Team Notes: No. 12/13 Union Set to Take on No. 11/11 Michigan for First Time in Program History

SCHENECTADY, NY - No. 12/13 Union (6-3-3, 3-2-0 ECAC Hockey) will take on No. 11/11 Michigan for the first time in program history on Sunday at Yost Ice Arena. The Dutchmen resume play after their first open weekend since the start of the season.

Union earned a 5-1 win at rival Rensselaer in its last contest on Nov. 15. Union is 0-4-3 in its last seven contests against CCHA opponents with its last victory coming against Ferris State (4-1) on Oct. 13, 2007. Earlier this season, the Dutchmen hosted Western Michigan, also of the CCHA, and recorded two ties (2-2, 3-3) on Oct. 14 and 15. The Dutchmen are in search of their first win against a ranked opponent since a 7-4 win last season at Princeton on Feb. 4, 2011. 

ROAD WARRIORS
Union has established itself as one of college hockey's toughest road teams over the past two sea- sons. The Dutchmen are 23-11-4 in road contests over the past two-plus years, including a current 14-game run (12-1-1) that extends back to the end of the 2010-11 season. 

STARTING OFF STRONG
Union has scored in the first period of 10 of its first 12 games this season and has a 6-1-3 record in those contests. The Dutchmen have scored a goal in the first 10:00 of the first period in six contests this season (3-1-2) and have twice scored in the first minute of games this season (10/22 vs. RIT and 11/11 vs. Brown). 

BODIE, ZAJAC ON A ROLL
Sophomore defenseman Mat Bodie (two goals, 10 assists) recorded a point in his first nine games this season. Bodie is tied for eighth in the nation in points per game among defensemen (1.00).

Senior forward Kelly Zajac began the season with a five game point streak and currently leads the team with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) on the season. Zajac is second in the nation with an average of 1.08 assists per game and tied for 13th in the nation with an average of 1.33 points per game.

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 47 of the last 52 contests, includ- ing the first 12 games of 2011-12. This season, Union has a combined faceoff record of 464-362 (.562), with junior forward Jeremy Welsh (106-61, .635) leading the way.  

SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
The Dutchmen have gotten off to another hot start on the power play, which ranks fifth the nation at 26.0% (16-for-61). Union's penalty kill unit has been just impressive. Over the past seven games, the Dutchmen have killed 36 of the last 40 power play opportunities for their opposition and rank 18th in the nation at 86.5% (45-for-52) on the penalty kill. 

THE UNION-MICHIGAN SERIES
Union will take on Michigan for the first time in men's ice hockey when the two teams face off on Sunday. Union will be making just its third trip to the state of Michigan, which has seven Division I men's ice hockey teams, for a true road contest in the Division I era, following trips to Ferris State in 2006 and Western Michigan in 2010.

Union is 8-10-4 against CCHA competition in the Division I era. Union is the only current ECAC Hockey team that Michigan has not faced. Against all other current ECAC Hockey members, the Wolverines have compiled a record of 57-23-5, including a 10-3 win over St. Lawrence this season at Yost Arena on Oct. 13.

If any team can testify to how dangerous Michigan can be, it would be St. Lawrence, which fell 10-3 to the Wolverines on Oct. 13. All 10 of Michigan's goals came at even strength. In Michigan's previous meeting against ECAC competition, on Dec. 29, 2009 against RPI, the Wolverines outshot the Engineers 46- 13, but fell 4-3 on a game-winning goal by Marty O'Grady in the third period. 

SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan, the national runner-up last season, has 10 NHL Draft Picks on its roster, but argu- ably its most important player is not one of them, senior goaltender Shawn Hunwick.

Hunwick was sensational down the stretch for Michigan in 2010-2011, allowing two goals or less in eight of the Wolverines final 10 games of the season, including two shutouts. Though the Wolverines lost four of their top five scor- ers to graduation last season, they have filled the scoring void quite well so far this season, with nine players who have double-digit points entering the weekend. Michigan is fourth in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 4.00 goals per game.

Junior forwards A.J. Treais (six goals, seven assists) and Lindsay Sparks (five goals, eight as- sists) lead the way with 13 points each. Senior forward David Wohlberg, who was named to the CCHA Preseason Second Team, has three goals and seven assists, including a four point night against St. Lawrence last month.

Sophomore defenseman Jon Merrill, a CCHA Preseason First Team pick, has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules, but the Wolverines have remained a strong defensive club, allowing just 2.36 goals per game, after finishing sixth in the nation in scoring defense last year. 

HAT TRICK HAPPY
After recording four hat tricks in five seasons (187 games) from 2005-06 to 2009-10, the Dutchmen have recorded seven hat tricks over the past two seasons (53 games), including three this season. Most recently, sophomore for- ward Daniel Carr recorded his second career hat trick in a 5-1 win at RPI on Nov. 15. On Oct. 8 at Army, junior forward Wayne Simpson recorded his first career hat trick in an 8-1 win. On Oct. 15 against No. 12 Western Michigan, junior forward Jeremy Welsh recorded his second career hat trick, scoring all three Union goals in a 3-3 tie. 

A KNACK FOR GAME-WINNERS
Senior forward Kelly Zajac and junior forward Wayne Simpson have shown a knack for scor- ing game-winning goals over the course of their careers. Zajac is currently tied for fifth on the career game-winning goals list with eight, while Simpson, who has game winning goals this season against RIT and St. Lawrence, is tied for eighth on the list with seven career game- winning goals. 

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 12 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 (five goals, five assists) Jeremy Welsh (seven goals, two 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 is tied for third in the nation wih five power play goals. He ranks fourh in the Division I era at Union with 17 career power play goals, trailing Jordan Webb '05 for the program record by five power play goals.