Dutchmen erupt for eight goals in win at Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. — Junior forward Spencer Foo tied a career high with four points as the sixth-ranked Union College men’s hockey team rolled to an 8-3 win against Dartmouth, Saturday night at Thompson Arena. The Dutchmen improve to 20-8-2 overall and 13-4-1 in ECAC Hockey, moving back atop the conference standings. Dartmouth goes to 9-13-3 overall and 6-10-2 in league play.

Foo netted his second hat trick of the season, also adding an assist, giving him 50 points for the year (20G-30A). Sebastian Vidmar (1G-1A), Cole Maier (1G-1A), Ryan Walker (1G-1A) and Jeff Taylor (2A) each produced multi-point games for Union. Senior Mike Vecchione added another record to his resume with an assist, setting the program’s single-season record for points (51). In goal, Jake Kupsky made a career-high 45 saves for his third win of the year (3-4-1).

Union showed no ill effects from Friday night’s loss at Havard, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period.

Maier opened the scoring at 5:15 with his 12th of the season. Maier capitalized on a breakaway following a Dartmouth turnover in the neutral zone, lifting a backhand past Big Green goaltender Devin Buffalo. Walker doubled the lead 1:43 later, burying a rebound in tight after Buffalo denied Maier’s initial shot from the slot.

Brown made it 3-0 with a power-play goal at 11:33, firing home a wrist shot from the top of the left circle. Walker and J.C. Brassard each picked up an assist on the goal.

The Dutchmen continued to build on the momentum in the second, adding four goals in the frame to take a 7-1 lead. Vidmar tipped a point shot from Foo for Union’s second power-play tally of the game at 3:23. Foo pushed the advantage to 5-0 at 6:13, scoring on a shorthanded breakaway, and Scarfo netted his fifth of the year at 7:36, beating Adrian Clark high on the blocker side with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle. Brendan Taylor registered the lone assist on the goal.

Cam Strong got Dartmouth on the board with a redirection at 10:15, but Foo capped the scoring for the period, potting Union’s third power-play goal of the game at 18:42 from Vidmar and Vecchione.

Foo completed the hat trick 2:02 into the third, producing his second power-play goal of the game from Jeff Taylor and Brett Supinski.

Dartmouth’s Troy Crema scored the final two goals of the game at 12:21 and 15:21 of the third for the 8-3 final.

Union produced four power-play goals in a game for the first time since a 5-2 win against Bowling Green on Oct. 12, 2013, finishing 4-for-5 with the man advantage. Dartmouth was 0-for-3 on the power play. Buffalo made 19 saves over the first 26:03, while Clark stopped 12 shots in 33:47 of relief.

The Dutchmen play their final two home games of the regular season next weekend, hosting No. 19 Quinnipiac (February 10) and Princeton (February 11).