Union Earns Key Home Win
| Scoring Summary | |
|---|---|
| 1st - 03:11 | Nasca, Mark (Colgate) |
| 1st - 11:52 | Welsh, Jeremy (Union) |
| 3rd - 03:05 | PP - Simpson, Wayne (Union) |
| 3rd - 19:41 | EN - Simpson, Wayne (Union) |
| Colgate | Union |
|---|---|
|
G:
Mark Nasca - 1
A: 2 Players (#7, #21 - 1) Sh: Austin Smith - 5 Sv: Eric Mihalik - 19 |
G:
Wayne Simpson - 2
A: 6 Players (#9, #12, #14, #19, #20, #27 - 1) Sh: Jeremy Welsh - 4 Sv: Colin Stevens - 27 |
| TEAM STATISTICS | Colgate | Union |
|---|---|---|
| Power Plays | 0 for 2 | 1 for 3 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (min) | 3 (6) | 2 (4) |
| Shots on Goal | 28 | 22 |
| Face Offs Won | 19 | 40 |
SCHENECTADY, NY – Junior forward Wayne Simpson scored
twice and freshman goaltender Colin Stevens made 26 saves to help
lead No. 11/12 Union (16-6-6, 10-3-3 ECAC Hockey) to a 3-1 win over
No. 20 Colgate (14-10-3, 8-6-1 ECAC Hockey) in front of 2,018 fans
at Messa Rink.
Junior forward Jeremy Welsh also scored his team-leading 19th goal
of the season for the Dutchmen, who rallied from an early deficit
to earn their third win in a row, and seventh in the last eight
contests.
Simpson broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period with
Colgate’s Joe Wilson in the penalty box for slashing. With
time winding down on the man advantage, freshman defenseman Shayne
Gostisbehere fired a shot from straightaway that deflected to
Simpson, who beat Colgate goaltender Eric Mihalik (19 saves) at
3:05 to give Union the lead.
With Union looking to put the game out of reach on another power
play later in the period, Stevens came up with his best stop of the
night on a shorthanded chance by Colgate’s Austin Smith, the
nation’s leading goal-scorer heading into the contest.
Smith took a pass from the side boards and skated into the slot,
but his high shot was gloved by Stevens at 11:11 of the third
period, preserving Union’s lead.
Simpson would seal the win with an empty net goal at 19:41, his
15th of the season. Senior forward Kelly Zajac picked up an assist
on the play, his 83rd career helper, moving him into a tie with
Adam Presizniuk ’11 for first place on the career assists
list in the Division I era.
Colgate got off to a fast start in the first period, scoring on its
second shot of the night. Colgate’s Billy Rivellini fed
cross-ice to Mark Nasca, who beat Stevens with a low shot at 3:11
to give the Raiders an early lead.
Welsh answered for Union midway through the period to even the
game. Junior defenseman Greg Coburn fired a shot from the point
that sophomore forward Daniel Carr deflected past Mihalik, but off
the inside of the far post. Welsh crashed the slot and found the
open net with a backhander at 11:52 to tie the game at 1-1. The
goal was Welsh’s team-leading 19th on the season, just four
goals shy of the school single-season record held by Mario
Valery-Trabucco ’10.
Union nearly made it 2-1 early in the second period when sophomore
forward Matt Hatch fired off the near post from the high slot at
the 2:30 mark.
Stevens came up with another key save later in the second period as
junior defenseman Greg Coburn took a holding penalty at 13:01 of
the second period, putting Union on the penalty kill. Early on in
the man advantage, Stevens made a glove save on Robbie
Bourdon’s shot from the circle keeping the game tied heading
into the final frame.
Union finished the game two-for-two on the penalty kill while
converting one of three power play chances.
The Dutchmen will host No. 14/14 Cornell tomorrow night at Messa
Rink in a contest that begins at 7:00 p.m.
