Union, Trois-Rivieres Skate to Deadlock
SCHENECTADY, NY - The Union College men's hockey team skated to
a 2-2 draw with Trois-Rivières Sunday afternoon in
exhibition action at Messa Rink. The Dutchmen controlled the flow
of the game, outshooting the Patriotes, 52-27, in their first
exhibition game since 1996.
Trois-Rivières netted the equalizer with 4.8 seconds
remaining in regulation, and Patriotes netminder Nick Majeau
stopped all five Union shots in overtime to record the tie.
Stephane Boileau (Blainville, QC) gave Union a 1-0 lead at 7:25 of
the first frame, knocking in a rebound off a shot by Mike Schreiber
(Sherwood Park, AB). From down low, Mario Valery-Trabucco
(Montreal, QC) fed Schreiber at the point, whose shot took a big
rebound off Majeau. Boileau crossed the slot just in time to slide
the puck into the net.
Union held the lead until late in the second period when
Trois-Rivières capitalized on the power play.
Frédéric St-Denis took a wrister from inside the
right circle that was saved by Dutchmen netminder Corey Milan
(Great Barrington, MA), but the puck bounced from Milan's chest
back over his head, trailing down his back before it dribbled
across the goal line. Jean-Sébastien Breton connected with
Samuel Gibbons high in the zone before Gibbons crossed the puck to
St-Denis for the man-up tally.
Union had a brief five-on-three advantage early in the third
period, but could not convert. Luke Cain (Thunder Bay, ON) tipped a
blast from the point by Schreiber less than four minutes into the
stanza, but his shot clanged off the post. Union finished 0-6 on
the power play.
Just over a minute later, the Dutchmen took the lead with a
four-on-four tally by Brendan Milnamow (Wilton, CT). Adam
Presizniuk (Calgary, AB) got out of a jam in the right corner,
sending the puck up the boards to assistant captain Michael Beynon
(Nepean, ON) at the point. Beynon quickly snapped the puck across
the blue line to Milnamow, who placed his shot in the extreme upper
corner of the net, beating Majeau on his glove side.
Union's defense kept the Patriotes at bay for the majority of the
third period. Freshman Brock Matheson (Gananoque, ON) stifled a
five-on-three attempt for Trois-Rivières late in the period,
clearing the puck out to assistant captain Sam Bowles
(Davidsonville, MD) who had a breakaway down the right of the net,
only to have his shot find Majeau's pads at the near corner.
Trois-Rivières pulled its goaltender with just over a minute
left and with just seconds remaining in regulation, Jonathan Boutin
scored on a six-on-four advantage with a wrister from inside the
right circle to force overtime.
The Dutchmen dominated the extra frame, outshooting the Patriotes,
5-0. Boileau won three faceoffs in the period, first drawing back
to Mike Wakita (Kitimat, BC) at the point, then after Wakita's
blast was saved, drew back to Valery-Trabucco before crashing the
net to tip his shot. Boileau won 10 of 13 draws in the game to
lead the Dutchmen.
Milan proved stellar in his first appearance between the pipes,
stopping 25 shots, including a pair on breakaways by Boutin in the
middle frame. Majeau finished with 50 saves.
Union returns to action on Friday, October 26, in a 7 p.m. game
against RPI at the Citizens Bank Governor's Cup at the Times Union
Center in Albany, NY. Union will then face either St. Lawrence or
Colgate on the second day of the tournament.
