SCHENECTADY, N.Y.-Junior goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos turned away 26 of 27 shots to lead the Union College men’s ice hockey team to a 2-1 ECAC Hockey win against Princeton, Friday night at Messa Rink. The Dutchmen, who are unbeaten in their last 14 against Princeton move to 12-11-8 overall and 5-8-5 in ECAC Hockey, while the Tigers, who have lost seven straight, go to 5-19-2 and 3-14-2 in league play.
Eli Lichtenwald and Nick DeSimone each scored to lead Union. Mike Vecchione extended his point streak to five games with an assist and J.C. Brassard and Michael Pontarelli each chipped in with a helper.
Ryan Siiro scored the lone goal for Princeton. In goal, Colton Phinney made 34 saves on 36 shots.
Princeton had a chance to pull in front just over six minutes into play, but Sakellaropoulos made a sprawling stick save to deny Max Veronneau’s one-timer from the doorstep to keep the game scoreless.
The Dutchmen rallied around the play of Sakellaropoulos, opening the scoring for the first time in their last five games with their second power play opportunity of contest.
Brassard threw the puck towards the net from the point and Lichtenwald redirected the shot past Phinney for his fifth of the year at 14:44.
The Tigers netted the equalizer on the power play at 2:34 of the second, as Siiro fired home a wrist shot from the slot, but Union regained its lead 1:03 later on DeSimone’s fourth of the season.
Vecchione won an offensive zone faceoff back to DeSimone, and his point shot through traffic beat Phinney on the glove side.
The Dutchmen minimized Princeton’s chances in the third period, blocking six shots and holding the Tigers to just five shots on goal to hang on for the 2-1 victory.
Union, which currently sits four points back of Cornell and Clarkson for the final ECAC Hockey home playoff spot, hosts top-ranked Quinnipiac at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20 in its final regular season home game.
NOTES:
Friday’s victory marked the first Friday home win for Union this season…Sakellaropoulos has a .949 save percentage and a 1.51 goals against average in Union’s last three Friday contests.
