NEW HAVEN, Conn.—Junior forward Spencer Foo completed his first career hat trick with 2:10 remaining in regulation to propel the No. 14/15 Union College men’s hockey team to a 5-3 win at Yale, Saturday night at Ingalls Rink. The Dutchmen, who extend their win streak to four, move to 12-3-2 overall and 8-1-1 in ECAC Hockey, placing them atop the league. The Bulldogs go to 4-5-2 overall and 2-5-1 in conference play.
After Yale’s Mitchell Smith tied the game at 3-3 with 2:30 to play in the third, Foo potted the game-winning goal 20 seconds later, burying a rebound from the slot after Mike Vecchione’s initial shot was saved.
Foo extended his point streak to 15 games, giving him 27 points (9 g, 18 a) in that span. The 15-game streak is longest by a Union player since Jason Walters ’10 had a 15-game streak during the 2009-10 season.
Vecchione finished with three assists, moving him into fourth on Union’s all-time career scoring list (148). Cole Maier added a multi-point game with a goal and an assist and Jeff Taylor pushed his point streak to four games with a goal. Ryan Scarfo, Vas Kolias and Brett Supinski each added an assist. In goal, Alex Sakellaropoulos made 26 saves to improve to 11-1-1.
Yale jumped out a 2-0 lead in the first with two goals in a 22-second span. Joe Snively opened the scoring at 6:44 from a rebound after Ryan Hitchcock drove to the net, and Chris Izmirlian finished off a pass from Luke Stevens in tight at 7:06.
Union responded with three unanswered goals in the second to pull in front 3-2. Taylor cut Union’s deficit in half 50 seconds into the frame, rifling a wrist shot past Yale goaltender Sam Tucker from the high slot, and Foo tied the game at 7:35, converting on a shorthanded breakaway with a backhand-to-forehand deke.
He added his second of the game with another breakaway goal 2:02 later, receiving a long lead pass from Vecchione and this time going forehand-to-backhand.
Mitchell kept the Bulldogs’ hopes alive in the closing minutes, but Foo gave Union the last lead it would need at 17:30. Vecchione drove into Union’s offensive zone before firing the puck on net. Tucker kicked away the shot with his right pad, but the rebound fell right onto the stick of Foo, who made no mistake on the rebound. Maier sealed the win with an empty net goal at 19:57.
Tucker finished with 19 saves for the Bulldogs, who outshot the Dutchmen 29-24. Union finished 0-for-3 on the power play, while Yale was 0-for-4.
The Dutchmen, who sit atop the ECAC Hockey standings after their fourth weekend sweep of the season, close out their six-game road swing with a pair of games at Vermont Dec. 17-18.
(Union College Hockey Photo)
