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This Weekend
After going 1-1 last weekend against Brown and Yale, Union will hit the road for a mid-week matchup with Dartmouth College.
media coverage
Fans can watch this weekend’s game on ESPN+. Live stats will be available through DartmouthSports.com.
social media
Receive real-time updates during all Union men’s hockey games by following the team’s official Twitter account @UnionMHocky. Additional behind-the-scenes looks are also available through the team’s official Instagram account, @UnionMHockey.
vs Dartmouth
Union will travel to Dartmouth for a solo game against the Big Green after the original game was postponed due to Covid-19 protocols. Union is 9-1-0 in the last ten meetings with Dartmouth, while the Big Green hold a 14-13-2 edge on home ice.
Scouting the Big Green
Dartmouth hosted Clarkson and St. Lawrence this past weekend, taking Clarkson to a 5-5 tie, before falling in the shootout. The Big Green fell to St Lawrence 3-1 on Saturday.
First-year Sean Chisholm leads all Big Green skaters with 11 points (4-7-11) and is currently riding a four-game point streak (3-1-4). Junior Mark Gallant (6-4-10 leads the team with six goals, three of which were first goals, and tallied three assists last weekend.
Sophomore Clay Stevenson (2-5-1, .922. 2.99) and senior Justin Ferguson (1-6-1, .863, 4.0) have split the goaltending duties so far this season.
Kosack Nominated for Hockey Humanitarian Award
For the second straight season, senior Josh Kosack of the Union College men’s hockey team has been announced as a nominee for the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award. Kosack is one of 11 nominees for the award this season, including one of three nominated previously in 2020-21 and one of two finalists returning to the ballot in 2021-22.
Meet Murphy
junior transfer Connor Murphy has been excellent between the pipes for the Dutchmen. Murphy stopped 89 shots in the series against Maine, including 51 stops on December 10, earning ECAC Hockey Goalie of the Week for the second time this season. The 51 saves ranks ninth in Union’s Division I single-game record list and ranks second in Division I this season for a single game. Murphy has stopped 620 shots this season, which ranks fifth nationally, on the way to a 7-11-2 record with two shutouts.
Murphy Named to Mike Richter Award Watch List
Junior Connor Murphy was one of 28 goaltenders named to the preliminary Mike Richter Award Watch List on Thursday, January 20.
Steady Seger
junior assistant captain Gabriel Seger has been a steady presence in the faceoff circle for the Dutchmen. The junior is winning 52.4 percent of faceoffs.
Aside from his steadying presence in the circle, Seger has made an impact on the Dutchmen offense. The junior is tied for third on the team with 10 points (3-7-10). Union is 5-3-1 when Seger scores a point.
Ironman Estes
senior defenseman Brandon Estes played in his 100th consecutive game on December 10 at Maine. The last game Estes missed was on February 3, 2018. The senior has played in 130 career games for the Dutchmen (13-36-49), including 106 in a row.
Three is the magic number
In 22 games this season, Brandon Estes has scored 13 points (4-9-13). Those points were scored in three three-game point streaks (10/15-10/22, 11/5-11/12, 1/15-1/22), resulting in a 1-1-1 team record in each streak . Therefore, Union is 3-3-3 when Estes scores a point. Estes also added three points last weekend against Brown and Yale.
Kosack Named Senior CLASS Award Candidate
Josh Kosack is one of 20 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. Kosack is one of four candidates from an ECAC Hockey school and the sixth Union player in program history.
Kozi’s Kids
senior captain Josh Kosack launched his second Kozi’s Kids fundraiser on November 15 to benefit COCOA House, a non-profit that provides a safe place for inner-city Schenectady children to go after school with a focus on building life skills, academics, and mentorship. After raising over $5,000 for new laptops and Christmas presents in a year without Dutchmen hockey, Kosack is aiming higher this year with a goal of $20,000. COCOA House purchased the building next door to create a second space for kids with an emphasis on a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship space, a lounge area, study rooms, and other resources. The money will go to developing a Kozi’s Kids lounge and purchasing Christmas presents for children in the Tri-City area. As of 8:00 pm on January 13, over $40,000 has been raised. To learn more about the fundraiser, or to donate, please visit UnionAthletics.com/KozisKids. A final amount raised will be announced soon.
RankedRobertson
Sophomore forward Liam Robertson is off to a great start of this season. Robertson is ranked 11th nationally and first in the conference with five power-play goals in 20 games. The forward is tied for second on the team with 11 points (8-3-11), six of which came on special teams (5-1-6).
Dutchmen Earn Player of the Week Honors
Following a career game against Merrimack College, Liam Robertson was named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Week. After their performances against Maine, first-year Caden Villegas earned Rookie of the Week accolades and junior Connor Murphy Earned his second Goalie of the Week honor.
Lighting The Lamp Fast
Union scored the first goal in seven out of its first ten games played this season, including three games in which the Dutchmen scored within the first 2:01 of the game. Despite that advantage, Union was only 2-3-2 in those seven contests.
First Year Force
First year Michael Hodges has established himself as a steady offensive presence in the first 12 games. The forward started the season on a five-game point streak, registering three goals and three assists during that time. Hodge is tied for first on the team with nine points.
How Sweep It Is
On Monday, October 18, the ECAC announced a clean sweep of their weekly awards by the Dutchmen. Senior Brandon Estes Earned Player of the Week honors, scoring one goal and adding three assists from the blue line. Junior Connor Murphy Garnered Goalie of the Week recognition, posting a 1.92 goals against average and a .945 save percentage with 69 saves in two contests. First year Collin Graf played a role in both Union goals in Friday’s 2-1 win over the Tigers, scoring his first collegiate goal on the power play and then picking up the primary assist on Estes’ game-winning goal.
This marked the first time that Union swept the weekly awards since March 2014 when Daniel Carr ’14 (Player), Colin Stevens ’15 (Goalie), and Mike Vecchione ’17 (Rookie) were all recognized.
O Captains, My Captains
Senior Josh Kosack will wear the captains’ “C” this season while juniors Dylan Anhorn other Gabriel Seger will don the “A” for the Dutchmen in 2021-22. Kosack is captaining the team for the second straight season, after serving as a team leader during the 2020-21 pandemic year.
Looking to Surprise
Union was picked to finish in a tie for eighth in the ECAC Hockey preseason coaches poll, earning 40 points to tie with Rensselaer. The local media were even more pessimistic about Union’s chances, voting the Dutchmen 11th out of 12 teams (26 points) in the preseason media poll.
Welcome to the show
Heading into the 2021-22 season, more than half (16 of 31) of Union’s players have never played in a collegiate game. Seven sophomores were with the team last year but did not compete, as Union did not play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program also welcomed eight first-year players to the team this season as well.
