Union Makes Season Debut Against Sacred Heart

SCHENECTADY, NY – The waiting is over. For the first time in six months the Union College men’s ice hockey team takes to the ice for a season-opening series against Sacred Heart on Friday and Saturday. Fans that can’t make it to Messa Rink can listen to the broadcast on the Union Dutchmen Hockey Network on WABY-AM 1160 and WVKZ-AM 1240 or online (click here). Video will also be available (click here) as will live stats (click here).

After another tremendous year, head coach Nate Leaman enters his eighth season at the helm of the Union men’s ice hockey team with the knowledge that the next step will be a historic one for the program. A deep run in the postseason included the longest game in the history of college hockey in Game One of the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals, a contest that saw Union on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Needing two wins in the next two nights, the Dutchmen showed the resolve of a great team, defeating Quinnipiac on consecutive nights on their way to the program’s first-ever berth to the ECAC Hockey Championship. With many of the key cogs from last year’s squad returning as upperclassmen, the feeling around the program is that there is the potential for 2010-2011 to be a special season for the Dutchmen.

“We have eight seniors this year that have all been looking forward to the next step with the program. Our senior class has never had a losing season, so this is going to be a big challenge for them. With us being on the road so much early on, we’re going to have to be very good or we’ll get behind the eight ball.”

Union and Sacred Heart are meeting for only the fourth time. The Dutchmen are 2-1 against the Pioneers, with the most recent meeting coming last season on Oct. 24, 2009. In that contest, Union rallied from a four-goal deficit to tie the game 5, but gave up the winning score on a Sacred Heart power play with 1:29 left in overtime to give the Pioneers a 6-5 win.

C.J. Marottolo begins his second season as head coach of the Pioneers after winning the Bauer Coach of the Year for the AHA in his first season. Senior forward Patrick Knowlton is the leading returning scorer with 39 points on 13 goals and 26 assists. Sophomore forward Eric DeLong was named to the AHA All-Rookie team last year and led all conference freshmen with 35 points on 15 goals and 20 assists.