engineers and will be looking to keep the cup they captured last season.

That's a wrap

Saturday's contest was referee Alex Dell's last game.

A ceremony was held on the ice before the game. The Niskayuna resident enjoyed a 25-year officiating career, including several NCAA Tournament assignments. 

Off the ice, the 44-year-old Dell is the managing attorney for the Law Firm of Alex Dell, PLLC, in Colonie.

Up next

The Dutchmen are off next weekend due to final exams. The team resumes play on Nov. 30-Dec.1 with a non-conference series at Penn State.

Three stars

1) Gostisbehere - 2 goals

2) Union defenseman Mat Bodie - 2 assists

3) Sullivan - 2 assists

Postgame videos

Rensselaer head coach Seth Appert

Union head coach Rick Bennett

Union forward Daniel Carr

Union defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere

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Dutchmen hold on for 4-3 win

by Ryan Fay

Some notes from Union's 4-3 win over tenth-ranked Rensselaer in front of a soldout crowd of 2,254 Friday night at Messa Rink.

Box Score

Bend, not break

It looked like the Dutchmen were going to breeze to an easy victory over the Engineers when Eli Lichtenwald and Nick Cruice scored 44 seconds apart early in the third period to increase Union's lead to 4-1.

But instead of giving in, the Engineers sprang to life. Rensselear fired 11 shots on goal in the third period after mustering just ten through the first two. Matt Neal fired one past Union goaltender Colin Stevens at 3:40 before cashing in on a 5-on-3 advantage at 11:50 to cut Union's lead to 4-3.

“We talked a lot after the second period. We just really wanted to come out strong,” Neal said. “We had a couple of hiccups, and that kind of whacked us back into it. We decided, as a team, we needed to be better. We started talking more on the bench, and just got into it from there."

It was starting to look like the game might become the fifth time this season that Union blew a lead. The Dutchmen went 0-2-2 in the other four games where they wasted a lead.

But the Dutchmen outlasted the Engineers just enough, holding on for a 4-3 win, their ninth consecutive over their Capital District rival.

“It says a lot about our team,” said Union defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. “We went up, 4-1, and we got a little too comfortable at the end. We battled back. We just kept battling, stuck with it and got the ‘W.’ ”

Union head coach Rick Bennett saw it as a learning opportunity.

"I think we learned a pretty good lesson; that RPI's not going to quit," he said. "We have some young guys in that lineup who saw that, so that's a good thing."

Super sub

With senior forward Kevin Sullivan still sidelined with an upper-body injury, sophomore Nick Cruice appeared in the lineup for the third straight game.

Cruice made the most of it, scoring at 13:17 of the second period to increase Union's lead to 2-1 and then he recorded what proved to be the eventual game-winner at 1:48 of the third. It was Cruice's first multi-goal game at the collegiate level.

Both tallies went through the five hole of Rensslaer netminder Scott Diebold. But that wasn't Cruice's intent.

“Actually, I whiffed on both of them,” he said. “I was trying to go upstairs, but they ended up going five-hole.”

Bennett appreciated the candor.

“At least he was honest,” he said. “That’s good to know because in practice, he’s usually going top shelf. It was his night. The puck had eyes.”

Bad bounce

Rensselaer opened the scoring at 4:56 of the first period when Brock Higgs recorded a fluky shorthanded goal.

After Stevens cleared a loose puck, it hit Higgs' shin pads, and got behind Stevens and into the net.

The lead was short lived as Daniel Ciampini tied it for Union a shade under nine minutes later when he deflected a Gostisbehere shot from the high slot.

A perfect pair

Gostisbehere and defensive partner Jeff Taylor, a Clifton Park native, had a strong night. The pair each chipped in two assists.

"It's going great," Gostisbehere said of the pairing. "They wanted to put us together at the beginning of the year. I don't know why they didn't.  But it seems to be working out. He's a very good freshman. Sometimes we forget that he's a freshman, but he's definitely a great player."

Up next

The Dutchmen (5-3-2 overall, 4-1-0 ECAC) will look to make it ten in a row against the Engineers (6-3-2, 2-2-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Houston Field House.

Postgame reaction

Union head coach Rick Bennett

Union forward Nick Cruice and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere

RPI players Matt Neal and Matt Tinordi, plus head coach Seth Appert

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Dutchmen rebound with shutout (with videos)

by Ryan Fay

After blowing an early 2-0 lead in a 5-3 loss to Colgate on Friday, the Dutchmen rebounded Saturday with a much more complete effort, shutting out #14/15 Cornell, 3-0, in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,144 at Messa Rink.

"I liked the way we played as a team," said Union head coach Rick Bennett, who was anything but a happy camper a night earlier. "We blocked shots, we came back, and we played transitional defense. Everyone sacrificed. That's what you need in a game against Cornell because they like to generate a lot of offensive zone time for themselves. We weathered it, and we got out of our zone quickly."

Union's Matt Wilkins in action against Cornell on Sat.
(Union Athletics)

Union's performance left a strong impression on Cornell head coach Mike Schafer, whose team was held to a season-low 11 shots on goal.

"Union played very, very well tonight," he said. "I watched [Bennett's postgame] press conference last night, and I knew coming into the game that they would be ready to roll... I thought they outworked us tonight. I thought they had a stronger will to win than we did. They were hungrier around loose pucks throughout the course of the game."

After a scoreless first period, Union took a 1-0 lead when senior forward Cole Ikkala capitalized on a loose puck and collected his first goal of the year at 7:31 of the second period.

"We had a lot of movement down low and we were moving our feet," Ikkala said. "Sam Coatta pulled it out, got a shot off, and the rebound came to me on the back door. I just buried it."

Junior defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, whose roughing penalty turned the tide in Friday's loss, rebounded when he notched his second goal of the season to extend Union's lead to 2-0 at 12:22 of the third period.

But he was quick to deflect credit to freshman forward Eli Lichtenwald, who made his first appearance since suffering a lower-body injury in the season-opener against Bowling Green on Oct. 11.

"Eli made a great play," said Gostisbehere. "He's a big guy and he can get out of the corner with the puck. He just slid it over to me, and I had an empty-net. It was all Eli."

Sophomore forward Matt Wilkins sealed the win with 2:28 left in regulation when he ripped home a cross pass from senior forward Daniel Carr.

Colin Stevens turned aside all 11 Big Red shots for his first shutout of the season. The biggest threat to the Niskayuna native's shutout was a John McCarron shot through traffic that rang off the post at 12:22 of the first period.

The importance of the victory wasn't lost on Gostisbehere.

"It was definitely a big win," he said. "We kind of faltered last night [against Colgate]. But I was real happy with the way the boys bounced back, and it showed that we're a team to be reckoned with in the ECAC."

Union (4-3-2 overall, 3-1-0 ECAC) returns to action Nov. 15-16 with a home-and-home series with Capital District rival RPI. Friday's tilt is set for 7:30 p.m. while Saturday's is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Box Score

Endnotes... Bennett offered "no comment" on the status of sophomore forward David Roy, who didn't play after returning from a lower-body injury on Friday ... Philadelphia Flyers player development man Kjell Samuelsson was in the house watching Gostisbehere and Cornell's Reece Willcox, both 2012 Flyers draftees, 3rd and 5th round, respectively.

POSTGAME REACTION

Union's Ikkala and Gostisbehere


Union head coach Rick Bennett



Cornell head coach Mike Schafer



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Colgate rallies to top Dutchmen (with videos)

by Ryan Fay

In the words of Union head coach Rick Bennett, the Dutchmen were "taken to the woodshed" in Friday's 5-3 setback to Colgate at Messa Rink.

Such a quote seemed improbable when Union (3-3-2 overall, 2-1-0 ECAC) stormed out to a 2-0 lead in the first 6:48 of the game behind a pair of goals from senior forward Daniel Carr.

It seemed like the Dutchmen were on the verge of blowing the game wide open against a leaky Colgate defense and a freshman goaltender, Charles Finn, who entered the night with a 4.43 goals against average.

The tide turned when Union junior defenseman and alternate captain Shayne Gostisbehere took a roughing penalty against Raiders forward Darcy Murphy at 8:08 of the first period. The puck wasn't near them, and Gostisbehere shoved Murphy to the ice, apparently in frustration after Murphy knocked the stick out of his hands.

Colgate didn't cash in on the man advantage, but it gave the Raiders much-needed life, and momentum began to swing the other way.

“One of our assistant captains decided to take a dumb penalty,” Bennett said. “It changes the whole momentum. I don’t know why [he did it]. Our leadership went from excellent to very average in a span of one week.”

The Raiders (4-5-1, 2-1-0) broke through when Murphy netted an unassisted shorthanded goal at 19:51 of the first period to make it a 2-1 game.

“It was good to get a goal at the end of the period to get us going,” Murphy said. “I was just skating down, and [defenseman] Spiro Goulakos did a good job jumping in on the rush. I just tried to get it on net, and good things happened.”

Tylor Spink tied it for the Raiders at 5:12 of the second period. Union took a 3-2 lead at 16:09 when sophomore defenseman Sebastien Gingras collected his first goal since Oct. 2012, but it was a short-lived boost.

Colgate scored three times in the third period, outshooting Union 13-5. Murphy's second of the game tied the game 3-3 at 2:04, and Mike Borkowski potted the eventual game-winner on the power play at 7:17.

Murphy sealed the win with an empty-netter at 19:41. The tally gave Murphy a hat trick, and made him the first opposing player to score a hat trick at Messa Rink since Quinnipiac’s Bryan Leitch in Nov. 2008.

It was a disappointing end to a game that started so promisingly.

“We got away from Union hockey,” Carr said. “We stopped getting pucks deep, stopped finishing checks, stopped doing all the things that make us successful. The best way to put it is throughout the whole team, myself included, it was just a lack of accountability. We’ve got to make sure we’re accountable to each other. That was our focus last week, and that’s what made us successful. The reality is we got away from that tonight.”

Colgate ended the contest with a 30-21 shots advantage, marking the first time all season that Union was outshot by an opponent. The Dutchmen entered the game leading the country in shot differential at +16.6 shots per game.

"We spent a lot of time in practice this week preaching hard play in our own zone, getting sticks and knowing [Union] will never quit or give up on a shot," said Colgate head coach Don Vaughan. "We did a lot of stuff in tight around the net -- second and third pucks, looking for sticks."

The Dutchmen will look to rebound at 7 p.m Saturday when they host #14 Cornell, which rallied late to force an eventual 3-3 tie at #10 RPI on Friday.

Bennett is ready to pull out all the stops for a Union win.

"If I have to bring pom-pom's on the bench, then so be it," he said.

Box Score

SULLIVAN INJURED

Union senior forward Kevin Sullivan was a surprising omission from Friday's line chart.

It turned out that Sullivan, who leads the country with 11 assists, was dinged up in last Saturday's 4-2 win at Harvard.

“That is a whole another topic,” Bennett said. “I’ll say this, you want your players to treat their injuries and to come across and do everything you possibly can to get back to help your teammates, and I don’t feel that with Kevin Sullivan right now.”

Sullivan's injury was not disclosed.

POSTGAME VIDEOS

Union head coach Rick Bennett

Colgate forward Darcy Murphy and head coach Don Vaughan



Union forward Daniel Carr

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Dutchmen rally to top Harvard

by Ryan Fay

Union rallied to top Harvard, 4-2, in ECAC action Saturday night at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Union fell behind early as Greg Gozzo put Harvard (1-1-1 ECAC, 2-1-1 overall) on the board at 6:37 of the first period. Ryan McGregor followed with a tally at 18:18 to extend the Crimson lead to 2-0.

But the Dutchmen rallied with three second period goals, capped by senior forward Daniel Carr's eventual game-winner on the power play at 14:23. Carr's goal, the 60th of his Union career, made him the program's Division I era career goals leader.

Junior forward Daniel Ciampini, who started the rally just 23 seconds into the second period, added his second of the game with a shorthanded marker at 4:00. Union dominated the period, outshooting Harvard, 22-to-4.

Senior forward Matt Hatch tacked on an empty-net goal with 25 seconds left in the third period to secure the win. Hatch is tied with Carr, Ciampini, and freshman forward Michael Pontarelli for the team lead in goals with four.

Junior forward Max Novak chipped in a career-high three assists, giving him four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in two games since returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for the season's first five games.

Colin Stevens turned aside 20-of-22 shots in the winning effort. The junior from Niskayuna, who missed three games with an upper-body injury, has a 1.90 goals against average and a .900 save percentage this season.

The Dutchmen (2-0-0, 3-2-2) finished the night with a 47-to-22 shots advantage, keeping alive their streak of outshooting their opponent in every game this season.

Union returns to Messa Rink next weekend to host Colgate (Nov. 8) and # 14/15 Cornell (Nov. 9). Both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m.

Ice Chips... freshman defenseman Jeff Taylor missed the game with an upper-body injury; he was shaken up after taking an elbow to the head from Dartmouth's Brandon McNally in Friday's 7-2 win over the Big Green... the program's previous Division I era career goals leader was forward Mario Valery-Trabucco, who scored 59 goals for Union from 2006-2010.

Box Score

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Dutchmen breeze past Dartmouth

by Ryan Fay

The Union men's hockey team skated away a 7-2 win at Dartmouth in the ECAC opener for both teams on Friday night at Thompson Arena.

A few highlights:

Stevens (Union)

The win snapped Union's three game winless streak (0-2-1) which dated back to a 6-5 overtime loss versus Lake Superior State on Oct. 18.

Union saw a couple key players return to action on Friday. Junior goaltender and Niskayuna native Colin Stevens (upper-body) made his first start since the Oct. 11 season-opener against Bowling Green, turning aside 15-of-17 shots... junior forward Max Novak (lower-body) made his season debut, chipping in a third period goal.

Senior forward Daniel Carr recorded a second period goal, the 59th of his Union career. It tied him with Mario Valery-Trabucco for the program's Division I-era career goals record. Carr also added an assist on Friday.

Junior defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere collected three helpers, joining junior forward Mark Bennett (two assists) and senior forward Kevin Sullivan (two assists) as Union players with multiple assists on the night. Sullivan's two assists brought him up to a Division I-best 11 on the year.

Freshman defenseman Jeff Taylor, a Clifton Park native, notched his first collegiate goal with a marker in the second period.

Junior forward Sam Coatta scored two goals, marking his first multi-goal game in a Dutchmen uniform. He opened the scoring at 11:56 of the first period, and added a second just under two minutes into the second period.

With a goal and an assist, freshman forward Michael Vecchione enjoyed his second multi-point game for Union. Vecchione has 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in his first six collegiate contests.

The win gave third-year Dutchmen bench boss Rick Bennett his 50th as Union head coach. Bennett holds a 50-23-14 mark at Union.

Union uncharacteristically went 0-for-6 on the power play, and allowed Dartmouth (0-1-0 ECAC, 0-3-0 overall) to go 2-for-5 on theirs. But the game was already out of hand when Dartmouth picked up two third period power play goals (Andy Simpson, Eric Neiley).

Union (1-0-0, 2-2-2) returns to action with a visit to Harvard, set for 7 p.m Saturday. Harvard (1-0-1, 2-0-1) blanked #10 RPI, 2-0, on Friday.

Box Score

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Dutchmen settle for tie at UConn

by Ryan Fay

Connecticut scored two goals in the second period to erase a 2-0 deficit and force an eventual 2-2 tie against visiting Union in non-league action Friday night at the Freitas Ice Forum.

Billy Latta started the Huskies rally with a breakaway tally at 6:17 of the second period to cut the Union lead to 2-1. Tyler Bouchard's one-timer off a feed from Brent Norris tied the game just over six minutes later.

Union didn't lack opportunities to regain the lead, but Connecticut goaltender Matt Grogran stood tall, stopping 47-of 49 shots. Alex Sakellaropoulos turned aside 21-of-23 shots for the Dutchmen.

Union came out firing in the first period, out-shooting Connecticut, 16-to-6. Mark Bennett cashed in on a rebound and scored his first goal of the year at 8:10 to put Union on the board. Sam Coatta and Cole Ikkala assisted on the goal.

Michael Vecchione extended Union's lead to 2-0 at 17:24 when he deflected a Mat Bodie shot for his second goal of the season. Kevin Sullivan also earned an assist, his Division I best ninth of the season.

The loosely-called contest saw just four penalties, two for Union and two for Connecticut. Both teams went two-for-two on the penalty kill.

The tie is the third consecutive draw between the two teams dating back to 2010. Union holds a 7-0-4 all-time series record over Connecticut.

Union (1-2-2) enters next Friday's league opener at Dartmouth on a three game winless streak.

Box Score

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Sakellaropoulos starts, Martin debuts (plus line charts)

by Ryan Fay

Union freshman netminder Alex Sakellaropoulos gets the start in goal for tonight's 7:05 p.m non-conference game at Connecticut.

Junior Colin Stevens will be serving as the backup. Stevens is dressing for his first game since suffering an upper-body injury in the season-opener against Bowling Green on Oct. 11.

Union appears to be easing him back into the swing of things. It's a good indication that Stevens returns to the starting gig when Union opens league play next Friday at Dartmouth.

Third-stringer Dillon Pieri didn't make the trip to UConn. The junior was a darkhorse to start tonight after stopping 6-of-6 shots after Sakellaropoulos was yanked in last Saturday's 3-2 loss to Lake Superior State.

Martin Debuts

Freshman defenseman Griffyn Martin, a Southport, Connecticut native, is slated to make his Dutchmen debut tonight. Martin replaces fellow freshman blueliner Matt Krug in the lineup.

"Martin is a very steady defenseman," said John Gardner, who coached Martin as a prep player at Avon Old Farms. "He skates well and moves the puck out of the zone quickly. He has a good hockey sense and awareness of where everyone is on the ice. He's a very well-conditioned athlete who trains hard."

Martin, who originally committed to Yale, had three goals and 14 assists as a senior at Avon Old Farms last season. He served as the team's captain.

Still Sidelined

Forwards Max Novak (lower-body), David Roy (lower-body) and Eli Lichtenwald  (lower-body) remain sidelined. Defenseman Sebastien Gingras apparently remains in the maintenance room.

Lake Superior State tops Dutchmen, 3-2 (w/ videos)

by Ryan Fay

Lake Superior State topped #15/16 Union, 3-2, in non-conference action Saturday at Messa Rink.

The Lakers won behind the efforts of goaltender Kevin Kapalka, who stopped 46-of-48 shots on a night when Lake Superior State was out-shot 48-to-17.

Colin Campbell's tip-in goal at 12:56 of the second period proved to be the eventual game-winner for the Lakers, who go back to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan with a two-game sweep of the Dutchmen and a 4-0-0 overall record.

The two-game weekend sweep marked the first time Union (1-2-1) went winless in a weekend series at home in nearly a year. The last time that happened was Nov. 30-Dec. 1 of last year, when they lost to Quinnipiac and tied Princeton.

Lake Superior State struck first when Dan Radke's slap shot hit off the post and went into the back of the net at 19:22 of the first period to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead.

Daniel Vernace upped the Lakers edge to 2-0 at 8:23 of the second period.

Just under three minutes later, Matt Wilkins picked up his first goal of the season when he recorded a power play goal for Union on a breakaway to make it a 2-1 game. Wilkins, who was set up by Mat Bodie, had missed the previous two contests with an upper-body injury.

After Campbell made it a 3-1 Lakers lead, Union head coach Rick Bennett pulled goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos, who allowed three goals on 11 shots. Sakellaropoulos was replaced by third stringer Dillon Pieri, who went on to stop all six shots that came his way in his first appearance since last November.

Michael Pontarelli collected a power play goal at 19:04 of the second period to make it a 3-2 game, but that's as close as Union would get. Bodie drew down Kapalka on a fake shot, then passed to the freshman forward who picked up his team-best fourth goal of the season.

Union finished the night 2-for-6 on the power play, and went a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.

The Dutchmen will look to get back in the win column when they travel to Connecticut for a non-conference game set for 7:00 p.m on Friday.

Box Score

Postgame videos from Saturday's 3-2 loss to Lake Superior

Union head coach Rick Bennett 



Union goaltender Dillon Pieri and defenseman Mat Bodie 



Lake Superior head coach Jim Roque

Defense fails Dutchmen in loss to LSSU (w/ videos)

by Ryan Fay

Union has prided itself on playing strong defensive hockey in recent years.

The Dutchmen have ranked in the top 10 in Division I team defense in each of the past three years, so Friday's 6-5 non-conference overtime setback to Lake Superior State was something of a surprise.

"We thought we were going to have a hard time scoring goals," said Lake Superior State head coach Jim Roque.

But the Lakers (3-0-0) netted a season-best six goals, marking the most #15/16 Union has allowed in a single game at home since giving up six against Sacred Heart in October 2009.

On Friday, the Dutchmen (1-1-1) held leads of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 but uncharacteristically coughed them up each time. 

“It’s a lack of discipline on our part,” said Dutchmen defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. “The D-corps wasn’t really there. It’s definitely our fault. It’s a two-game series, so we’ll get back at it again [tonight].”

The junior blueliner said the Dutchmen have some adjustments to make ahead of Saturday's 7:00 p.m rematch with the Lakers.

"We definitely have to work on our one-on-ones," he said. "They were definitely smoking us the whole game. They were burning us like crazy. We need to box out their bigger [players]. We need to pick up sticks. We need to wake up here.”

Added Union head coach Rick Bennett, "It is a team game. I thought our forwards need to do a better job of coming back and helping out our goaltender, plus our ‘D."

Postgame videos from Friday - 

LSSU's Stephen Perfetto (GWG in overtime) and head coach Jim Roque

 

Union head coach Rick Bennett


Union defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere

Wilkins developing going into sophomore season

by Ryan Fay

There was a lot of buzz around Matt Wilkins entering last season.

The Kimberley, British Columbia native came to the program after destroying the Alberta Junior Hockey League from 2010-2012. In that span, he scored 176 points (64 goals, 112 assists) in 120 games, and was a two-time AJHL All-Star.

But the 22-year-old Wilkins got off to a sluggish start with Union, collecting just four assists in his first 14 games.

Wilkins (vnews.com)

"It was a big change from junior hockey," Wilkins said of the transition to college hockey. "Everyone is bigger, stronger, and faster. Every aspect is that much better. I had to get used to the more physical aspect of college hockey and get more aware in the defensive zone."

Once Wilkins made the necessary adjustments, he began to show signs of the offensive promise he displayed in junior hockey.

The forward scored 12 points over Union's final 23 contests last year, including the game-winning goal against crosstown rival RPI in the inaugural Mayor's Cup and six assists in eight pivotal games in March.

"I got a lot more playing time as the season went on," Wilkins said. "I felt more comfortable out there. I was more willing to take chances and try to make plays. It paid off."

Added third-year Union head coach Rick Bennett, "I thought he picked up a step as far as his feet. I thought he went through the same progression that [former Union forward] Kelly Zajac did. Once you figure out you have to keep your feet moving, you become a complete player and that's what he's becoming now."

Going into his second collegiate season, Wilkins said he feels more confident and wants to build off his strong finish to last season. He spent the summer focusing on further improving his speed.

With a year of college hockey under his belt, Wilkins said he is ready to take on more responsibility.

"I want to be a guy people look at to score goals when we need them."

Follow @UnionHockeyBlog

Bowling Green shorthanded entering weekend

by Ryan Fay

When the Dutchmen host Bowling Green tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m, they will see a Falcons team missing a few regulars.

Junior forward Ryan Carpenter, the team's top scorer in each of the past two seasons, will be sidelined for an indefinite period of time after injuring his hand in Bowling Green's 7-1 exhibition win over Wilfrid Laurier last Saturday.

"It's not good," Falcons head coach Chris Bergeron said of Carpenter's hand when interviewed by Union Hockey Blog on Thursday. "Ryan is going to have surgery on Friday. Once he gets on the road to recovery, we'll see how long he's out."

The Falcons will also be missing Dajon Mingo, their third-leading scorer last season with 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists). The junior forward didn't make the trip to Union due to academic issues, but is expected back when Bowling Green hosts Colgate Oct. 18-19.

A third player out for the weekend is sophomore forward Brent Tate, who has an injured chest. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Tate scored 14 points (four goals, nine assists) last year.

While Carpenter, Mingo, and Tate will be out of action, here are four Falcons who could be factors in this weekend's series:

Sr. F Bryce Williamson
A native of Seba Beach, Alberta, Williamson was second on the Falcons with 12 goals during the 2012-2013 season. The 23-year-old scored a goal and two assists in last weekend's exhibition win against Wilfrid Laurier.

"Bryce was the top scorer in the Alberta Junior Hockey League in his last year there (2009-2010)," Bergeron said. "I think Union recruited him pretty aggressively under [former head coach] Nate Leaman. Bryce had a bunch of expectations from a hockey prospective coming into Bowling Green.

He has had a tough time figuring it out on a consistent basis. The nights when Bryce is on, he's one of the top players on the ice. It just hasn't been consistent enough over the first three years. We're hoping it all comes together for him as a senior. He's capable of doing that, and we're going to need him to do that in order to have the kind of year we're hoping to have."

Jr. D Mike Sullivan
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound blueliner led the team with 69 blocked shots during the 2012-2013 season, and finished second on the team with a plus-14 rating. His 15 assists were fourth-best on the team.

"He has a little bit of a hybrid game," Bergeron said. "He defends really well, but he also sees the game from an offensive standpoint. His level of consistency from his freshman to sophomore year improved. We need him to have more improvement from his sophomore to junior year just like anybody else. He's a guy you'll see on the power play, he kills penalties, and is a 5-on-5 contributor."

So. D Ralfs Freibergs
The Falcons didn't have Freibergs services when the Dutchmen swept a two-game series at Bowling Green last October. The Latvian-born blueliner was serving a 33 game NCAA suspension for playing in a professional league before coming to the United States to play junior hockey in the USHL and NAHL.

But Friebergs quickly made up for lost time, scoring seven points (one goal, six assists) in eight games upon finishing the suspension.

"He's a guy that makes our power play better," Bergeron said. "Union's special teams beat us up big time in our series with them last year. Their power play and penalty kill were just better than ours. Ralfs only played eight games last year, but our power play was better just with him out there."

Jr. F Dan DeSalvo
The 5-foot-8 DeSalvo was second on Bowling Green with 25 points, including a team-high 20 assists, last season.

"What makes him dangerous is that he has the ability to score," Bergeron said. "But from a consistency perspective, Dan is still trying to figure it out. When you go from sophomore to junior year like he's doing, that's a year when you really need to take that step into an upperclassmen.

As far as we're concerned, the difference between an upperclassmen and an underclassmen is consistency. It's bringing it everyday -- practice, games, whatever. Dan has offensive ability and can score goals, but like Williamson, he needs to do it on a consistent basis."

Follow @UnionHockeyBlog

AUDIO: Former Union goalie Kris Mayotte

by Ryan Fay

Mayotte in his Union days

In advance of Friday's game against St. Lawrence, I chatted with Saints assistant coach Kris Mayotte, a goaltender at Union from 2002-2006.

In his four years between the pipes for Union, Mayotte won 46 games, a number still unsurpassed in the program's Division I era. Prior to joining St. Lawrence's staff this season, he spent a year as a volunteer assistant coach at Cornell.

Mayotte discusses his budding coaching career, his time at Union, St. Lawrence star Greg Carey, Friday's tilt, and more.

Listen/download via the player below or click here if you can't see the player.

The interview, which was conducted yesterday afternoon, runs just under 12 minutes.

Hosted by Kiwi6 file hosting. Download mp3 - Free Music Hosting.

Union lines at Colgate (2/22/13)

by Ryan Fay

Opting to stick with what worked last weekend in wins over Yale and Brown, Rick Bennett will be trotting out the same lines for tonight's game at Colgate.

(Union Athletics)

Recruit Lichtenwald on tear in SJHL (w/ Q&A)

by Ryan Fay

Men's hockey recruit Eli Lichtenwald has been surging since being re-acquired by the Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in late December.

Lichtenwald, who is set to join the Dutchmen this fall, has 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists) in 16 games since the trade with Omaha of the U.S Hockey League.  

Lichtenwald had spent the past season-plus with Omaha, where he collected 29 points (8 g, 21 a) in 70 games.

The forward previously played for Nipawin during the 2010-2011 campaign and accumulated 45 points (21 g, 24 a) in 56 contests en route to league rookie of the year honors.

For some insights on Lichtenwald, I checked in with Doug Johnson, head coach and general manager of the Hawks. Johnson, who also coached Lichtenwald in his first go-around in Nipawin, describes what kind of player he is, his upside in Division I, and more.

Lichtenwald (Nipawin)

UNION HOCKEY NEWS (UHN): What kind of player is Lichtenwald?

DOUG JOHNSON (DJ): Eli will be an all around player. His most intriguing attribute is his size (6'6"/216). He takes up a lot of space which helps him defensively but also offensively using his reach to protect pucks. For a big player he skates incredibly well and has an extremely good skill set. The biggest thing with Eli is that he has a lot of room to improve. He is a late bloomer. He was an average midget player that blossomed his first year of junior and will only get better in the future. What Union fans see from Eli as a freshman won't even be comparable to what they see from him as a senior.

UHN: What type of upside does he have at the Division I level -- a depth guy? a regular? an impact player? 

DJ: I firmly believe Eli has the ability to be a very good regular with the possibility to be an impact player if he keeps developing like I believe he will. The level of his success will be very dependent on how he adjusts to the speed of college hockey and how his skating improves as he moves forward. He is a very good skater for 6'6, but still has room for improvement. Knowing Eli, he will make the necessary strides.

UHN: How would you gauge his readiness for Division I college hockey? 

DJ: Like most players, Eli will probably have his bumps along the way during his freshman season. But I believe he will be able to step in and contribute right away in whatever role the coaching staff wants from him. His willingness to do whatever it is needed from the team and his ability to play all those roles will help him make the transition to the college hockey.

UHN: His numbers in Nipawin are a lot better than what he did in Omaha. What do you attribute that to? Is the USHL that much tougher?

DJ: From my time coaching in the USHL, I do know that the USHL is a stronger league than the SJHL. I don't think this is the main reason his numbers have improved as dramatically as they have though. Does the competition make some difference? Absolutely. But I believe that the role we have him playing in and the opportunity to showcase his skill are the biggest factors in his increased production. He showed his first year of junior hockey that he has the skill and ability to be a top six forward. A player doesn't forget how to score or how to make plays. They just need to have the opportunity to showcase their skills and the confidence from their coaches to allow them to make plays.

Saturday in Union Hockey

(Unfortunately, I wasn't at the game, so no postgame videos tonight).

by Ryan Fay

DUTCHMEN 2, BROWN 0

Brown's three game unbeaten streak against Union came to an end following a 2-0 loss Saturday night at Messa Rink.

The game was scoreless until 9:30 of the second period when Max Novak's even strength goal gave the Dutchmen a 1-0 lead. It was the sophomore's second goal in as many nights.

Kyle Bodie's empty net tally at 19:41 of the third period made it a 2-0 lead.

The Dutchmen set a season high in shots with 48, two more than the previous high set on Nov. 25 vs Penn State. Saturday's win marked the first 2-0 weekend for Union since the Penn State weekend Nov. 24-25.

After coughing up five goals and getting yanked in a 5-1 loss to RPI on Friday, Brown's Anthony Borelli rebounded and set a career high with 46 saves.

One night after taking eight penalties against Yale, Union's lone penalty was a holding the stick call against freshman David Roy at 2:56 of the second period.

Troy Grosenick stopped all 23 shots that came his way for his first shutout of the season.

With the win, and Yale's 4-1 loss at RPI, Union moves into a tie for third place with St. Lawrence. The Saints clipped Princeton, 3-2.

The Dutchmen (15-10-5, 8-6-4) travel to Colgate and Cornell next Fri-Sat. Both games start at 7 pm.

DUTCHWOMEN 1, YALE 1

Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, the Dutchwomen still have some fight in them.

Rhianna Kurio's goal with 16 seconds left in the third period forced an eventual 1-1 tie at Yale (4-19-3, 3-13-3).

Yale's only goal came from Kate Martini at 5:33 of the third period.

Drawing her first collegiate start, Maddie Dahl collected 21 saves prior to being relieved by Shenae Lundberg late in regulation.

The Dutchwomen (7-21-4, 0-16-4) outshot Yale, 32-27, and return to Messa Rink to close out the season against Cornell and Colgate next Fri-Sat.

Dutchmen skate by #9/10 Yale, 4-2 (with 3 videos)

Postgame videos below - Union head coach Rick Bennett, Union players Max Novak, Matt Hatch, and Mat Bodie, plus Yale head coach Keith Allain.

==========

by Ryan Fay

SCHENECTADY -- Union snapped a three game winless streak after skating past #9/10 Yale, 4-2, Friday night at Messa Rink.

Yale (13-8-3, 9-7-1) struck first when Tommy Fallen scored an unassisted power play goal at 17:36 of the opening frame. Fallen picked off a clearing attempt by Matt Hatch and beat Troy Grosenick.

“I was calling for the puck there because Coburn had a lot of pressure,” Hatch said. “He gave me a soft chip. I just flubbed it. I had one guy pressuring me, but I didn’t see the other guy. I gave it right to [Fallen]. I couldn’t get out to block it. Just a little misfire in the corner there.”

The Dutchmen (14-10-5, 7-6-4) came to life after and never trailed again.

With Shayne Gostisbehere in the box for indirect contact to the head-elbowing, sophomore Max Novak evened the game with an unassisted shorthanded goal at 8:25 of the second period. Novak's backhander bounced off the right pad of Yale goaltender Nick Maricic and scooted through the five hole.

"I thought Novak's goal was one of the biggest of the year," Union head coach Rick Bennett said. "It got us going, but it's what we've been preaching. Drive wide, put pucks on the net, and good things are going to happen."

Added Novak, "I had a little bit of room on the penalty kill. I skated up and heard guys yelling drive wide, so I took it hard to the net. Luckily, it went in."

With assists from Kevin Sullivan and Josh Jooris, Hatch's improbable angle shot made it a 2-1 Union lead at 16:00 of the middle period. The junior fired from below the goal line and his shot bounced off Maricic and into the net.

“Our line had a good forecheck going,” Hatch said. “Sullivan passed the puck to Jooris. I was putting it on net, just trying to hit [Maricic’s] stick and get some guys crashing the net. He put it in himself. It was a pretty lucky goal. I was pretty shocked, but it was a good-time goal and our line deserved the goal.”

After allowing two soft goals, Yale head coach Keith Allain yanked Maricic and inserted Connor Wilson.

Changing goaltenders didn't help the Bulldogs. Wayne Simpson's power play goal, his team-best 13th goal of the season, pushed Union's lead to 3-1 just 31 seconds into the third period. Kyle Bodie fired a shot that Wilson stopped, but Simpson cashed in on the rebound.

"We just happened to be at the right place at the right time, which was nice for once," Bennett said.

Junior defenseman Mat Bodie picked up an assist on Simpson's goal. The point was the 80th of his Union career, breaking Lane Caffaro's record for points by a defenseman in the program's Division I era.

"I haven't thought too much about it," Bodie said of the record. "It's an achievement, but maybe something I'll appreciate more in the future. It's a testament to the guys I've played with. I've had some real good goal scorers that I give the puck to and they can do a lot with it."

Jooris picked up his second assist of the night on Daniel Carr's goal at 9:00 of the third. Carr's one-timer beat Wilson and increased Union's lead to 4-1.

After Simpson went off for interference at 9:40, Yale cut the lead to 4-2 when Andrew Miller scored on the man advantage at 11:09. The Bulldogs, who were outshot 42-39, never made it closer.

Grosenick, who was pulled in both losses last weekend, rebounded with a 37 save effort.

"I thought he played like he practiced and he practiced extremely well," Bennett said. "He came prepared all week and worked really hard. He was rewarded for that."

The Dutchmen played with fire by taking eight penalties, including four in the first period alone. The penalty kill stopped Yale on six of the eight chances, but Bennett wasn't displeased with the repeated trips to the box.

"I don't have a problem with hitting too hard," Bennett said. "I don't know what those calls were, but we're going to keep using our shoulder pads. I'm not complaining about the officiating, but we're not stopping."

The coach was just as pleased to see the team follow through on pregame benchmarks.

"They were given a couple staples to follow through for each period. Outside of the first period with shots, they met them all tonight," Bennett said. "It was great to see guys blocking shots and sacrificing themselves. That's what you need -- that ice bag mentality."

With the win, the Dutchmen moved into a tie for fourth place with St. Lawrence. The Saints handed Quinnipiac its first league loss of the season Friday night, 2-1. With Union's victory over Yale, the Bobcats managed to clinch the Cleary Cup despite the loss.

The Dutchmen return to Messa Rink tonight to host Brown (9-10-5, 5-7-5) at 7 pm. The Bears were routed by RPI, 5-1, Friday evening in Troy.

ETC... Defenseman Shawn Stuart, who suffered a lower-body injury in last Friday's loss at Clarkson, is considered "doubtful" for tonight's game, according to Bennett.... The Dutchwomen fell, 2-1, at Brown on Friday. Their playoff chances are out the door.

POSTGAME VIDEOS








Hockey Game Box Score (Final)
#9 Yale Bulldogs vs Union Dutchmen (Feb 15, 2013 at Schenectady, N.Y.)

Yale Bulldogs (13-8-3, 9-7-1 ECAC) vs. Union Dutchmen (14-10-5, 7-6-4 ECAC) Date: Feb 15, 2013 Location: Schenectady, N.Y. Arena: Messa Rink Attendance:2085 Start time:7:07 pm End time:9:29 pm Total time:2:22  Goals by Period 1st 2nd 3rd Total Yale Bulldogs 1 0 1 2 Union Dutchmen 0 2 2 4 Scoring Summary # Prd Time Team Type Scored by Assists Visitor on ice Home on ice 1. 1st 17:36 YALE PP Fallen, Tommy/9 - 22,18,11,7,20 20,15,14,12 2. 2nd 08:25 UNION SH Novak, Max/5 - 18,6,7,22,20 18,3,9,20 3. 2nd 16:00 UNION EVEN Hatch, Matt/7 Sullivan, Kevin/3 28,18,21,14,17 15,6,22,19,7 Jooris, Josh/12 4. 3rd 00:31 UNION PP Simpson, Wayne/13 Bodie, Kyle/21 17,22,21 21,12,22,14,9 Bodie, Mat/15 5. 3rd 09:00 UNION EVEN Carr, Daniel/11 Jooris, Josh/13 21,20,11,26,22 9,7,6,22,19 Vasaturo, Charlie/2 6. 3rd 11:09 YALE PP Miller, Andrew/11 Agostino, Kenny/16 17,18,22,7,6 18,22,6,9 Wilson, Stu/4

AUDIO: Recalling Rick Bennett's college career with Mike McShane

by Ryan Fay

We all know Rick Bennett as the head coach who has had more success in less than two seasons than most previous Union coaches had over several years.

Bennett as a Ranger

But back in the day, Rick Bennett was a standout college player. He played at Providence from 1986-1990 and scored 134 points in 128 games. During his time at Providence, he collected several accolades. Among them were a Hockey East All-Rookie selection in 1987, a second-team All-American nod in 1989, two team MVP awards, and Hobey Baker consideration in 1990.

A third round draft choice of the old Minnesota North Stars in 1986, Bennett would eventually get traded to the New York Rangers and ended up playing 15 games in the NHL during parts of three seasons. His playing days ended after the 1998-1999 season and he played in over 600 minor league games. Prior to arriving at Union, Bennett was an assistant coach at Providence from 2000-2005.

On Tuesday, I chatted with Mike McShane, Bennett's coach for the length of his playing career at Providence. Now the head coach at Division III power Norwich, McShane recalls recruiting Bennett, if he thought Bennett would end up coaching, why his pro career may have been hindered, memorable games, and more.

Listen via the embedded player below or click here.