TROY, N.Y. – Senior captain Mike Vecchione scored 1:06 into overtime to give the Union College men’s hockey team a 3-2 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Saturday night at Messa Rink. With the win, the Dutchmen improve to 6-1-1 (2-0-0 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 1-5-1 (0-2-0 ECAC Hockey).
Vecchione (Saugus, MA/Tri-City Storm) broke into the RPI zone early in the extra session and use a defenseman as screen in ripping a shot over the left shoulder of Engineers sophomore goaltender Chase Perry (Andover, MN/Wenatchee Wild) for his 10th goal of the season.
Following a scoreless first period, Union broke onto the board at 1:30 of the second, when senior Eli Lichtenwald (Saskatoon, SK/Nipawin Hawks) tipped home a point shot by junior Nick DeSimone (East Amherst, NY/Buffalo Junior Sabres) for his second goal of the year. Freshman Vas Kolias (Schaumburg, IL/Youngstown Phantoms) picked up the secondary assist.
RPI pulled even (1-1) at 3:32 of the frame on the power play. Freshman Jacob Hayhurst (Missassauga, ON/Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) worked the puck to bottom of the right circle for senior captain Riley Bourbonnais (Rochester, NY/Lincoln Stars), who took two shots to beat Union senior goalie Alex Sakellaropoulos (Tinsley Park, IL/Chicago Steel) inside the left post.
Late in the frame, the Dutchmen crashed the net for a goal to take a 2-1 lead. Junior Ryan Scarfo (North Chelmsford, MA/Powell River Kings) was credited with his second goal in as many nights, with assists to senior Michael Pontarelli (Laval, PQ/Conrwall Colts) and sophomore Cole Maier (Pequannock, NJ/Nanaimo Clippers).
Bourbonnais had the answer once again, tying the game 5:53 into the third period. Junior Viktor Liljegren (Stockholm, Sweden/Fairbanks Ice Dogs) took a shot from the left circle that fell to right side of the crease for Bourbonnais to poke home. The power play tally also drew an assist from freshman defenseman Will Reilly (Toronto, ON/Nanaimo Clippers).
Sakellaropoulos (5-0-0) finished with 23 saves, while Perry (0-4-1) had 37 stops at the other end of the ice, matching a season-high.
Union went 0 for 8 on the power play, while Rensselaer was 2 for 4.
The Engineers are back in action next weekend, when they host Brown and No. 17 Yale on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (7pm).
