SCHENECTADY, NY – All three goals scored in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Massachusetts were scored on the power play, as the Union College men’s hockey team drop their second contest of the season to the Minutemen at Messa Rink.
Union now heads into the Holiday season with a 10-8-1 record, while UMass improves to 9-7-0.
Coming off a 4-2 win against Holy Cross the night before, Union came out looking strong in the early minutes against Massachusetts. The Dutchmen used that early momentum to score a power-play goal less than eight minutes into the contest. Ryan Scarfo redirected a shot from fellow senior J.C. Brassard past UMass goaltender Ryan Wischow to open the scoring and give Union the early lead.
Unfortunately for the Dutchmen, a string of penalties swung the game’s momentum the opposite way. After being assessed two minors 31 seconds apart, Union suddenly found itself down two men just minutes after taking the lead.
During the five-on-three opportunity, the Minutemen’s Mario Ferraro fired a shot off the pad of Union netminder Jake Kupsky, but the rebound went straight to the stick of Oliver Chau for the easy back-door goal.
In the second period, neither team was able to get much of an advantage during even strength play, but Massachusetts would find the back of the net once more on a power play. This time Mitchel Chaffee redirected a shot to the backdoor and onto the stick of Jake Gaudet who potted his second goal of the season.
Union turned up the pressure in the third period, out-shooting the Minutemen, 12-6, but the Dutchmen were unable to get anything past Wischow and the UMass defense.
Kupsky turned in another solid performance in net. Despite the loss, he made 30 saves in the contest, including nine while shorthanded.
Union will return to the ice for a nonconference series against Omaha, Dec. 29-30, in Omaha, Neb.
