This Week in Union College Hockey - January 21
Weekly Storyline
Union Prepares For Midweek Game Against Harvard – No. 17 Union (11-8-4, 5-4-3 ECAC Hockey) continues ECAC Hockey play against Harvard (5-10-1, 3-8-0 ECAC Hockey) tonight at Messa Rink in a rare midweek contest for the Dutchmen. On Saturday night Senior forward Wayne Simpson and freshman forward Nick Cruice scored to help Union defeat Colgate, 2-1, snapping a three game home winless streak (0-2-1). Junior goaltender Troy Grosenick (7-6-4) made 25 stops to earn the victory in net, as Union improved to 18-5-4 in its last 27 ECAC Hockey home games. Harvard has won just once in the past 10 contests (1-1-8), and will wrap up a seven game stretch of road contests on Tuesday night.
Union has played one midweek game in each of the last two seasons, defeating RPI at Houston Field House, 5-1, on Nov. 15, 2011, a Tuesday night last season, and earning a 3-3 tie against Connecticut at Messa Rink on Oct. 28, 2010, a Thursday night.
Must Read/See/Hear Material
USCHO.com: Two up, two down, too tight
Schenectady Daily Gazette: Dutchmen elated to win again
Schenectady Daily Gazette: College Hockey Slap Schotts Week 14 – Random Thoughts
Albany Times-Union: Union finally feels right at home
Fox Sports 980: College Hockey Slap Schotts – Jan. 17
WRALSportsfan.com: Hurricanes recall Welsh, reassign Murphy, Wallace
VegasNews.com: Julseth-White gets first career AHL Call-Up from Las Vegas Wranglers
Union Hockey News: Union Hockey Notebook – 1/21/13
Union Hockey News: Cruice, Grosenick lead Union to 2-1 win over Colgate
NOTE OF THE WEEK
Wayne Simpson On A Roll - Senior forward Wayne Simpson is playing some of his best hockey of the season over the past seven contests. Simpson is in the midst of a four game point streak, and has recorded eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last seven games. Simpson is tied for the team lead with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) on the season.
FIVE MORE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
The Union-Harvard Series – Last season, the Dutchmen went 2-0-1 against Harvard in three meetings, including a 3-1 win in the ECAC Hockey Championship Game on March 17. Union is unbeaten in its last six games against the Crimson (5-0-1), its longest unbeaten streak in the series against Harvard.
Harvard has controlled the series, which began when Union joined Division I in 1991. The Crimson own a 30-10-4 record, but Union is 6-3-1 in the last 10 meetings.
Home Is Where The Heart Is – Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the Dutchmen have an impressive record (26-6-7) in their last 39 regular season home games at Messa Rink.
Not including exhibition contests, the Dutchmen are 154-140-46 all-time at home. Union has been even more dominant in ECAC Hockey play at Messa Rink. Over the past two plus seasons, the Dutchmen have compiled a record of 18-5-4 in ECAC Hockey regular season home games.
Nearly Perfect on the PK – Union is in the midst of a dominant stretch of play on the penalty kill. On Dec. 8, the Dutchmen held Yale scoreless in eight power play chances, the team’s best penalty killing effort since March 15, 2009, when Union held Princeton scoreless on nine power play opportunities.
Over the last 14 contests, the Dutchmen have allowed just five power play goals, going 56-for-61 on the penalty kill. Union is ranked No. 4 in the nation on the penalty kill at 90.5% (86-for-95) on the season.
Three Is The Magic Number - Last season, the Dutchmen set a new school mark by scoring five or more goals in 14 contests. Union reached the five goal mark four times this season, including a 6-2 win at Harvard on Nov. 9. While Union is 30-0-0 since the start of the 2010-11 season when it scores five or more goals in a game, it has an even more impressive record when scoring three or more goals in a game.
Since the beginning of the 2011-12 season, Union is 33-0-7 when scoring three or more goals in a game. Over the last six contests (2-4-0), Union has topped the three goal mark once.
Union in ECAC Hockey Play – At 5-4-3 in conference play, Union, the defending Cleary Cup and Whitelaw Cup champions, has continued a run of success in league play over the past three seasons.
Union is 17-6-7 in its last 30 league games dating back to Nov. 12, 2011, when the Dutchmen fell 4-0 at home against Yale last season.
