Team Notes: No. 9 Union Returns to League play at Quinnipiac, Princeton

SCHENECTADY, NY - No. 9/9 Union (7-3-3, 3-2-0 ECAC Hockey) will take on Quinnipiac (8-6-2, 1-4-2 ECAC Hockey) and Princeton (3-7-1, 2-5-0 ECAC Hockey) this weekend, resuming ECAC Hockey play as they continue their season long eight-game stretch away from Messa Rink. Union earned a 6-3 win at No. 11 Michigan in its last contest, marking Union's first win against a ranked opponent this season and first since a 7-4 win last season at Princeton on Feb. 4, 2011.

Tonight's contest will be the 21st all time between Union and Quinnipiac and the two teams are even with a 9-9-2 series mark. Union is 4-4 all-time, with four straight wins at the TD Bank Sports Center.

»Scouting Quinnipiac 
The Bobcats (8-6-2, 1-4-2 ECAC Hockey) snapped a six game winless streak (0-4-2) with a 4-2 win over Massachusetts at the TD Bank Sports Center on Nov. 26. Quinnipiac started the season 7-2-0, including a 4-3 win at Ohio State (now ranked No. 7 in the nation at 10-3-1) on Oct. 8.

Quinnipiac, which has scored four or more goals in eight of nine non-conference games, has struggled on offense in league play, with just two goals in its last four league contests (0-3-1), though not for lack of effort. The Bobcats have outshot their opponents in all 16 games this season and are outshooting ECAC Hockey opponents by an average of 12 shots per game (33.6-21.6).

The Bobcats are led up front by sophomore forward Connor Jones (five goals, 12 assists), his twin brother Kellen Jones (five goals, nine assists) and junior forward Jeremy Langlois (10 goals, six assists). Langlois leads all ECAC Hockey forwards in goal scoring, but has gone scoreless in his last four contests.

The Bobcats feature an experienced defensive corps, with four upperclassmen (senior Mike Glaicar and juniors Zack Currie, Mike Dalhuisen and Ben Arnt) among their regular starting six defensemen.

Junior Eric Hartzell (3-3-2, .897 save%, 2.05 GAA) and senior Dan Clarke (5-3-0, .893 save%, 2.20 GAA) have split time in net, with Hartzell getting the starts in five out of the last six games.

On special teams, Quinnipiac is 37th in the nation on the power play at 16.5%, while its penalty kill is ranked 14th in the nation at 86.4%. The Bobcats are tied for 17th in the country with 3.25 goals per game and are tied for eighth in the nation in scoring defense in allowing 2.25 goals per game.

»The Union-Quinnipiac Series 
The Dutchmen are 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings, and are 4-0-1 in the last five regular season contests. On March 12, 2010 and into March 13, 2010, Union and Quinnipiac played the longest game in NCAA history, timing in at 150:22. The Bobcats' Greg Holt netted the game-winner at 1:03 a.m. in the fifth overtime, giving his team a 3-2 victory in the opening game of the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals, a series that the Dutchmen would go onto win in three games. 

»Road Warriors                                                                        
Union has established itself as one of college hockey's toughest road teams over the past two seasons. The Dutchmen, 6-1-1 on the road this season, are 24-11-4 in road contests over the past two-plus years, including a current 15-game run (13-1-1) that extends back to the end of the 2010-11 season.
 
»Starting Off Strong                                                                            
Union has scored in the first period of 11 of its first 13 games this season and has a 7-1-3 record in those contests. The Dutchmen have scored their opposition 21-11 in the opening frame. Union has scored a goal in the first 10:00 of the first period in seven contests this season (4-1-2) and have twice scored in the first minute of games this season (10/22 vs. RIT and 11/11 vs. Brown).
 
»Union Dominant on Faceoffs                                                       
Over the past two seasons, Union has established itself as a dominant faceoff team. Dating back to the beginning of last season, Union has won the faceoff battle in 48 of the last 53 contests, including 12 of the first 13 games of 2011-12. This season, Union has a combined faceoff record of 503-389 (.564), with junior forward Jeremy Welsh (109-63, .634) leading the way.
 
»Special Teams Success                                                           
The Dutchmen have gotten off to another hot start on the power play, which ranks third the nation at 26.9% (18-for-67). Union has scored two or more power play goals in seven contests this season (5-0-2), including the last two games against RPI and Michigan. Union's penalty kill unit has been just impressive of late. Over the past nine games, the Dutchmen have killed 35 of the last 40 power play opportunities for their opposition and rank 19th in the nation at 84.9% (45-for-53) on the penalty kill.
 
»Canadian Connection                 
In recent years, the Dutchman have featured a lineup littered with student-athletes from Canada, and 2011-12 is no different. Union features 13 players from five provinces. In fact, through 13 games this season, five of Union's top six scorers are from Canada, a list that includes Kelly Zajac (three goals, 13 assists), Mat Bodie (two goals, 10 assists), Daniel Carr (six goals, six assists) Jeremy Welsh (nine goals, three assists) and Kyle Bodie (two goals, seven assists).
 
»Welsh is Union's Extra Man               
Junior forward Jeremy Welsh has gotten off to a strong start on Union's fifth-ranked power play unit. Welsh leads the nation wih six power play goals. He ranks fourh in the Division I era at Union with 18 career power play goals, trailing Jordan Webb '05 for the program record by four power play goals.