#8 UNION TO HOST IVY LEAGUE OPPONENTS DARTMOUTH AND HAVARD IN ECAC HOCKEY ACTION AT MESSA RINK THIS

Union College (5-3-0, 0-2-0 ECACH) looks for its first wins in league play as Dartmouth College (0-0-1, 0-0-1 ECACH) visits Messa Rink on Friday (Nov. 7), followed by Harvard University (0-0-1, 0-0-1 ECACH) on Saturday (Nov. 8).

SERIES HISTORIES Union took four games from Dartmouth last year, including a sweep in the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals on home ice. The Dutchmen own a six-game winning streak in the series and sport a 22-21-7 mark at the Division I level. Dartmouth holds a 24-23-7 edge all-time in a series that began in 1977. Union won both games against Harvard in 2013-14 and owns a six-game winning streak, along with a nine-game (8-0-1) unbeaten patch. Harvard leads all-time, 30-13-4, in a series that started in 1991-92.

LAST WEEK Union was swept by Rensselaer on the opening weekend (Oct. 31-Nov. 1) of league play. Union lost 6-1 in Troy on Halloween Night, then dropped a 2-1 overtime game in Messa Rink. The Engineers scored twice in a span of 8:21 after being held off the board for 54:20. In the process, RPI claimed the Capital Skates Trophy outright for the first time since 2003-04. After starting the season at 5-0, the Dutchmen have lost three straight games for the first time since March 2011.

NATIONAL POLLS The Garnet and White are ranked eighth this week by USCHO.com and USA Today/ USA Hockey Magazine. This marks the 26th straight week Union has been listed in the national polls.

ECAC HOCKEY RANKINGS Mike Vecchione leads ECACH in overall scoring (12 points) and shares the top spot in goals (5) while classmate Jeff Taylor’s seven points is second-best among league defensemen. Daniel Ciampini and Sebastien Gingras own the third-highest plus/minus ratings at plus-six.

FOO SHINES Freshman forward Spencer Foo is off to a strong start, recording points in seven of eight games. He leads the team in rookie scoring with four goals and three assists for seven points, which ranks third on the team. Foo is also the second-highest scoring rookie in ECAC Hockey, trailing Quinnipiac’s Landon Smith by a point.

COACH RICK BENNETT Now in his fourth season, Bennett sports an overall record of 85-30-16 (.710). During his time in the Electric City, Bennett has led Union to a national championship, two Frozen Four appearances, three-straight Whitelaw Cups and two Cleary Cups. Last year he was named Coach of the Year by the American Hockey Coaches Association, College Hockey News and U.S. College Hockey Online.

DUTCHMEN NOTEBOOK Union has won 19 straight games against Ivy League schools, dating to March 2013 … Union stood as the third-highest scoring team in the country last week, but mustered just two goals over the weekend. As a result, the team dropped to 14th in scoring offense (3.38) … Union has sold out 10 of its last 11 games at Messa Rink and is playing to 101 percent capacity this season (standing-room-only ticket sales included) … Colin Stevens is one shutout shy of matching the school career record. Twice in as many weeks he has lost a shutout bid in the closing minutes. Dartmouth vs. Union November 7, 2014 | 7:00 p.m. Harvard vs. Union November 8, 2014 | 7:00 p.m. Frank L. Messa Rink at Achilles Center (2,054) Schenectady, N.Y. Dutchmen Radio Network WPTR-1240 AM Matt DuBrey, Brian Unger