College Hockey Video of the Week (7/5/10): Eric Ehn's crazy goal against Justin Mrazek

This week's College Hockey Video of the Week is an all-time favorite of mine mainly because I was there. It takes place at the 2008 Skills Competition in Denver during the Frozen Four. I remember being very excited that Union goaltender Justin Mrazek '08 was in the competition because I would actually have someone to cheer for during the Frozen Four. And since I was the only person at the tournament wearing a Union jersey (at least I think so), I was very proud to be cheering for Union... until this goal by Air Force's Eric Ehn against Mrazek.

While there might be an illegal hand-pass involved in this goal, it is still a very cool move. I will admit that I was a bit embarrassed, but it was still an incredible thing to see. But, after this and the performance Jason Walters '10 put on at this year's Skills Competition I really wouldn't mind if no other Dutchmen took part in this competition. (haha).

If you can't see the video click here.

Webb signs with EHC Munchen

Former Union great Jordan Webb '05 has just been signed by EHC Munchen of Germany. Last season he played for Kaufbeuren where netted 24 goals and 48 assists. Prior to this season Webb held the record for career points by a Dutchmen (114), but Jason Walters broke the record as he jumped ahead of Webb with an assist against St. Lawrence in the ECAC semi-finals. Mario Valery-Trabucco tied Webb with an empty net goal in the same game, but was unable to get point 115.

For more on Webb check out ECAC Hockey.com.

Walters to play in Sweden

According to Ken Schott, senior forward Jason Walters has signed a contract with Vasteras of HockeyAllsvendken in Sweden. Wally is one of the all-time great players in the history of Union Division I hockey, and is the all-time leading DI scorer in Union's history with 115 points. I'm sure he will tear up the Allsvendekn league and work his way up to higher level European hockey.

For more on the signing check out Ken Schott's Blog.

Zajac had shoulder surgery

Word from the end of the year banquet is that sophomore forward Kelly Zajac had shoulder surgery after the season. I remember that he was having shoulder problems during the playoffs, and it was even unsure if he would play in the ECAC semifinals. Hopefully Kelly gets better soon and is ready to go next season. He is one of the players that needs to step up for the Dutchmen and fill the shoes of the departed Mario Valery-Trabucco and Jason Walters. It is very possible that he will be moved up to center the first line with Adam Presizniuk.

Also, I ran across this cool picture of the team at the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. You can see Presizniuk on the right side of the picture with a camera, and former team manager Jeremy Apple in the left side of the picture. The team went since they played in the Shillelagh Tournament at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois hosted by Notre Dame. The Dutchmen lost to the Fighting Irish 3-1 in the first game, but beat UMass-Lowell in the consolation game 2-1.

Walters to participate in Frozen Four Skills Challenge

Senior forward Jason Walters will be participating at the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge at Ford Field in Detroit Michigan on April 9th. He was originally selected as an alternate, but will now be replacing Boston College's Ben Smith who will be playing against Miami the day prior. The last Dutchmen to play in the skills competition was Jason Mrazek two years ago, which did not turn out too well for him. We all remember Air Force's Eric Ehn incredible shootout move which beat Mrazek.

For more on Walters and the Skills Challenge check out Union Athletics.com.

I'm excited that I'll actually have someone to cheer for in Detroit this year.

Union's Season ends in ECAC Finals

Sorry about the late post... I've been having some computer issues.

Well, that was a disappointing way to end the season. The score and the shots might have been close, but it was not an equal contest. The Big Red was just perfect in every facet of the game and the Dutchmen couldn't handle the constant pressure. Cornell's forecheck worked perfectly, their defense was impenetrable, the penalty kill was swarming, and the power-play was flawless. It just looked like men amongst boys out there as even some of Union's "tougher" players were being knocked around. Going into the game Union knew it was going to be a tough task at hand, but they didn't even make it interesting. The Union crowd seemed to realize this as it seemed to get quieter and quieter as the game progressed. The 3-0 loss was the first time all season the Dutchmen got shutout and lost. In the RPI Tournament, Union beat Lake Superior State in a shootout after finishing regulation at 0-0.

As I said before the game, special teams would be incredibly important. And it was as the Big Red scored two power-play goals, and their penalty kill did not let Union get any good shots on Ben Scrivens, who was named tournament MVP after the game. The Dutchmen took too many penalties and some were undisciplined penalties which were out of character.

But, even though it was a disappointing end to the greatest season in the history of Union College Division I hockey, there were a few good things that came out of the game: 1) Keith Kinkaid had a good game and a good Final Four. The Dutchmen might really have a big time future goaltender. 2) Adam Presizniuk seemed to be one of few Union players not to be over matched against Cornell as he was able to skate and battle with the Cornell players. Prez had a great playoffs and hopefully he can be Union's go-to-guy next season. 3) Four freshman defensemen played in both Final Four games. This gave them some major experience points and will be helpful if the Dutchmen make it back to the Final Four. 4) Many Union fans came out to support their team this past weekend. Hopefully the fans keep supporting the team and more people in the Schenectady area catch on in the future.

It's sad to see Mario Valery-Trabucco and Jason Walters finish up their four years at Union. They are arguably the greatest players in the history of the program. Unfortunately for the Dutchmen the duo did not have a great playoffs. In five playoff games Mario tallied two goals and an assist. One goal came in the first game of the playoffs when he pushed the puck about three inches into the back of the net after Walters rung a shot off the post, and the other goal was an empty netter against St. Lawrence. Walters on the other hand picked up just two assists, the first coming on Mario's goal against Quinnipiac and the second coming on Adam Presizniuk's game-winning goal against SLU. Either way these two guys brought Union to where they were and they will be deeply missed.

That is all I have for now. I will continue blogging throughout the off-season and will focus on such topics as evaluating the 2009-10 season, looking into next season, and maybe even getting some special interviews with people in Union Hockey. I had a great time following the team this season and couldn't have asked for anything more.

Union beats SLU to go to ECAC Championship Game

Who would have picked Union to be in the ECAC Championship game in the beginning of the season? Not many. The Dutchmen were picked to finish sixth in both the Coaches and Media Poll prior to the season. But, with last night's barn-burner Union will face Cornell to decide who will take home the ECAC crown.

Last night's atmosphere was incredible. I don't think I've ever seen so many Union fans in one place! The Union faithful took up about four to five sections at the TUC. The fans were also extremely loud and easily drowned out the SLU fans with their chants. They even found ways to make the SLU cheers into Union cheers. Dutchmen fans will have to be even louder tonight as Cornell has a tremendous and loyal following and has a great cheering section.

The Dutchmen did not play a great game as they seemed to not have enough jump and were fighting the puck a little too much. Luckily, Keith Kinkaid was stellar in net for Union as he made 29 saves on the night, including 13 in the final period. He was great positionally as he was able to catch almost every outside shot in his chest. It looks like the Coach of the Year made a "Coach of the Year" decision. Even though the Dutchmen missed the net on some good opportunities, they were still opportunistic. On only eight shots in the final 40 minuets, Union was able to score two goals.

On other notes, Kelly Zajac got hurt for the second game in a row. After separating his shoulder last weekend, he seemed to sustain another arm/shoulder injury. But, he returned in the second period and played the rest of the game. Now that's what I call a hockey player. As an old hockey friend of mine used to say, "Just Tape It Up." Also, with an assist on last night's game-winning goal, Jason Walters in now the all-time leading scorer with 115 points. But, Mario Valery-Trabucco is right on his tail.

For more on last night's game check out Union Athletics.com, USCHO.com, Ken Schott's Blog, Daily Gazette.com, and other literature you can find on the Extra Frame Blog.

Tonight's game against the Big Red will be a tough one for the Dutchmen as Cornell is one of the most fundamentally sound teams in the nation. Oh, and have I mentioned that they have one of the nation's best goaltenders? Ben Scrivens has been lights out all year and is near the top in every statistical category in all of Division I college hockey. He is tied for first with a .935 save percentage, second with a 1.83 GAA, fourth with 20 wins, and tied for first with six shutouts. He was recently named First Team all-ECAC and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Scrivens leads the second best defense in the country that has only allowed 1.91 goals per game. Besides Scrivens, Cornell's strength is its' special teams. The Big Red sports the ninth best power-play in the country (20.7%) and the third best penalty kill in the country (87.4%).

So, the keys tonight for the Dutchmen are to stay out of the penalty box and to be opportunistic. It was only two games ago that Union did not have to kill any penalties, and if they do that again they will be in good shape. Also, if they go on the power-play they're going to have to screen Scrivens and pounce on any loose pucks.

If the Dutchmen are able to come out on top tonight it will probably be by the score of 1-0 or 2-1. In their past five games, Cornell has not allowed more than one goal and have only allowed one goal in their three playoff games. Scrivens and the defense brings their shutout streak into tonight's game as they have shutout Harvard and Brown in back-to-back games. Cornell has not allowed a goal in over 170 minutes. The game will be a great battle between high-flying offense (Union is fifth in the nation in scoring) and stifling defense (Cornell is second in the nation in team defense).

Union advances to ECAC Final Four for first time in program history

Finally! Finally! Finally! Union is finally going to Albany for the ECAC Final Four for the first time in program history! The Dutchmen will face St. Lawrence next Friday at the Times Union Center.

The great thing about tonight's victory was that it was a complete team effort. The forwards fore-checked hard, the defense stepped up to the Quinnipiac forwards, beat them badly along the boards and in front of the net, and Corey Milan made all the stops he needed to. It was also great to see the freshman step up for the team as Wayne Simpson and Jeremy Welsh scored both of Union's goals tonight.

It was such an emotional battle between both teams. Bobcat goaltender Dan Clarke was throwing punches, Jason Walters and Eric Lampe were getting at each other for the fourth game in a row, and both teams worked extremely hard. I give the Bobcats a lot of credit for playing the way they did. They worked extremely hard, but just couldn't get past the tough Union defense. I also think the home-ice advantage was HUGE difference in the game. The student section was loud the entire game and the team really fed off of it, which was seen at the end of the game when Milan and the rest of the team jumped into the glass at Section Q.... I honestly thought the glass was going to shatter.

The emotions at the end of the game were incredible to see. Will Friedman and the rest of the student section were jumping up and down and hugging each other while popcorn was thrown into the air and the players could not wipe the smiles off their faces. Union Athletic Director Jim McLaughlin also looked extremely happy, and I even caught the Daily Gazette's Ken Schott with tears in his eyes.

For more on the game check out USCHO.com, Union Athletics.com, Ken Schott's Blog, and Times Union.com.

I was shocked to hear that Brown beat Yale 1-0, which makes all the difference in the world for the Dutchmen. I was even more shocked to see that the only goal was shorthanded and came midway through the first period. Cornell is an incredible team and Union won't have to see them until the ECAC finals. Brown deserves a ton of praise after beating a very good RPI team and then beating the top seed and defending champs on the road in back-to-back weekends. Bears goaltender Mike Clemente has now pulled off three upsets in the past two years. Their hard hitting defensive style has really worked for them. If I were Yale's Sean Backman I would be apologizing to my team for letting them down.

Let's just hope enough students stick around next weekend to see if their team can make more history. Also, good luck to the players and their fans on their upcoming finals.

Message From Coach Leaman

All Union College Students were sent this message from Coach Leaman this morning:

Dear Union College Students,

The Game 2 win last night at Messa Rink was a crucial one for our team and I want to thank everyone who has helped to fill our student section and supported us through these past two games and over the course of the entire season.

The cheering, chanting and the packed section of students wearing Union College gear have created a home ice advantage for our team. As I told reporters after the game last night, I think our fans have done a terrific job picking us up in the this series. It was by far the best job of our fans at Union. We have to use that energy that our building creates to our advantage and make sure that we're coming out with our A-game.

We ask for your support again tonight, as we face Quinnipiac at 7pm for the third and deciding game of this quarterfinal series. Instead of just letting the first 200 students in for free, we will be letting in ALL students arriving before the puck drops at 7PM. If we win tonight, we will advance to the ECAC Championship at the Times Union Center in Albany next weekend for the first time in school history. This would be a huge advance for our program, and we will need all of your support to make this historic step.

Once again thank you for your support and we hope to see you at Messa Rink tonight.

Go U!

-Nate Leaman
Union Men's Hockey Head Coach

All students should show up to the game. Everyone has finals, but being a part of something special and creating school spirit is important as well. This is the biggest game in the history of Union College Division I Men's Ice Hockey to date. If the team wins tonight and manages to make a run to the national tournament, not only would it be great for the players but it would be great for the school. Success in sports can help get a school's name out into the public, which could lead to greater popularity and recognition (ex. Doug Flutie and Boston College Football... might be a stretch but you know what I'm getting at). I have two massive research papers due in the next two days and I will be there even if I'm not writing tonight.

Also, if you're a senior you better show up. No matter what this will be the last game at Messa Rink for the Class of 2010. These guys are arguably the greatest class in the history of the program. Mario Valery-Trabucco and Jason Walters are possibly the most dynamic forwards Messa Rink has ever seen, while Mike Schreiber is one of the best two-way defenseman in Union history. This might as well be the biggest night of their lives as their whole Union career comes down to tonight. They were brought here to bring Union College Hockey to the next step, and that next step is going to the ECAC Final Four. Tonight's game will be a battle of the seniors as the best players for each team are seniors, and they don't want their season to end tonight. A lot of you seniors have just finished your thesis projects, so you probably have nothing else that important to do. So, come to Messa Rink and support your classmates!

Things We Missed

• Yale's Sean Backman out due to some unnecessary horseplay by the pool. Doesn't everyone read the sign about running by the pool?


• Mike Schreiber (defenseman of the year), Keith Kinkaid (goaltender of the year), and Head Coach Nate Leaman (coach of the year) were all nominated for ECAC awards.


• Mario Valery-Trabucco received the most votes in the first round of Hobey Baker fan voting.


• RPI lost to Brown in first round of ECAC playoffs.


• Jason Walters and Mario were selected as alternates for the Frozen Four Skills Challenge.

Well, that's all I can remember for now. If I think of anything else I'll post it.

Three Dutchmen selected to All-ECAC teams

The All-ECAC teams were announced today and three Union players were selected. Senior defenseman Mike Schreiber was named to the First Team, senior forward Mario Valery-Trabucco was selected to the Second Team, and freshman goaltender Keith Kinkaid was named to the Third Team and All-Rookie team. For more on Schreiber, 'Super' Mario, and Kinkaid check out Union Athletics.com.

First off, congratulations to all three players on being named to All-ECAC teams. Here is my analysis on each of the selections:

Schreiber was an obvious choice for First Team. He leads all ECAC defensemen with 28 points, is second with eight goals, first with 20 assists, first with a +23 rating, fourth with a .129 shooting percentage, and is towards the bottom of the list when it comes to penalty minutes (18). He is the top defenseman in the league and is one of the best in the nation.

Being named to the Second Team is a great honor, but I feel MVT definitely deserved to make the First Team. He has been Union's best player all season and has carried them on his back for many stretches this season, including of late (seven goals in past eight games, nine points in past 10 games). You can also make a legitimate case saying that he is also the MVP of the ECAC. Don't get me wrong, Chase Polacek, Broc Little, and Sean Backman are all great players (as I said earlier this week) and are all well deserving of the honor. But, I feel MVT should have made the First Team over Backman. While Backman had a very good season (21g, 14a, 35pts in 29 games) for the league's top team, Mario is statistically better (21g, 21a, 42 points - second in ECAC) and more important to his team. MVT has more assists and points than Backman, has a better plus/minus, more points per game, and has a higher shooting percentage.

Also, Mario (19g, 13a, 32pts - second in ECAC) has been better than Backman (16g, 9a, 25pts) in league games which are the most important games of the season and when a team needs their best player the most. MVT also has the upper hand in points per game in ECAC games, and all six of his power-play goals have come in ECAC games while only six of Backman's nine power-play goals have come in ECAC contests. There is a huge disparity in each players plus/minus in league games as Mario is +13 and Backman is +8. The only statistic where Backman has the upper hand over Mario in ECAC games is game-winning goals: Backman has two while Mario has one. Personally, league stats should be the only one's taken into consideration when it comes to picking all-league teams as many teams play weaker teams where big time players can pad their stats. By just looking at ECAC stats it is obvious that MVT should be on the First Team instead of Backman. It's also interesting to note that Backman is third on his team in points overall and in ECAC games. Sophomore forward Brian O'Neill has one more point than Backman and did not make any of the All-ECAC teams. Whoever chose Backman over 'Super' Mario has some explaining to do.

Keith Kinkaid has done a very solid job in goal for the Dutchmen this season and is definitely the top rookie goaltender in the ECAC, but is he really the third best goaltender in the league? I have seen almost every goalie in the ECAC this season and I never really thought Kinkaid was a Top 3 goaltender. Harvard' Ryan Carroll and Dartmouth's James Mello each stole games where they made 40+ saves, which is something Keith has not done all season. If I had to pick the third best goalie in the ECAC I would have to go with St. Lawrence's Kain Tisi or Quinnipiac's Dan Clarke. Tisi was on fire for the majority of the season as he sported a goals-against average under two. But, Tisi ended the season on a five game win-less streak where he let up 21 goals in five games. This poor end of the season is probably the reason why he did not make an all-league team. In the same amount of games (22) and about the same time played (Kinkaid has played four more minutes) as Kinkaid, Tisi has a better GAA and save percentage, and has made more saves and let up less goals. Tisi also has better stats than Kinkaid in ECAC games. The same is to be said about Clarke, but Clarke has played in more games and has played behind an awful defense. I know I've been bashing Keith a little of late, but he needs to step up in the playoffs to prove me wrong... and I really hope he does.

A major surprise was the lack of Jason Walters on any of the All-ECAC teams. Wally (16g, 22a 38pts) has had an amazing season, which is one of the best ever by a Dutchman. It just happened to be that Mario is having an epic season that is slightly overshadowing Wally's accomplishments. He is tied with Yale's Broc Little (1st team) and Colgate's David McIntyre (2nd team) for fifth in the ECAC with 38 points, and is tied for the top plus/minus (+23) with Mike Schreiber in the league. Walters is also in the top tier in the league in goals and assists. I am shocked that Brown's Aaron Volpatti was picked for the Third Team over Walters. Volpatti has only amassed 11 goals and 10 assists this season for 21 points, while leading the league in penalty minutes by far (91, the second closest is 75) and sporting a +1 plus/minus. For comparison Walters has more assists than Volpatti has points ,and has a plus/minus rating +22 better than Volpatti. The only case you have for Volpatti is that he scored more goals in ECAC games than Walters and that he has played on a weaker team. Volpatti has been a very good forward for Brown this year and has come up big for them, but it is not fair to say that he is a better player than Jason Walters.

The picks for ECAC Player of the Year, Goaltender of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Defensive Forward of the Year, Defensive Defenseman of the Year, and Coach of the Year should be out some time in the next few weeks. Here are my predictions:

Player of the Year: Chase Polacek, RPI

Goaltender of the Year: Ben Scrivens, Cornell

Rookie of the Year: Louis Leblanc, Harvard

Defensive Forward of the Year: Blake Gallagher, Cornell

Defensive Defenseman of the Year: Mike Schreiber, Union

Coach of the Year: Nate Leaman, Union

The Starr Curse Lives On

After last night's 5-2 loss at Colgate the
Dutchmen are now 1-17-1 at Colgate. Surprisingly this year's seniors have not won a game at Starr Rink, which is the least intimidating rink in the ECAC. The crowd is always dead and no one even goes to the games. Maybe the problem is going from Lynah to Starr and how different the environments are. Either way losing two games in a row is not how you want to head into the playoffs, but the Dutchmen have a bye which will give them some time to think everything over and get their heads on straight.

Once again, congratulations to Mario Valery-Trabucco on his program record 21st goal of the season. Mario is the MVP of the team this year and is one of the top forwards in the ECAC (along with Chase Polacek, Brock Little and Sean Backman just to name a few). He is a legitimate Hobey Baker and All-American candidate. Also, Mario's linemate Jason Walters is one point away from tying the program's career point record (114, Jordan Webb).

This weekend does bring up some concern for the playoffs. First and most importantly is goaltending. Keith Kinkaid has not stepped up when he has really needed to. He, nor Corey Milan, have stolen a game for the Dutchmen even though they have had some very good games. Goaltending is the most important factor for any playoff teams as hot goaltending will prevail above everything in the playoffs. This also brings up another concern which is the amount of breakaways allowed by the Union defense. It seems like almost every game the opposition gets at least one breakaway opportunity. Also, even though there is no official statistic, it seems like Kinkaid has trouble with breakaways. Finally, it is a bit worrisome that 'Super' Mario scored two of Union's three goals this weekend (the other goal coming from Kyle Bodie). Union played two Top 4 ECAC teams this past weekend and were only able to score three goals. Offense is the strength of this team and will have to continue to be if they want to be successful in the playoffs.

We now have two weeks for Union Hockey to return, and I'm sure it will feel longer than that. Hopefully this extra time will give the Dutchmen some time to relax and tie up some loose ends. If all the top seeds win their first round playoff games Union will face RPI in the quarterfinals, which will be a very energized and exciting series. I'm not excited about this potential matchup because it is very difficult to beat a team five times in one season, especially a rival. Also, all of the regualr season games this season have been extremely tight and could have gone either way.

For more on last night's game check out Ken Schott's Blog, Union Athletics.com, Daily Gazette.com, and USCHO.com.

Seniors key on Senior Night in 7-3 win over QU

No one could have scripted last night's game any better. It had the perfect storyline and the perfect ending. You knew this was going to be a memorable night from the moment when five seniors were announced in the starting lineup to having the senior class honored at the end of the game. There were so many moments in the game that would get the sports fan choked up:

• Senior Jeff Christiansen, who hadn't played a game in about 13 months got to dress and play on the checking line. But, not only did he play he scored a big goal and assisted on another. Christo deserves a lot of credit for sticking with the team for four years, and for working hard throughout his time with the Dutchmen. As soon as he scored Union's third goal I instantly thought of Rudy. What a way for the senior to go out.


• Christo's linemate Jason Shaffer also had a big night as he netted the game-winning goal and also had an assist. Shaffer has been used sparingly this season, so it was nice to see his name get announced in the starting lineup and score his first goal of the season with his mother in attendance, who I assume traveled all the way from Alaska.


• Six out of the seven senior skaters registered at least one point. Captain Mike Wakita was the only one not to tally a point, but he did plenty of things on the ice that you don't see on the scoresheet, including his bone crushing hits. Also, five of them recorded two points.


• While QU's Eric Lampe was making a fool out of himself by trying to fight Jason Walters, 'Super' Mario shoved it in Lampe's face by sniping a goal.


• Senior netminder Rich Sillery got to play the final two minutes of the game in front of his family. Sillery is in the same boat as Christiansen as he has not played much throughout his career. It was awesome how the fans reacted when he was put into the game. It must have been a special moment for him to have his name chanted and everything. But, next time Pudge remember to have a chin strap on your helmet haha.


• Senior Jon Lareau picked up two assists on the night. He along with the combination of Christo and Shaffer was probably the best Union line of the night.


• The post-game ceremonies were very nice. The funniest part was when Mike Schreiber sprinted towards his mother who was jumping up and down on the carpet laid down on the ice. It was also great that Schreiber and Wakita thanked basically everyone that has to do with Union Hockey. The ceremony was all wrapped up when Union Hockey's #1 fan Will Friedman (aka Union Hockey Maniac for those of you on the USCHO.com forums), who is also a senior, started a "Let's Go Seniors" chant. I personally feel Will should have been honored in some way as he has been the most dedicated Dutchmen fan by far throughout his four years. He has traveled to almost every rink in the ECAC and has helped promote the home games and sell the 7th Player t-shirts. When I ran into Will at the end of the game I asked him why he wasn't at his fraternity's formal. He responded by saying something like, "some things are just more important" (or something like that).


• By far the cutest moment of the night was while the seniors were taking a group photo together, Mario left the picture and went into the penalty box/ scorers box. I have no idea how he knew this, but a little girl was waiting for him there with a hand drawn picture of him. Mario gladly signed the picture along with other autographs and took pictures with some young fans. This will be a moment this little girl will never forget. I know this because I still have autographs and pictures in my room from my days watching Army Hockey as a young kid. I also still wear the number (#15 ironically) of my first favorite Army Hockey player, Ian Winer.

Well, I'm done with the cute stuff and on to some meaner stuff because I thoroughly dislike the Quinnipiac Bobcats. I have always held a grudge against them since my freshman year because my girlfriend goes there. But, after watching the Bobcats for the past three seasons I have come to hate their brand of hockey. I hate them even more after Eric Lampe's actions last night. Seriously, what a moron. Once Lampe challenged the Union bench I just wanted to see Wakita jump off the bench and knock him out cold. I feel that the Bobcats are a gutless, self-centered team. It seems that all they want to do out there is dangle and make the big hit. Basically, it seems that they're just having a tryout for the minors. I don't understand how a team with seniors as talented as Brandon Wong, Greg Holt, Mike Atkinson, Lampe, and Jean-Marc Beaudoin can just settle for mediocrity. The Bobcats should have a Top 5 offense with this group. It wouldn't surprise me to see this team drop out of the Top 8 in the ECAC next weekend and get swept in the first round of the playoffs.

Now back to some hockey stuff. With last night's win the Dutchmen can't finish any worse than third in the ECAC. They are now tied with Cornell for second place after their surprising loss to Dartmouth last night, which makes Friday's game that more important. The Dutchmen still only trail Yale by two points for top spot in the ECAC as well. As everyone predicted, next weekends games will be the most important of the season. Also, look out for some more records to be broken next weekend.

Also, the Union Club Hockey team had their own Senior Night on Saturday afternoon at Messa Rink at 2pm. The Club Dutchmen beat rival RPI 3-2 to close out their season. Seniors Anthony Savaglio (captain) and Greg Karamian (club president) assisted on senior Alex Kenyon's game-winning goal with about eight minutes remaining in regulation.

For more on Senior Night check out Union Athletics.com, Daily Gazette.com, Times Union.com, USCHO.com, Ken Schott's Blog, and Ken Schott's video.

Well, that's all from me. I can't wait to be back at Messa Rink in three weekends for the playoffs!

Players to watch this weekend

Union:

• Mario Valery-Trabucco: he currently has 38 points on the season, which is tied for most in a single season in program history. Linemate Adam Presizniuk set the record last season. He leads the team with 17 goals and is tied with Prez in assists with 21. He also leads the team with 1.31 points per game. Mario has registered at least one point in five of his last six games, has scored a goal in three out the last four games, and has tallied 10 points in the last four games.
  
• Jason Walters: Wally has 35 points on the season and potentially break Prez's record this weekend as well. He has registered a point in his past four games, and seven points in total.


• For more on the Dutchmen go to Union Athletics.com.

Princeton:

• Dan Bartlett: leads team in goals (16) and points (25). Bartlett has registered a point in 10 out of his last 12 games where he has tallied 10 goals and 5 assists.


• Mike Kramer: is second on the team with 11 goals and 21 points. He got his four game goal streak snapped last Saturday against St. Lawrence.


• Mark Magnowski: leads the team with 13 assists. Magnowski has tallied an assist in seven of his last eight games.


• Princeton is second to last in the ECAC with 2.69 goals per game.


• For more on the Tigers check out Go Princeton Tigers.com

Quinnipiac:

• Brandon 'All Night' Wong: leads the Bobcats with 15 goals and 30 points. When on top of his game he is one of the most lethal players in the ECAC. Wong is the go-to guy on the power-play as he has scored 11 goals on the power-play. But, lately he hasn't been so stellar. In his last 13 games he has tallied only six points where he has only scored three goals, only one of which came against an ECAC opponent.


• Eric Lampe: the same can be said about Lampe as he is second on the team with 28 points and leads the team with 17 assists, but has not been great lately. In his last eight games he as only put up one goal and one assist.
  
• The Bobcats recently snapped their 12 game winless streak as they won back-to-back games by shutting out their opponent. In goal has been sophomore Dan Clarke, who is third in the ECAC with a 2.47 goals against average, and is tied for third with a .913 save percentage.
  
• For more on QU check out Quinnipiac Bobcats.com.

Union stages epic comeback against Dartmouth

Going down four goals on the road 7:20 into a game is not the way you want to start out, but scoring five unanswered goals... that's character, and last night's game proves that this team has a ton of character. This is the type of game that the Dutchmen will look back on in the playoffs, and say that they can do anything. Granted they were playing an 11th placed team, but a four goal deficit at any level of hockey, no matter who you are playing, is a difficult one to make up.

The really great thing about last night's victory is how the freshmen skaters stepped up when their team needed them. Each Jeremy Welsh, Shawn Stuart, and Kyle Bodie scored a goal, and Wayne Simpson had two assists. It's also important that Union's big players showed up when they need them. The Mario-Wally-Prez line connected for a huge power-play goal in the second period, and Prez and Mike Schreiber picked up assists in the third period. You also can't forget Andrew Buote, who picked up two assists on the night. He is one of the hardest working players on the ice for the Dutchmen every game. And last, but definitely not least, Luke Cain scored the game-tying goal late in the third as he tipped a shot past the Dartmouth goaltender. He has scored a goal in five of Union's last six weekends. Cain is another hard-working player, and it was nice to see him make a huge impact in his return to Thomspon Arena after his horrific injury two years ago. The offense has been clicking lately as they have scored 20 goals in the past three games.

Keith Kinkaid had a very rough night last night, but luckily Corey Milan was able to come in and hold down the fort. Maybe Keith is suffering from some fatigue, so don't be surprised to see Milan in the net tonight against Harvard.

The Dutchmen need to take advantage of the Cornell- Yale matchup tonight as one of these teams has to lose, or they can tie so neither team could pick up two points. There is a very good chance that after tonight there will no longer be a three way tie for first place.

For more on last night's game check out Union Athletics.com, Dartmouth Sports.com, Daily Gazette.com, Times Union.com, and Ken Schott's Blog.

Three third period goals lifts Union over SLU

On Thursday night I said: "Things haven't been going well for our Dutchmen... The main cause of this problem has been the lack of scoring... meaning that their top scorers need to start scoring... Mario along with is linemates, Jason Walters and Adam Presizniuk, need to put the offense on their backs and carry it. They are one of the most dynamic and lethal lines in the ECAC and need to play like it every game."

Well, I doubt Mario, Wally, and Prez read this but maybe they heard what I said through the grapevine haha. These guys were the reason why the Dutchmen were able to put up 15 goals this weekend. Mario registered four goals and three assists, Wally put up a goal and four assists, and Prez had two goals and five assists on the weekend. So, if you do the math this line scored seven of Union's 15 goals this weekend and had a combined 12 assists. Also, the line had their hand in nine of the 15 goals this weekend. In the six previous games the Dutchmen put up only 12 goals. It was also nice to see leaders such as Mike Schreiber and Brock Matheson and freshman such as Kyle Bodie and Wayne Simpson help with the offense this weekend.

The defense also had a good weekend as they only let up four goals. Last night's game marked the third game in a row that they let up just two goals.

It was great to see the team come back in the third period, especially after the short-handed goal just a few seconds before the second period ended. The ability to come back in the third period is a sign of a great and gritty team, which will be huge in the playoffs.

This weekend was a great way to halt the winless skid and now the Dutchmen have to keep it rolling into next weekend when they hit the road to take on Dartmouth and Harvard, both of whom came into Messa Rink and beat the Dutchmen a few weeks ago. Also, the Dutchmen are now in a three way tie for first place in the ECAC with Cornell and Yale and are ahead of fourth place St. Lawrence by three points.

Also note that Mario is now tied for 11th in the nation in points (35), Union is fifth in the nation in goals per game (3.64), tied for 14th in goals against per game (2.50), and 10th in the nation in power-play percentage (20.6%). It will be interesting to see where they end up in the National Rankings on Monday. I personally feel that they will move up a few spots. My guess is to #18.

To read more about the game check out USCHO.com, Union Athletics.com, Daily Gazette.com, Times Union.com, and Ken Schott's Blog.

Union looks to turn things around against Clarkson and St. Lawrence

Things haven't been going to well for our Dutchmen lately as they haven't won since January 16. The main cause of this problem has been the lack of scoring. In Union's past four games they have only scored seven goals, meaning that their top scorers need to start scoring. One example is Mario Valery-Trabucco, who hasn't scored since January 9th at Quinnipiac and has only picked up two assists in his past five games. Mario along with his linemates, Jason Walters and Adam Presizniuk, need to put the offense on their backs and carry it. They are one of the most dynamic and lethal lines in the ECAC and need to play like it every game. Each Mario, Wally, and Prez have only scored two goals since returning for winter term on January 8th. In the past seven games the Dutchmen have scored 19 goals, and Mario, Wally, and Prez have only scored six of them.

These problems though cannot be just blamed on the offense, as the defense has not been on top of their game either. In Union's current four game winless streak the Dutchmen have let up 13 goals. Personally, it doesn't seem like the defenseman are winning the battles for the puck in crucial areas, especially in front of the net. They also seem to be having problems moving the puck up the ice, which could be an explanation for the reduction in scoring.

All in all, everyone from the offense to the defense to the goalies and coaches need to be at their best if they want to turn things around. When everyone on this team is on top of their game they are one of the most dangerous teams in the country. But, if they're not anyone can beat them. This is a huge weekend for the Dutchmen in which they need to beat Clarkson and then at least tie St. Lawrence for it be a successful weekend. Clarkson has been a mess this year, while St. Lawrence has been surging. The Dutchmen picked up their first ECAC wins of the season at St. Lawrence and Clarkson in mid-November.

For more on the games against the Golden Knights and Saints check out Union Athletics.com.

Players to Watch:

Clarkson

• Matt Beca, forward (13g, 12a, 25p)... first on the team in goals, third in assists
  
• Scott Freeman, forward (4g, 15a, 19p)... first on the team in assists


• Bryan Rufenach, defense (5g, 11a, 16p)... leads all Clarkson defenseman with 16 points and second with five goals


• Paul Karpowich, goalie (4-13-3, 3.74 GAA, .889 save percentage)... statistically one of the worst goaltenders in the ECAC and all of college hockey, third to last in ECAC in GAA, second to last in ECAC in save percentage

St. Lawrence

• Travis Vermeulen, forward (11g, 15a, 26p)... leads team in all three categories


• Derek Keller, defense (7g, 5a, 12p)... second on the team in goals, leads all ECAC defenseman in goals


• Mike McKenzie, forward (6g, 14a, 20p)... second on the team in points


• Kain Tisi, goalie (8-4-2, 1.99 GAA, .932 save percentage)... one of the hottest goaltenders in the ECAC and the nation, 4th in the nation in GAA, tied for 2nd in save percentage

Vote Wally and Mario for 2010 NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge

Click here to vote for senior forwards Jason Walters and Mario Valery-Trabucco for the 2010 Frozen Four Skills competition in Detroit. The voting begins today and will end on February 15, so make sure you vote as many times as you can over the next two weeks. Also, Union Women's Hockey co-captain Jackie Koetteritz is up for the nomination for the women's side. To read more about the nominations and the skill competition check out Union Athletics.com.

I've attended the skill competition a few times and it's a lot of fun. There is a lot of fan interaction since there is no glass. The players seem to have a lot of fun and try crazy moves in the breakaway competition. Actually, the best breakaway move I've seen in the competition was two years ago when Air Force's Eric Ehn pulled an insane move on Union goaltender Justin Mrazek. You can check out the goal here.

Union falls from top of ECAC standings

It sounds like the Dutchmen didn't really show up to play and that the score is not a reflection of the game. But, it's great to see Luke Cain playing well and giving his team a boost. Also, congratulations to senior forward Jon Lareau on his first collegiate goal. From the box score it looks like Coach Leaman has separated the Simpson twins. Both of these guys need to get going so I'm all for the separation. These guys really need to step their game up if they want to maintain in the top four spots of the league. The top of the standings is bunched up with many teams who can take a top four position. If Leaman and the Dutchmen can't figure out something soon they might be on the outside looking in. Also note, that Jason Walters' 15 game point streak was snapped.

You can read game recaps from USCHO.com, Union Athletics.com, Daily Gazette.com, Ken Schott's blog, and Times Union.com. Also, check out video of Ken Schott's post-game interviews.

The Dutchmen take on the Brown Bears tonight at 7pm. Check out game notes on the Extra Frame Blog.

Union loses to Dartmouth for second loss in a row

What a disappointing weekend! As I said earlier in the week, this was a weekend where the Dutchmen should get four points, but they couldn't even get one. But hey, the Dutchmen are still in first place in the ECAC and Jason Walters extended his point streak to 15 games. But, Union has now dropped from #7 t o#19 in the PWR. This makes next weekend's road trip even more important.

You can read about the game on USCHO.com, Union Athletics.com, Daily Gazette.com, and Times Union.com. Also, check out Ken Schott's blog and video.