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Union power plays do in Saints, 3-2

Posted 2/28/15

Union College spent the better part of the third period on the power play in Friday's ECAC Hockey game against St. Lawrence and made it pay off with a trio of power play goals to upset the 19th …

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Union power plays do in Saints, 3-2

Posted

Union College spent the better part of the third period on the power play in Friday's ECAC Hockey game against St. Lawrence and made it pay off with a trio of power play goals to upset the 19th ranked Saints 3-2.

SLU falls to 18-12-3 overall and 14-6-1 in league play heading into the final game of the regular season at RPI on Saturday. Union is 15-16-2 overall and 7-13-1 after the win.

The Saints dominated the first period and could have come out with a bigger lead had it not been for some good saves by Union goalie Colin Stevens. The bigger lead would have come in handy as Union played the Saints even in the second period and then took advantage of a spate of penalty calls against the Saints in the third to take the lead.

Union had a five minute power play to start the third period, and while the Saints were able to kill off nearly half, another penalty call against the Saints continued the opportunity and the Dutchmen cashed in on Daniel Ciampini's 25th of the year at 5:55. Union tied it at 7:31 when Mike Vecchione scored his 16th on Union's third power play of the period and went ahead when Max Novak scored his seventh from point blank range at 13:11 on the fourth Union man-up chance in the third.

The Saints opened the scoring on a power play of their own as Brian Ward scored his eighth of the year, one-timing a pass from Gavin Bayreuther with Nolan Gluchowski also assisting at 9:18. Chris Martin then took the puck deep and centered it for defensive partner Matt Purmal just 21 seconds later and Purmal scored his fourth of the season as he took a hard shot while skating down the slot.

Tommy Thompson had a shorthanded breakaway which was stopped by Stevens with 9:11 to go in the first and had another later in the game which was foiled by a hook, but drew the penalty.

Kyle Hayton kept Union from scoring in the second period with nine saves as Union had a 9-4 edge in shots on goal and played well in the third with some big saves and could not be faulted on any of the Union power play goals.

The Saints pulled Hayton for an extra attacker with 1:31 to go in the third and the game was delayed with 1:08 to go when Gluchowski's hard shot from the center slot sailed over the net and smashed a pane of glass behind the net. The Saints got one solid shot on net after play resumed, but couldn't come up with the equalizer.

Stevens finished with 23 saves for the Dutchmen while Hayton had 26 for the Saints.