Well, that was a disappointing way to end the season. The score and the shots might have been close, but it was not an equal contest. The Big Red was just perfect in every facet of the game and the Dutchmen couldn't handle the constant pressure. Cornell's forecheck worked perfectly, their defense was impenetrable, the penalty kill was swarming, and the power-play was flawless. It just looked like men amongst boys out there as even some of Union's "tougher" players were being knocked around. Going into the game Union knew it was going to be a tough task at hand, but they didn't even make it interesting. The Union crowd seemed to realize this as it seemed to get quieter and quieter as the game progressed. The 3-0 loss was the first time all season the Dutchmen got shutout and lost. In the RPI Tournament, Union beat Lake Superior State in a shootout after finishing regulation at 0-0.
As I said before the game, special teams would be incredibly important. And it was as the Big Red scored two power-play goals, and their penalty kill did not let Union get any good shots on Ben Scrivens, who was named tournament MVP after the game. The Dutchmen took too many penalties and some were undisciplined penalties which were out of character.
But, even though it was a disappointing end to the greatest season in the history of Union College Division I hockey, there were a few good things that came out of the game: 1) Keith Kinkaid had a good game and a good Final Four. The Dutchmen might really have a big time future goaltender. 2) Adam Presizniuk seemed to be one of few Union players not to be over matched against Cornell as he was able to skate and battle with the Cornell players. Prez had a great playoffs and hopefully he can be Union's go-to-guy next season. 3) Four freshman defensemen played in both Final Four games. This gave them some major experience points and will be helpful if the Dutchmen make it back to the Final Four. 4) Many Union fans came out to support their team this past weekend. Hopefully the fans keep supporting the team and more people in the Schenectady area catch on in the future.
It's sad to see Mario Valery-Trabucco and Jason Walters finish up their four years at Union. They are arguably the greatest players in the history of the program. Unfortunately for the Dutchmen the duo did not have a great playoffs. In five playoff games Mario tallied two goals and an assist. One goal came in the first game of the playoffs when he pushed the puck about three inches into the back of the net after Walters rung a shot off the post, and the other goal was an empty netter against St. Lawrence. Walters on the other hand picked up just two assists, the first coming on Mario's goal against Quinnipiac and the second coming on Adam Presizniuk's game-winning goal against SLU. Either way these two guys brought Union to where they were and they will be deeply missed.
That is all I have for now. I will continue blogging throughout the off-season and will focus on such topics as evaluating the 2009-10 season, looking into next season, and maybe even getting some special interviews with people in Union Hockey. I had a great time following the team this season and couldn't have asked for anything more.
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