Forever Nineteen Forty <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> It's over.  Union finally won an ECAC League game -- for the
> first time in nearly two months, as they defeated Yale 3-2 at
> Achilles.
>
> Jonathan Poirier scored twice in the second period [amazingly,
> both goals coming on the POWER PLAY] for the Dutchmen, and Joel
> Beal scored the winner with 2:10 to play in the game.
>
> Union survived another shorthanded goal against, as Yale tied
> the game when Nick Shalek scored in the final seconds of a
> Dutchmen power play midway through the third.  The Dutchmen have
> now been burned ten times for SHGA, tying Western Michigan for
> the most in the nation.
>
> Union outshot Yale 30-18, including a hard-to-believe 15-1 in
> the middle session.  Kris Mayotte earned the victory. Jordan
> Webb earned assists on both of Poirier's goals, to reach the
> coveted 100 point mark for his career.
>
> Union clinches at least 9th place with the victory, and tie
> Clarkson for 8th place in the ECACHL-- Clarkson tied Colgate 3-3
> tonight as Jay Lutillipe scored at the 19:59 mark of the third
> to complete a rally for Clarkson. Both Union and Clarkson are
> one point behind St. Lawerence, who lost in overtime to Cornell
> tonite.
>
> Union is now 8-13-0 in the ECAC.

Yes, it was a long time coming, but Union finally got another league
win.  It wasn't a game that was going to make any highlight shows,
with stretches of sloppy play on both sides.

Union came out strong and had good scoring chances early on but
didn't score.  5 minutes in, Yale took a 1-0 lead when a seemingly
harmless shot found its way past Kris Mayotte.  From my view, it
looked like the shot was kind of knuckling in on him, hit him in the
chest but then fell down, got between his pads, and slid right in.
That seemed to deflate Union and boost Yale, and Yale turned an early
shot deficit into an 11-8 lead in the shots on goal category after 1.

Union turned things around in a big way in the second, thanks in part
to some power play chances.  As everyone knows, the power play has
been a huge problem for Union lately, but Poirier came through on two
consecutive power plays to give Union a 2-1 lead after 2.  Combined
with the announcement that Colagte was up 3-1 over Clarkson, things
were looking good.

Yale wasn't giving up, though, and scored a shorthanded goal midway
through the third.  They nearly put a shorthander in a bit earlier in
that same Union power play situation.  That tied things at 2.

After Union couldn't get much going on a power play chance with around
5 minutes left, Joel Beal took a pass from Jake Schwan with just over
2 minutes left to put Union up.  The goal was Beal's 100th point
(Jordan Webb actually passed that mark earlier this season).

Things weren't over, though, and Yale got a power play chance for the
last minute and a half when Scott Seney was sent off for a holding
call.  The crowd didn't like the call, especially since referee Matt
Smith (is he new? I don't remember seeing him before) had let quite a
bit go earlier in the game.  But Union was able to keep Yale from
tying up the game.

Saturday night not only is Union's chance to pursue a home-ice playoff
slot, but it will be the last regular season home game for Union's
seniors: Joel Beal, Chris DiStefano, Jordan Webb, Brian Kerr, Matt
Vagvolgyi, and Matt Blabac.  The last few years, the senior night
ceremonies have been held after the game, and I assume they will do
the same this season.

--
Jim Teresco - [log in to unmask]
http://www.teresco.org