Box Score
Postgame Video: Coburn, Novak, Zajac, Grosenick
Postgame Video: Head Coach Rick Bennett

SCHENECTADY, NY –  Freshman forward Max Novak, junior forward Wayne Simpson and junior defenseman Greg Coburn each scored to lead No. 7/8 Union College men's hockey (21-7-7) to a 3-2 victory over Rensselaer (12-23-3) in the first game of an ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series in front of 2,350 fans at Messa Rink on Friday night.
 
Union improved to 8-1-1 in its last 10 games with the win. Game two of the best of three series is Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
The Engineers opened the scoring just 42 seconds into the contest. Matt Tinordi notched his sixth of the season when he was fed from just over the red line and wristed home the 1-0 lead. The top shelf tally over the left blocker of sophomore goaltender Troy Grosenick was assisted by Guy Laboeuf and Patrick Cullen. It was only the 12th time in 34 games this season that a Union opponent scored first.
 
The Engineers went on the power play when Novak got called for interference at 4:23, but the Union defense allowed just one shot on goal right at the end of the RPI advantage.
 
Seconds after the Dutchmen were full strength, Novak came out of the box and tied the contest at 1-1.  The freshman scored his seventh of the season on a high wrist shot from the left doorstep over Bryce Merriam's glove at 6:33.
 
Midway through the period, the hosts had an 8-2 shot advantage. RPI had another man up at 9:54 on an elbowing call on Mat Bodie, but Grosenick made both saves on the shots during the power play.
 
Nine seconds after RPI's Mike Bergin was called for tripping, Wayne Simpson gave Union the 2-1 lead. His wrister, just steps away from Novak's goal, came at 13:19 with helpers from Kyle Bodie and Kelly Zajac. It was Simpson's 17th of the season and the 32nd assist for Zajac, which adds on to his single season Dutchmen record.
 
First period shots in the period were in favor of Union, 13-6.
 
At 1:43 of the second, Greg Coburn backhanded in his fifth goal with assists from Bodie and Zajac, his second of the game and team-leading 33rd of the season. The goal was reviewed then confirmed, as Coburn's backhander just outside the goalie's right crease side made it over the line for the 3-1 Union lead.
 
A Curtis Leonard cross check at 2:17 gave the Dutchmen a power play but was held without a shot on net. Grosenick came up big at 6:21 when Ryan Haggerty broke in alone on a mid ice breakaway, and the freshman goaltender made a low right pad save to end the threat.
 
Union's Mat Bodie and RPI's Bo Dolan were called for matching penalties at 17:04, both for unsportsmanlike conduct. Grosenick made two stops during the four-on-four situation.
 
Through two periods, Union had a 23-18 shot advantage, as the Engineers outshot the Dutchmen, 12-10 in the second.
 
Just 4:12 into the third, the Dutchmen were a post away from a three goal lead. Zajac was led in on a solo break inside the blue line, but his shot rang off the left pipe. A holding call on Joel Malchuk at 9:51 put the Dutchmen on a man up, but the Engineers scored on the shorthand. Alex Angers-Goulet broke in on the right side and fired home his second of the season off the post. He got a nice up ice pass and assist from Bergin to pull RPI to within one at 3-2.
 
RPI pulled the goaltender late but did not get a threat to knot the contest.
 
Union outshot the Engineers, 27-23 for the contest, as Grosenick made 21 saves and Merriam stopped 24.