Team Notes: No. 14 Union Returns to Messa Rink to Face Harvard, Dartmouth

SCHENECTADY, NY - No. 14 Union men's ice hockey (9-5-5, 3-2-2 ECAC Hockey) hosts Harvard (4-4-4, 3-3-2 ECAC Hockey) and Dartmouth (6-5-2, 3-3-1 ECAC Hockey) for its first games at Messa Rink since early November. The Dutchmen closed out a nine-game stretch away from Messa Rink on a sour note, falling to nationally-ranked Denver (3-1) and Colorado College (2-1) on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31. Union begins a stretch of 15 straight games in ECAC Hockey play to close out the regular season, nine of which will take place at Messa Rink. Harvard enters this weekend coming off a a trip to North Dakota. The Crimson earned a 4-4 tie in their first contest before falling 7-3 last Saturday in the second of two games at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Dartmouth hosted the Ledyard National Bank Classic at Thompson Arena last weekend, earning a 3-2 win over Holy Cross before suffering a 2-2 (3-2) shootout loss to St. Lawrence, which officially counts as a tie.

»The Home Stretch
Over the past two seasons, the Dutchmen have made a habit of playing their best hockey in January and February, when Union traditionally has a lengthy stretch of ECAC Hockey contests. The Dutchmen will play nine of its final 15 games this season, all ECAC Hockey contests, at Messa Rink. In 2010-11 and 2009-10 combined, the Dutchmen compiled a 13-3-1 record in January and February at Messa Rink in ECAC Hockey contests.

»Special Teams Success 
The Dutchmen have gotten off to another hot start on the power play, which ranks tied for eighth the nation at 23.4% (22-for-95). Union has scored two or more power play goals in eight contests this season (6-0-2). The Dutchmen have scored a power play goal in 12 of 19 games this season and have a record of 9-1-2 in those contests. Union's penalty kill, which ranks 13th in the nation at 85.2% (17-for-83), has also been strong. Union is one of three teams (Yale, Ohio St.) with top-15 power play and penalty kill units.

»Welsh and Carr are Union's Extra Men
Junior forward Jeremy Welsh has gotten off to a strong start on Union's eighth-ranked power play unit (23.4%, 22-for-95). Welsh is third in the nation with seven power play goals, adding a power play goal in the first period of Union's 3-1 loss at No. 15 Denver last Friday. Nipping at his heels is sophomore forward Daniel Carr, who has five power play goals on the season. Welsh is tied for third in the Division I era at Union with 19 career power play goals, while Carr has 17 career power play goals, both chasing Jordan Webb '05 for the program record of 22 career power play tallies.

»Union to Face Harvard at Fenway Park on Jan. 13 
Union College, Harvard University, ECAC Hockey and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announced that the men's ice hockey contest between Union and Harvard on January 13 at 7:00 p.m. will now be played outdoors at Fenway Park as part of Sun Life Frozen Fenway 2012. The game will be the fourth NCAA Division I men's ice hockey game ever played at Fenway Park and the 10th outdoor NCAA Division I men's ice hockey contest.

»Scouting Harvard                      
After stuggling on offense in 2010-11, Harvard forwards are off to a great start this season. Alex Killorn paces Harvard with 16 points (8-8-16), while Danny Biega (3-12-15) is tied for fourth in the nation averaging an assist per game. Biega and Patrick McNally (4-10-14) rank second and third in scoring among defensemen, while McNally leads all freshmen in points per game.
 
Harvard, which averages 3.5 goals/game is on pace for its highest-scoring season since 2002-03, when the Crimson averaged 3.91 goals per game and ranked sixth nationally in scoring offense.
 
Harvard's power play is first in the nation and has scored at least one power-play goal in 16 straight games and has netted 25 man-advantage goals in its last 14 ECAC games.
 
On the flip side, Harvard is allowing 3.75 goals/game, and is 71.1% on the penalty kill, both in the bottom five nationally. Freshman goaltender Steve Michalek is 4-3-3 with a 3.54 GAA and .886 save percentage.

»The Union-Harvard Series           
Last season, the Dutchmen swept Harvard for the first time in program history with 2-1 wins on Nov. 5, 2010 and Jan. 22, 2011. It was also the first time that Union has won consecutive games against the Crimson.
 
Harvard has controlled the series, which began when Union joined Division I in 1991. The Crimson own a 30-7-3 record, including a 7-3-0 record in the last 10 meetings. The Dutchmen are 4-14-2 all-time against Harvard at Messa Rink.
 
»The Last Meeting                 
Freshman defenseman Mat Bodie scored at 17:43 of the third period to help lift No. 12/10 Union to a 2-1 win over Harvard in front of 1,914 fans at Messa Rink on Jan. 22, 2011.
 
With the game knotted at 1-1, Wayne Simpson took a pass from Kelly Zajac and fired a shot from the slot. Harvard goaltender Ryan Carroll made the initial stop, but Bodie was able to tip the rebound into an open net, giving the freshman his second game-winning goal of the season. The Dutchmen trailed 1-0 entering the third period, and were 0-5-0 when trailing after two periods before tonight's contest.
 
Jeremy Welsh got the Dutchmen on the board on a similar play to Bodie's goal.  Daniel Carr had his initial shot from the slot blocked, but Welsh scooped a backhander over the arm of Carroll to tie the game at 1-1 at 6:48 of the third period. The goal was Welsh's 13th of the season and team leading 29th point of the year.
 
Despite outshooting Harvard 15-8 in the opening frame, the Dutchmen fell behind in the first period for the second consecutive night, allowing Harvard a rare power play goal. The Crimson, who entered the game with the nation's worst power play, had a 5-on-3 power play for 19 seconds after Brock Matheson and Shawn Stuart were whistled for interference and high-sticking.
 
Just as Matheson's penalty was expired, Danny Biega found older brother Michael Biega in the slot, who fired a one-timer pastKeith Kinkaid at 17:34 to give the Crimson a 1-0 lead.
 
Union had four power play opportunities in the second period, but was unable to convert on any of them. The Dutchmen outshot Harvard 19-9 in the frame and 42-26 for the game. 

»Scouting Dartmouth               
This season, the story for Dartmouth has been its youth movement. Seven freshmen have suited up in a game for the Big Green.
 
Those seven players have combined for 30 points, which has accounted for 34.5% of the team's scoring in 2011-12. Their 13 goals have accounted for 39.3% of Dartmouth's 33 total goals this season, including four of the six game-winning goals.
 
Leading the way is freshman forward Tyler Sikura, who leads the team with 10 points (seven goals, three assists).
 
First-team preseason all-ECAC goaltender James Mello is off to a slow start in net for Dartmouth. Mello is 3-4-1 with a 2.99 GAA and .898 save percentage after posting impressive numbers last season (2.21 GAA, .926 save percentage).
 
Dartmouth has struggled at times on offense this season, averaging 2.54 goals/game. They have the third-worst power play in the country at 9.3% with only four power play goals. The Big Green are in the top half of the country in scoring defense, allowing 2.69 goals/game.

»The Union-Dartmouth Series           
In a series that dates back to 1977, the Big Green own a 23-15-6 advantage over the Dutchmen and a 20-14 -6 record in the Division I era. Union is 2-5-3 against Dartmouth in its last 10 games, with its last win on Feb. 12, 2010, a 5-4 win at Thompson Arena. Union rallied back rom a four-goal deficit, as Kyle Bodie capped off the comeback with a goal at 17:15 of the third period. Union has not beaten Dartmouth at Messa Rink since a 4-1 win on Jan. 5, 2007.
 
Union is 7-10-4 against Dartmouth at Messa Rink, with a 1-3-1 record in its last five games against the Big Green at home 
 
»The Last Meeting                   
On Jan 21, 2011, Union fell 4-1 to Dartmouth in front of 1,930 fans at Messa Rink. The Dutchmen fell to 9-1-1 on the season at Messa Rink, ending a 12-game home unbeaten streak (11-0-1) dating back to a 3-2 (5OT) ECAC Quarterfinal loss against Quinnipiac on March 12, 2010.
 
Kyle Bodie scored his sixth goal of the season in the loss. Union faced its biggest first period deficit of the season after allowing three Dartmouth goals, two on the power play in the opening frame.
 
On the Big Green's first power play of the game, defenseman Mike Keenan followed his own rebound, shoveling a backhand over the shoulder of Kinkaid to give Dartmouth a 1-0 lead at 3:06. Dartmouth would strike again, with Union's Ryan Forgaard in the penalty box for the second time in the first 10 minutes of the game for high sticking. Forward Scott Fleming found a loose puck in the slot and beat Kinkaid from between the faceoff circles at 7:19. The Big Green would capitalize on a neutral zone turnover at 10:10. Dartmouth's Paul Lee fired a shot from the side boards, which Kinkaid kicked away, but Rob Smith was there to poke in the rebound, giving Dartmouth a 3-0 lead at 10:10.
 
Union seemed to get it skating legs in the second period, outshooting Dartmouth 18-10 in the frame and drawing three power play opportunities. The Dutchmen converted at even strength at 14:37 to cut into Dartmouth's lead. Bodie skated across the ice in the high slot and fired a puck through traffic that beat Mello inside the near post at 14:37 to make it 3-1.
 
But Union would not get any closer, despite outshooting the Big Green 33-20 in the second and third periods combined. Matt Hatch had the best chance to cut further into Dartmouth's lead, but was stopped on a breakaway by goaltender James Mello with 3:00 remaining in the third period. Fleming would score his second of the night, an empty-netter at 18:35, to seal the win for the Big Green. Dartmouth held Union scoreless (0-for-4) on the power play for the second time this season, while converting on two of their four opportunities with the man advantage.