January 28, 2011

Team Notes: No. 12/13 Union Set to Host No. 1 Yale, Brown

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - When the Dutchmen (16-7-3, 8-3-1 ECAC Hockey) take on No. 1 Yale (17-2-0, 11-1-0 ECAC Hockey) this weekend, it will mark Union's first game against a No. 1 opponent in over two years. On Jan. 2, 2009, Union fell 3-1 to No. 1 Notre Dame in the Shillelagh Tournament in Hoffman Estates, IL. The last time Union took on an ECAC opponent that was No. 1 in the nation was on Nov. 9, 1996, when Union fell 1-0 at No. 1 Vermont. When Union and Yale first met earlier this season on Dec. 5, the Dutchmen were held scoreless on the power play (0-for-6), while the Bulldogs used three third period goals to pull away for a 5-0 win. Brown (7-8-4, 5-6-1 ECAC Hockey) enters the weekend having split three straight weekends in ECAC play. One of those splits happened to come against No. 1 Yale, as the Bears won a 3-2 decision on Jan. 16 to hand the Bulldogs their only league loss of the season to date. Union is unbeaten in its last four games against Brown (2-0-2).

Union Ranked In USCHO.com Poll for 28 Straight Weeks
 The Union men's ice hockey team, coming off a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Harvard on Saturday night, was ranked No. 13 in the latest USCHO.com poll and No. 12 in the latest USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, both released Monday. The Dutchmen earned 397 points in the USCHO.com poll and 122 points in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. This marks the 28th consecutive week the Dutchmen have been ranked in the USCHO.com poll, extending a school record. Union has been ranked for 13 consecutive weeks in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll.

The Defense Holds Strong
 Union's defense has held its opponents to two or fewer goals 16 times this season, placing the team No. 2 in the country with a 2.04 goals-against average. The Dutchmen, who have outscored opponents 92-53, have held the competition to less than 30 shots 22 times, including eight games with less than 20 shots. 

Home Is Where the Heart Is
 Dating back to last season, the Dutchmen have an impressive record (14-1-1) in their last 16 regular season home games at Messa Rink. Not including exhibition contests, the Dutchmen are 134-133-41 all-time at home and 74-46-19 with Nate Leamanbehind the bench.

Scouting Yale
 No. 1 Yale (17-2-0. 11-1-0 ECAC Hockey) has been the top-ranked team in the nation for eight weeks running, starting with the USCHO.com poll released on the Monday after Yale's 5-0 win against Union on Dec. 5 The Bulldogs are buoyed by the nation's top ranked offense, averaging 4.79 goals per game.

Sophomore Andrew Miller is No. 3 in the nation with 1.11 assists per game. Senior Broc Little, a Hobey Baker candidate, leads the team with 13 goals and 27 points despite being kept off the board last weekend. Goaltender Ryan Rondeau is 16-1 on the season and ranks third in GAA (1.80) and sixth in save percentage (.932) in Division I.

The Series
 In a series that dates back to Jan. 10, 1992, the Bulldogs own a 22-15-4 advantage over the Dutchmen. In the last five outings, Yale has a 3-1-1 record.

The two teams took part in the second-longest game in NCAA history when Yale defeated Union in a five overtime game, 3-2, during the 2006 ECAC Hockey Playoffs. The game, which lasted 141:35, started at 7 p.m. and finished at 1:10 a.m.

Last Meeting
 On Dec. 5, Yale forward Chris Cahill scored twice in the third period, and Andrew Miller had four assists to help the Bulldogs earn a 5-0 win over the men's ice hockey team in front of 3,500 fans at Ingalls Rink. Cahill gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead at 10:09 of the third period, sliding a rebound underneath sophomore goaltender Keith Kinkaid (35 saves) off an initial shot from Miller. 

Cahill added another tally at 13:28 on a wrist shot from the circle. Kevin Limbert closed out the scoring with a wrist shot underneath Kinkaid's glove at 18:54. Union had its share of opportunities throught the contest. Jeremy Welsh rang a  shot off the outside of the post five minutes into the game. Late in second period, trailing 2-0, the Dutchmen had two minutes of five-on-three power play time after Miller and Brian O'Neill were whistled for high sticking and tripping penalties at 17:21.  Yale's penalty kill was able to keep Union off the board, with several shots either blocked or turned away by goaltender Ryan Rondeau (30 saves).

The Dutchmen were 0-for-6 on the power play, marking the first time that Union has failed to score a power play goal in back-to-back games this season. With Union freshman forward Cole Ikkala in the penalty box for cross checking, Yale took an early lead on its first power play of the game. Miller fired a pass from the point to O'Neill, who redirected the puck past Kinkaid to give Yale a 1-0 lead at 13:07. The Bulldogs would make it 2-0 at 8:47 of the second period. Miller hit trailing defenseman Nick Jaskowiak, who fired a wrist shot past Kinkaid to give Yale a two-goal lead after two periods of play. For the game, Yale outshot Union 40-30.

Scouting Brown
 Brown is led by junior forward Jack Maclellan, who has 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) and ranks fifth nationally with 1.53 points per game. The Bears have a young defensive corps with just three upperclassmen, a unit that has been vulnerable against high-scoring teams, yielding 3.53 goals per game (51st in the nation) 

The Bears have a young defensive corps with just three upperclassmen, a unit that has been vulnerable early on, yeilding 3.50 goals per game (49th in the nation) 

The Series
 Saturday's contest will be the 40th meeting all-time between the two schools and the 39th since Union went to Division I in 1991. 

Brown leads all-time series 19-11-10 and 18-11-10 in DI play. In the last five outings, the Dutchmen have posted a 2-1-2 record. 

Last Meeting
 On Dec. 3, Union defenseman Shawn Stuart scored the go-ahead goal at 15:19 of the third period, his first of the season, to help the Dutchmen earn a 4-3 win over Brown in front of 1,377 at Meehan Auditorium. Union rallied from an early 2-0 deficit with three straight goals, capped off by freshman forward Daniel Carr's goal at 4:23 of the third period to give Union its first lead of the game. But Brown forward Jack MacLellan tied the game at 5:59 on the power play, corralling a loose puck in the slot to beat Union goaltender Keith Kinkaid to even the game at 3-3. The Bears got off to a great start, taking a 2-0 lead after one period of play. At 8:20 of the first period, Union yielded its fourth shorthanded goal of the season when Jack MacLellan skated in on a shorthanded two-on-one, beating Union goaltender Keith Kinkaid low glove side to give Brown a 1-0 lead.

The Bears would strike later in the period when defenseman Matt Wahl followed up an initial shot by David Brownshidle, skating into the slot to finish high over Kinkaid to give Brown a 2-0 lead at 15:26. Union swung the momentum in their favor in the second period, outshooting the Bears 13-3. The Dutchmen cut Brown's lead in half when freshman forward Matt Hatch made a drop pass to Wayne Simpson, cut to the slot and finished over Brown goaltender Michael Clemente at 4:36. 

Sophomore forward Jeremy Welsh evened the score at 18:13 of the second period on a wrist shot from the slot. After a nice play by freshman defenseman Mat Bodie to keep the puck in the zone, Welsh skated towards the middle of the ice and fired a wrist shot towards the far post past Clemente to even the game at 2-2 heading into the third period.