The Union College Dutchmen took a 4-3 victory over the Quinnipiac Bobcats Friday night at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.
Union looked for revenge after being swept by the Bobcats (5-5-2, 2-3-2 ECAC) last season in the first round of the ECAC playoffs last season, two times in conference play and once in the Governor’s Cup.
Union took a 4-3 lead when Andrew Buote deflected home Lane Caffaro’s initial shot from the blue line. Buote first goal of the season proved to be the game winner when he got his stick on the puck and put it between Quinnipiac’s Bud Fisher’s five hole with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Union (3-5-2, 1-2-2 ECAC) never trailed in the contest with leads of 2-0, 3-1, and 4-3, the final score.
“I thought the effort for the most part was disappointing,” said Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold. “I give ourselves credit for battling back, but we just did not play well tonight.”
The Dutchmen scored just one minute into the game on defenseman Mike Schreiber’s first goal of the season. Schreiber picked up a pass from Stephane Boileau at the top of the left circle and fired it past Quinnipiac’s Bud Fisher for the 1-0 lead.
Union took a two-goal lead with a power play goal by Torren Delforte at 12:27 of the first. Adam Presizniuk received a pass from John Simpson and saw Delforte standing unopposed by Quinnipiac defenders at the crease. He slid the puck across Fisher’s stick to Delforte for the goal.
“I think last year we over achieved, but I think we overachieved because we played hungry,” said Pecknold. “For lack of a better term, they [last year’s team] wanted to prove something. We have so many returning players this year. Just to simplify it, we just don’t want it as badly. You got to want it and compete.”
The Bobcats cut the deficit in half on a Brandon Wong power play goal. Greg Holt came in the zone with the puck and slid it around the boards. Jake Bauer corralled it on his stick at the blue line. Bauer, with his head up, found Wong in the slot and he roofed it over the shoulder of Corey Milan.
Union would take back a two-goal lead on a failed clear attempt by the Bobcats. Boileau dumped the puck into the Bobcat zone. Presizniuk intercepted a clear attempt by the Bobcats and fed Mario Valery-Trabucco alone in the slot for the one timer goal.
With the Bobcats on the penalty kill, Jean-Marc Beaudoin found the puck in the neutral zone. He skated in and took a shot from the bottom of the left circle. The puck bounced off a Union player’s skate, the butt-end of Milan stick and found its way into the back of the net at 17:55 of the second.
“Just throw shots on net,” said Beaudoin. “I think it hit the defenseman in front. Just shoot and shoot some more.”
It was Beaudoin third short-handed goal of the season.
Beaudoin added his second goal of the night with 18 seconds remaining in the period. On the face-off to the left of Milan, Brandon Wong won the face-off back to Beaudoin and he would wrist the puck past Milan blocker side.
Milan made 29 saves in the win, while Fisher made 26 saves in the loss.
