Union Drops Road Contest at Colorado College

Final	1	2	3	Final
Union (9-5-5 / 3-2-2 ECAC)	0	0	1	1
Colorado Col. (12-6-0 / 9-5-0 WCHA)	0	2	0	2

Scoring Summary
2nd - 05:25	David Civitarese (Colorado Col.)
2nd - 18:59	Nick Dineen (Colorado Col.)
3rd - 19:20	Simpson, Wayne (Union)

Union	Colorado Col.
G: Wayne Simpson - 1 A: 2 Players (#9, #19 - 1) Sh: Kevin Sullivan - 4 Sv: Troy Grosenick - 22	G: 2 Players (#11, #22 - 1) A: 4 Players (#9, #16, #25, #28 - 1) Sh: Scott Winkler - 4 Sv: Josh Thorimbert - 20

TEAM STATISTICS	Union	Colorado Col.
Power Plays	0 for 2	0 for 3
Shorthanded Goals	0	0
Penalties (min)	3 (6)	2 (4)
Shots on Goal	21	24
Face Offs Won	24	20

full stats

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Junior forward Wayne Simpson scored in the final minute of in the third period, but No. 10 Union (9-5-5, 3-2-2 ECAC Hockey) fell 2-1 to No. 6/5 Colorado College (12-6-0, 9-5-0 WCHA)  in front of 5,882 fans at World Arena.

With the Dutchmen trailing 2-0 late in the third period and an extra attacker on the ice, Simpson jammed a rebound past Colorado College goaltender Josh Thorimbert with 40 seconds remaining in regulation. Trailing by one goal in the final half minute of play, Union maintained possession in the offensive zone, but was unable to generate a quality scoring chance.

Sophomore goaltender Troy Grosenick made 22 saves on 24 shots, while Thorimbert stopped 20 of 21 shots for Colorado College.

The Tigers built a two goal lead with two even-strength scores in the second period. Colorado College’s David Civitarese took an outlet pass from Michael Boivin and scored on a breakway, cutting to his backhand and flipping the puck past Grosenick to put the Tigers up 1-0 at 5:25.
Sophomore forward Matt Hatch nearly tied the score later in the period, putting a backhander on the pad of Thorimbert for a rebound out in front. But Hatch bowled over Thorimbert before Kelly Zajac could get to the rebound, stopping play.

With just over a minute left in the period, a Union defensive zone turnover gave Colorado College a two-goal lead heading into the final frame. Alexander Krushelnyski corralled a loose puck behind the net and fed Nick Dineen in the slot. Dineen fired a low wrist shot past Grosenick at 18:59 to give Colorado College a 2-0 lead.

In an evenly played opening frame, both teams had quality scoring chances, but the game remained scored after the first 20 minutes.

Late in the period, with Colorado College on the power play, a fluke bounce of the puck off the back boards put Troy Grosenick out of position, but the Tigers were unable to get to the loose puck. Colorado College finished the night 0-for-3 on the power play, while Union was held scoreless on two power play chances.

The Dutchman had perhaps their best chance of the period with just over two minutes left in the first period, when Greg Coburn’s shot from the point deflected right to Wayne Simpson, who was unable to put the rebound on net.

Union begins a stretch of 15 ECAC Hockey games to close the regular season next weekend at Messa Rink, when the Dutchmen take on Harvard on Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

NOTES: Senior forward Kelly Zajac picked up his team-leading 15th assist on Simpson’s third period goal. Zajac now has 73 career assists moving him into a tie for third on the school’s DI career assist list with Jason Walters ’10.