Union Men’s Hockey Moves Up In National Polls

After opening ECAC Hockey play with a home-and-home series sweep against RPI, Union climbed two spots to No. 7 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll and up to No. 8 in the USCHO.com Poll. Union received a first place vote in each poll for the fourth consecutive week.

Union received 661 points and one of 50 first place votes in the USCHO.com poll and earned 297 points and one of 33 first place votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. Union has appeared in the USCHO.com poll for 69 consecutive weeks since the Dec. 7, 2009 rankings, extending a school record. The Dutchmen have been in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll for 19 consecutive weeks, and in the top 10 of the poll for 13 straight weeks.

On Friday, sophomore defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, senior forward Wayne Simpson and junior forward Matt Hatch scored in a three-goal second period to help lift Union to a 4-2 win at Houston Field House. The next night at Messa Rink, Gostisbehere matched his own school record with four assists, and sophomore forward Daniel Ciampini had two goals and an assist to lead Union to a 7-3 victory.

With the two victories, Union retained the Capital Skates Trophy for the ninth consecutive season and improved to 20-4-4 against RPI since the start of the 2004-05 campaign.

Union will continue ECAC Hockey play with a road contest at Harvard on Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

The preceding information was provided by Jeffrey Weinstein, Assistant Sports Information Director for Union College Athletics.