Keith Kinkaid OFFICIALLY Signs With NJ Devils

On Monday, Keith Kinkaid officially signed an entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils. At his press conference at Messa Rink, Kinkaid and Coach Leaman talked about the sophomore goaltender's decision to leave school early.

For more check out:
Union Athletics
Ken Schott's Blog
New Jersey Devils
In Lou We Trust Blog

I already gave my opinion a few days ago. Here are videos of Kinkaid and Leaman at the press conference:

Kinkaid Leaves Union For NHL

It was reported late Friday that Union sophomore goaltender Keith Kinkaid had signed (or made a verbal commitment) with the New Jersey Devils. In doing so, he will forgo his final two years at Union. The agreement is not official.

Personally, I think Keith should have stayed one more year because I feel he needs to prove himself in the playoffs a little more. It's not that he's played poorly in the playoffs, but he's 2-5 all-time in post-season play. He's never really stolen a game in the playoffs.

But, I also think that signing with the Devils might be the best place for him to sign for a few reasons:

1. Keith is from Long Island (he's an Islanders fan), so he will be comfortable playing on the East Coast. The Devils' minor league teams play in Albany and Trenton. It will be cool for Union fans to see Keith play just a 30 minutes away from Schenectady (that is if he's assigned to Albany).
2. The Devils' goaltending is very thin. In New Jersey, starting goaltender Martin Brodeur is 38 years old and backup goaltender Johan Hedberg is 37. So, there will be vacancies to fill in New Jersey very soon. In Albany, Jeff Frazee, Mike McKenna, and Dave Caruso saw playing time this season (click here to view stats). Frazee will turn 24 in May and has played three full seasons in the AHL and has never appeared in an NHL game. McKenna just turned 28 and has appeared in 17 NHL games in his career, including two this season with the Devils. Caruso will turn 29 in June and has spent most of his pro career in the ECHL (below the AHL). So, what I'm saying is that the guys in Jersey are getting old and the guys under them are nothing special, so this will be a great path for Keith to reach the NHL.
3. The Devils organization (or at least the top team) is known for playing great defense. In most seasons, the Devils are one of the top teams in the NHL in goals against average. A part of this is obviously Martin Brodeur, but the Devils also play a tough defensive game. It's always attractive for a goalie to go to a team that plays consistently tough defense.

For more check out:
HF Boards
Sachem Patch
Ken Schott's Blog
College Hockey News

So, this brings us to the next question: Who will take over in goal for Kinkaid?

Well, you have freshman Troy Grosenick and incoming freshman Julien LaPlante. Grosenick appeared in three games for Union this season, and started one (the tie at home vs. UConn early in the year). LaPlante had a very good year in the AJHL with the Bonnyville Pontiacs, posting a 28-13-8 record with a 2.09 GAA and .925 save percentage. It will probably be up to these two guys to take over for Keith, unless Coach Leaman has something else up his sleeve. From what I've heard, Grosenick is a very capable goaltender and will be a good NCAA goaltender, so I have faith in him.

Colin Stevens, who is supposed to be an excellent goaltender, is slated to come to Union in 2012-2013. Leaman could always see if Stevens wants to come early. But, I really don't see that happening.

This also brings up another question: Who will be the third goaltender? (assuming Stevens doesn't come early)

Most teams carry three goaltenders. In my four years, Leaman has carried four goaltenders except for the small portion of the 2008-2009 season after Brett Bothwell left midseason, leaving Corey Milan and Rich Sillery as the only goaltenders. I find it very difficult to recruit a goaltender to come to Union to become the third string goalie, and I don't think you can transfer without sitting out a year. It is important to carry a third goalie because of injuries. If your starter gets hurt, you need insurance behind your second string goalie just in case he gets injured or overworked.

So, what's my solution: Kyle Anderson.

Who is Kyle Anderson you ask? He's currently a junior at Union and is the top goaltender on Union's club hockey team. Anderson put up good numbers, but it's not entirely sure what they are because the ACHA's stats are not entirely reliable (click here). In 2008, Anderson won the New York State Championship with Massena. He, along with teammate and current Union freshman Matt Hatch, were named to the all-tournament team. The importance Kyle (or any third goalie) would play would be to take the work load off of Grosenick and LaPlante during practice, so they don't get overworked and can take the occasional day off. It might be a stretch, but it's an idea.

Kinkaid Named First Team All-American

On Friday in St. Paul, Minnesota the American Hockey Coaches Association announced that Union sophomore goaltender Keith Kinkaid is a First Team East All-American. Kinkaid is the first Union player to be named an All-American since 1997 when Trevor Koenig received the honor. Three Union players have been named to the DIII All-American Second Team: Wayne McDougall (1986), Ron Kinghorn (1989), and Jack Rankin (1977).

Other ECAC players to receive All-American honors include RPI's Chase Polacek (First Team) and Nick Bailen (Second Team), and Princeton's Taylor Fedun. For the full release by the ECAC click here.

Keith was the backstop and rock of arguably the greatest team in Union College's DI history. This season he posted a 25-10-3 record, a 1.99 GAA (fourth in the nation), and .920 save percentage (tied for 16th in the nation). In ECAC play he went 17-3-2 with a 1.90 GAA and .926 save percentage. He was named the ECAC's Goaltender of the Week three times, and received the Ken Dryden Award for top goaltender in the league.

This has been such a great year for Keith and the Dutchmen. The big question is if he will stick around to lead Union to another NCAA Tourney appearance. Kinkaid is a big NHL prospect and it is uncertain on what his plans are for next season. It is rumored that a number NHL teams are in interested in him. Keith is a tremendous goaltender and is one of the best in college hockey, but I don't think he's quite ready yet for the pros. But, I do think he's better than any of the goaltenders I saw in the Frozen Four yesterday.

The All-American teams are as follows:

First Team

 

East

 

Goalie: Keith Kinkaid, SO, Union College (Farmingville, NY)

Defense: Brian Dumoulin, SO, Boston College (Biddeford, ME)

Defense: Blake Kessel, JR, New Hampshire (Verona, WI)

Forward: Cam Atkinson, JR, Boston College (Greenwich, CT)

Forward: Chase Polacek, SR, Rensselaer * (Edina, MN)

Forward: Paul Thompson, SR, New Hampshire (Derry, NH)

 

West

 

Goalie: Pat Nagle, SR, Ferris State (Bloomfield, MI)

Defense: Chay Genoway, SR, North Dakota (Morden, MB)

Defense: Justin Schultz, SO, Wisconsin (West Kelowna, BC)

Forward: Jack Connolly, JR, Minnesota-Duluth# (Duluth, MN)

Forward: Matt Frattin, SR , North Dakota (Edmonton, AB)

Forward: Andy Miele, SR, Miami University (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI)

 

Second Team

 

East

 

Goalie: John Muse, SR, Boston College (East Falmouth, MA)

Defense: Nick Bailen, SO, Rensselaer (Fredonia, NY)

Defense: Taylor Fedun, SR, Princeton (Edmonton, AB)

Forward: Stephane Da Costa, SO, Merrimack College (Paris, France)

Forward: Gustav Nyquist, JR, Maine*(Malmo, Sweden)

Forward: Paul Zanette, SR, Niagara (Nobleton, ON)

 

West

 

Goalie: Aaron Dell, SO, North Dakota (Airdrie, AB)

Defense: Jake Gardiner, JR, Wisconsin (Minnetonka, MN)

Defense: Zach Redmond, SR, Ferris State (Traverse City, MI)

Forward: Carter Camper, SR, Miami University (Rocky River, OH)

Forward: Mike Connolly, JR, Minnesota-Duluth (Calgary, AB)

Forward: Carl Hagelin, SR, Michigan (Sodertalje, Sweden)

 

* First Team in 2009-10; # Second Team in 2009-10

Three Questions For The Off-Season

With Union's season over, it will be a little slow here on UHB for awhile. But, this will be an interesting and exciting off-season. There are many important questions that will be answered over the next few months, which include:



Keith Kinkaid

 1. Will Keith Kinkaid leave early and sign with the NHL?
Personally, I don't think he's ready yet. He should try to work on his game more and play in more high situation games. In his short two year career, Kinkaid has only won two playoff games: the 2010 ECAC semifinal win over St. Lawrence and Game 1 against Colgate in the ECAC quarterfinals this season. He has lost important games like the 5OT game vs. Quinnipiac, the ECAC championship game against Cornell, the two games to Colgate this year, and the NCAA Tourney game against Minnesota-Duluth. I'm not saying that he played poorly in all of those losses (he was excellent against Cornell and good against UMD), but he needs to prove that he can possibly shutout an opponent in those type of games, like what Kenny Reiter did for UMD last Friday.

I hope he stays because he is an excellent goaltender and is the backbone of the team. But, deep down inside I don't think he'll stay, and will leave early like RPI goaltender Allen York did a few days ago. I still believe this even though Ken Schott and Mark McGuire reported that he will be staying.

Also, take a look how some of the latest players to leave school early to sign with the NHL turned out (College Hockey Inc.).



Rick Bennett

 2. Will the coaching staff stay?
There have been rumors circulating that Coach Leaman and Coach Bennett will leave to take other head coaching jobs. The little rumors I've heard about Leaman is that he might be up for the Harvard job. This makes sense because he was an assistant there before coming to Union, they have more finances to work with, and have recruited NHL prospects like Danny Biega. Personally, I'm more afraid that he'll take the new Penn State job. Leaman has done such a great job building a program here with very little resources, so just imagine what he could do with a new rink, new program, and new league at Penn State.That will be a very appetizing job. Right now, it's hard for me to see Coach Leaman any where else but Schenectady.

Coach Bennett on the other hand, I think will leave and deserves to have a head coaching job. There is currently a vacancy at Providence where Bennett was a great player and was just recently inducted into their athletics hall of fame this winter. He has done such a great job recruiting for Union, and I don't think fans really realize how much he has done for this program. If Bennett leaves, it also creates an opportunity for Coach Barr to be promoted, who has also done an excellent job while at Union.



Adam Presizniuk

 3. Where will the seniors sign?
If you look at the roster, there are only two seniors which really standout to me that will definitely play some sort of pro hockey next season: Adam Presizniuk and Brock Matheson. Prezie is one of the greatest players in Union's DI history and is definitely skilled enough to play in the pros somewhere. The big question with him is where that somewhere is. Will it be in the States or in Europe? Is he good enough for the AHL? Maybe he'll go the same route as Mario Valery-Trabucco and play in a high-level league in Europe.

I know that Brock is getting some looks, but I'm not sure where. If I had to guess it would be somewhere in Europe. I can see him playing in the same league as Mike Schreiber in Germany. Brock is undersized for defender, like Schreiber, but he will be valuable because of his defensive and leadership skills.

Of the other six seniors (Boileau, Cain, Pallos, J. Simpson, Milan, Buote), I'm not sure if they're getting any looks. There are very serviceable players like John Simpson and Andrew Buote who could play some pro hockey, but I don't see them lasting in the pros. You also got to remember that of these six seniors, five of them made the 2010 ECAC All-Academic team, so it is very likely that these guys might want to pursue their career outside of hockey after graduation. Actually, out of all six of this group I see Corey Milan as having the best shot of playing pro hockey. He might be overlooked because of his lack of playing time this season, but has put up some good numbers in his career. This might depend on how well he recovers from his injury.

Hopefully, all of these answers will prove beneficial for the Dutchmen.

Union's Season Ends With 2-0 Loss To UMD In NCAA Tourney

Well, that's it. The best season in the history of Union College hockey is over. Last night in their first NCAA Tournament game they fell to The University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 2-0. I guess the belief that western teams are better than eastern teams was proven once again last night.

While I thought Union skated with the Bulldogs and received the better of the chances while playing 5-on-5, UMD was excellent in the "small" parts of the game; the parts of the game that make the difference between winning and losing. The three most noticeable "small" areas of the game where Union got extremely outplayed were faceoffs, winning battles, and SPECIAL TEAMS! I had a bad feeling after the first period. Union failed to score on four PP's and UMD scored on their first opportunity. Their inability to score on early chances (Kelly Zajac's chance about 30 seconds into the game come to mind) and UMD scoring so quickly on their first PP, was the turning point of the game.

Isn't it a little ironic that all week everyone was talking about Union's power-play and UMD's FCC line, and the Dutchmen went 0-for-9 on the PP and the FCC line accumulated just one point (Fontaine's PPG, neither of the Connolly's had a point). Instead the story was UMD's special teams and goaltender Kenny Reiter.

Nobody talked about UMD's power-play all week and I think that gave them some motivation. They ran a very good PP and controlled the puck well. UMD scored both of their goals on the man advantage and scored them at very crucial times: their first chance in the first period and first chance of the third period.

The Bulldog penalty kill killed off all nine of Union's man advantages and did so with relative ease. From what I saw, UMD packed in their box very well and didn't allow Union's shooter in the slot (Wayne Simpson and Daniel Carr) to have any room. UMD also did a great job of causing havoc in the neutral zone, which made it difficult for Union to pick up speed and make crisp passes when breaking out of their zone and attacking the Bulldog zone. Another thing that made the Bulldogs so successful was their ability to block shots and keep their bodies and sticks in the passing and shooting lanes. Reiter played a very good game. He was very good controlling rebounds and made the big save when called upon.

On the other end, Keith Kinkaid played well. I though he kept Union in the game in the third period, making some tremendous saves in the final period.

Even though Union won the faceoff battle (36-33), I thought they didn't do a great job and for the most part couldn't win the faceoff when they really needed it. UMD's second goal came right off of a Union faceoff loss. I really thought Union missed Stephane Boileau in that aspect of the game. It was tough talking to him in between periods knowing that the team really needed him and he wasn't on the ice.

While the end of the season was an extremely disappointing one with three consecutive losses, I am still extremely proud of our guys. This year is just another step to becoming a national power. We've improved and reached a goal each of the past four years: first ECAC top four finish (2008), first ECAC playoff series victory (2009), first ECAC Final Four and Championship game appearance (2010), and first NCAA Tournament appearance (2011). So, the next step is to win our first NCAA Tournament game (and score a goal... ouch I know), and with all the guys we return next season, that is a realistic goal.

It's going to be a long and interesting off season. I'll have posts to sum up the season and preview the off season later in the week hopefully before I head to St. Paul for the Frozen Four.

Keep your heads up guys! We were all (in one way or another) a part of something special.

For more on the game check out:
USCHO (with videos from the post-game press conference)
Union Athletics
Ken Schott's Blog
Times Union
Duluth News Tribune
College Hockey News
INCH
Daily Gazette's Photo Gallery

Union's Press Conference From Bridgeport

The Dutchmen had a press conference after their practice on Thursday afternoon. This was definitely the biggest press conference I've ever been a part of.





The thing Coach is laughing about in the beginning of the video is that Ken Schott asked him what he's most scared about with Duluth, and Coach said "the weather."

Union Is Heading To Bridgeport!

Wow, this is pretty exciting! It's still pretty amazing that UNION COLLEGE is not only in the NCAA Tournament for the first time (in Division I history), but they are a #2 SEED! This is going to be one exciting week leading up to the weekend in Bridgeport. I'll do my best to keep all of you posted and informed on our upcoming opponents and other news.

Here is what the official bracket looks like:

East Regional (Bridgeport, Ct.)
No. 4 Air Force (20-11-6)* vs. No. 1 Yale (27-6-1)*
No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (22-10-6) vs. No. 2 Union (26-9-4)

West Regional (St. Louis)
No. 4 Colorado College (22-18-3)  vs. No. 1 Boston College (30-7-1)*
No. 3 Nebraska-Omaha (21-15-2) vs. No. 2 Michigan (26-10-4)

Midwest Regional (Green Bay)
No. 4 Rensselaer (20-12-5) vs. No. 1 North Dakota (30-8-3)*
No. 3 Western Michigan (19-12-10) vs. No. 2 Denver (24-11-5)

Northeast Regional (Manchester, N.H.)
No. 4 New Hampshire (21-10-6) vs. No. 1 Miami (23-9-6)*
No. 3 Notre Dame (23-13-5) vs. No. 2 Merrimack (25-9-4)

* automatic qualifiers
By conference: WCHA 5, CCHA 4, ECAC 3, Hockey East 3, Atlantic Hockey 1

Personally, I think this is the best case scenario for the Dutchmen. Any team you play in the NCAA Tournament is going to be tough opponent, so all the game are going to be difficult. But, if I had to pick a region to be in and a #1 seed to be in the same bracket with, I'd pick Bridgeport and Yale, respectively. Bridgeport is the closest of the four sites to Schenectady and Union has beaten Yale already this year. I also feel the Bulldogs are the weakest of the four #1 seeds, even though they had two convincing performances in the ECAC Final Four. I think Union has as good of a chance as any team in Bridgeport to make it to the Frozen Four.

But, Yale should not be our focus right now... it should be the other Bulldgos. That is THE University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. They also have a very good team and will be a very tough opponent. Their top line of Fontaine-J. Connolly-M. Connolly is supposed excellent and have put up big numbers. They also have a stud freshman defenseman in Justin Faulk. But after that it doesn't sound like they have too much. Their goaltender also doesn't seem to be anything special, and isn't on the same level as Keith Kinkaid. This is just what I've heard. I will do my best to find out everything on the Bulldogs throughout the week.

This is going to be a fun week... CAN'T WAIT!

Dutchmen Win 5 of 7 ECAC Awards

Tonight in Atlantic City the ECAC announced their regular season awards. Of the seven awards handed out, five were given to individuals from Union.

Here were the results:

Most Outstanding Player: Chase Polacek, RPI
Ken Dryden Award: Keith Kinkaid, Union
Rookie of the Year: Andrew Calof, Princeton
Best Defensive Forward: Adam Presizniuk, Union
Best Defensive Defenseman: Brock Matheson, Union
Student-Athlete of the Year: Stephane Boileau, Union
Coach of the Year: Nate Leaman, Union

For more on each recipient check out:
ECAC Hockey
Union Athletics
Ken Schott's Blog

Congrats to Keith, Prezie, Brock, Stephane, and Coach on these tremendous honors! Also, congrats to Polacek and Calof on great seasons. It's a little weird that none of these guys will be in Atlantic City this weekend.

You can't really disagree with the selections too much. Personally, I would have give the Rookie of the Year to Greg Carey from St. Lawrence.

Six Dutchmen Honored On All-ECAC Teams

Sorry about posting this so late. I just got home for Spring Break.

Anyways, six Union players have been named to All-ECAC teams. Congrats to Keith Kinkaid, Kelly Zajac, Brock Matheson, Jeremy Welsh, Daniel Carr, and Mat Bodie.

FIRST TEAM
Forward - Chase Polacek, RPI
Forward - Brian O'Neill, Yale
Forward - Andrew Miller, Yale
Defense - Nick Bailen, RPI
Defense - Taylor Fedun, Princeton
Goaltender - Keith Kinkaid, Union

SECOND TEAM
Forward - Jack Maclellan, Brown
Forward - Joe Devin, Cornell
Forward - Kelly Zajac, Union
Defense - Brock Matheson, Union
Defense - Danny Biega, Harvard
Goaltender - James Mello, Dartmouth

THIRD TEAM
Forward - Andrew Calof, Princeton
Forward  - Chris Cahill, Yale
Forward - Jeremy Welsh, Union
Defense - Mike Devin, Cornell
Defense - Joel Stejskal, Dartmouth
Goaltender - Allen York, Rensselaer  

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forward - Andrew Calof, Princeton
Forward - Greg Carey, St. Lawrence
Forward - Daniel Carr, Union
Defense - Mat Bodie, Union
Defense - Dennis Robertson, Brown
Goaltender - Andy Iles, Cornell

For the official release click here.

I think the selection committee (or whoever picks these teams) did a really good job. I really have no complaints. I guess the only person I thought would be on a team but isn't is (I hate to say it but) Harry Zolnierczyk from Brown. All of the Dutchmen that were honored are well deserving. These guys are the best six players on the team (not including Adam Presizniuk, who was hurt for a good a few games this season which is probably why he wasn't named to any team). Also, congrats to the other student-athletes who were honored.

ECAC Quarterfinals vs. Colgate Preview

Finally, the playoffs have arrived in Schenectady! This weekend the Dutchmen host the Colgate Raiders for a best-of-three series after the Raiders upset fifth-seed RPI in Troy last weekend. Union had a bye last week and used the time to recover from injuries and get ahead (or maybe catch up) on their schoolwork.

While the Raiders have been hot of late (6-3-1 in last 10 games) and are probably the best last-place team in the country, the Dutchmen are absolutely on fire. They haven't lost in 11 games (10-0-1), which is tied for the nation's longest unbeaten streak with Holy Cross, and are 14-1-1 in the winter term. Union has also been almost unbeatable at home this season going 15-1-2.

I think the Dutchmen saw what Colgate is made of this past weekend at RPI and won't let them succeed in the Capital Region for the second weekend in a row. It will definitely be a tough series, but Union is great at home so I have confidence that they won't lose twice in one weekend at Messa Rink.

So Union students, put down your study guides, leave the lab, and take a break from your thesis and come see the best team in Union Hockey history in their final weekend at Messa Rink this season. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!!! Remember, the first 300 students get in free.

Here are some players to watch:

Colgate
Eric Mihalik: the freshman goaltender was outstanding in net last weekend at RPI where he made a combined 92 saves, including 40 saves in Game 3. He was named INCH's Player of the Week for his efforts. After going winless in his first 10 career starts, he's gone 6-3-1 in his last 10 starts. He was in goal for both losses to Union this year.

Francois Brisebois: the senior forward leads the team in scoring with 15 goals and 31 points, as well as power-play goals (6). He scored twice in Game 2 last weekend in Troy.
Austin Smith: led the Raiders with four points (1 goal, 3 assists) last weekend and has 10 career points in post-season play (6 goals, 4 assists). Smith it tied for the team lead with 20 assists and is second with 29 points. He currently has a four game point streak.
Robbie Bourdon: the sophomore is the only forward on the team besides Brisebois with double-digit goals (10). He scored the game-winning goal in double overtime in Game 3 last weekend, and has tallied a point in five of his past six games.

Union
Adam Presizniuk: in the playoffs your best player needs to play his best. Prezie is Union's best player and will be a major reason why Union advances or falls.
Keith Kinkaid: the same can be said about goaltending, which is arguably the most important thing in the playoffs. A hot goaltender can bring a team to a championship. Kinkaid is one of the best netminders in the country and if he catches fire who knows how far Union will go.
Daniel Carr: special teams is also extremely important in the playoffs. Carr is tied for the nation's lead in power-play goals, so he will be the go-to guy on Union's PP.

Andrew Buote & Justin Pallos: on the same note, penalty killing will be very important throughout the playoffs. Personally, Buote and Pallos are the two best penalty killers on the team and their leadership will be very important during the playoff run.
Mat Bodie: the younger Bodie is just one point away from breaking Mike Schreiber's '10 record for most points in a season by a defenseman (29).
Kelly Zajac: Zaj leads Union in scoring with 38 points, and has picked up 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in his past eight games. He will be featured in the game program this weekend (I wrote the feature story).

For more check out:
Union Athletics
Go Colgate Raiders.com
Daily Gazette - Ken Schott
Times Union - Sean Martin
Inside College Hockey

Thursday Links

Union has been popping up all over the internet today (probably due to the Media Day on Tuesday). So, instead of clogging up your Facebook and Twitter feeds I figured I'd just put all the links in one place.

So here you go:

Pete Iorizzo (Times Union): Hop Aboard Union Bandwagon

USCHO's Bracketology has Union in the Midwestern Regional

Ed Weaver (Troy Record): Union's Rise To The Top Has Been Gradual

Ken Schott (Daily Gazette): Freshman Carr Playing Beyond Expectations

Tim Wharnsby (CBC Sports): Keith Kinkaid is one "of the top dozen skaters and two goalies that will be sure to be locked up [by the NHL] in the next six weeks or so."

"Official" Blog of Union Hockey: Behind the Bench with Coach Barr - Preparing for a Best-of-Three series

Dutchmen Gear Up For ECAC Quarterfinals

Today at Messa Rink, the Dutchmen held a press conference to talk about their upcoming ECAC Quarterfinals matchup with Colgate.

Coach Leaman spoke first, and was followed by Keith Kinkaid, Brock Matheson, Adam Presizniuk, Kelly Zajac, and Daniel Carr. I caught up with Zajac after it was all done to talk about being a finalist for ECAC's Best Defensive Forward Award and playoff beards (if you haven't seen, my beard is in full playoff mode).

Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid - March 5th, 2011

This is our ninth segment of 'Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid.' Last weekend Keith and the team won the regular season ECAC title, capturing the Cleary Cup for the first time in school history. He is currently the best goalie in the country statistically with a save percentage of .923 through 2,014 minutes of play. His current record in net is 24-7-3.

Who was last weekends MVP in your opinion? What makes this player most deserving?

This past weekends MVP was not just one person but all the seniors. They have accomplished so much since getting to Union and it was a weekend to remember for them. We hope to keep the memories coming.

What does it mean to win the Cleary Cup and finish with 25 wins, an achievement that no other Union hockey team has ever done before?

It means a lot to us to win the Cleary Cup. It means we accomplished our first goal and can now look forward to our next goal which is winning the ECAC Playoffs.

How will the team use this bye week to prepare for their quarterfinal matchup next weekend? Do you find this time off as a advantage or a disadvantage?

This bye gives us time to rest up our injuries and also get better each day. We have been practicing hard to get ready for next weekend and we want to feel like we accomplished something each practice. It is definitely an advantage for us.

Is there a preference in who you want to play in a three game playoff series? Is there a team you hope to avoid? What will change in the team's level of play between regular season and playoffs?

It does not matter what team comes into our building. We have confidence to play any team and our home ice advantage gives us an edge with the support we get from the fans. Playoff time there is less margin for error. These games will be hard fought games and we are going to have to grind it out each night.

What is your opinion on the recent issue of the athletic administration's new policy on profanity in the student section? Do you think it is justified?

I think it's a little much that they have to censor the student section. It's part of the hockey atmosphere and you don't see any other place censoring their fans. You go to a professional game or another college game and you probably hear worse remarks than what goes on in our rink.

Do you feel that hockey has in a way gotten in the way of schoolwork with the team doing as well as it has and the amount of preparation you guys put into the weekends?

We try to get our schoolwork done early in the week and on our Sundays off. We are pretty good when it comes to managing our time with hockey and schoolwork and I think that's what has led to our success as well.

Well there you have it folks, you've heard it from the man himself. Please leave your reviews in the comment box below. Enjoy this weekend off, and stay tuned to ECAC action around the league to find out who we will play next weekend! And remember fans, you can find Keith Kinkaid on facebook at any time during the day. -JZolot

Videos From Senior Night

Here are some videos I took on Senior Night:

Union Wins The Cleary Cup on Senior Night

Last night was such a great feeling. The emotions of when the final buzzer sounded, all the way to the post-game celebration was perfect. I am so proud of the guys for everything they accomplished, and everything the seniors have done in their four years. The reception the seniors received from the fans was awesome and well deserved. I was also honored and shocked when Andrew Buote gave me a shout out during his speech. I really appreciated it and am just honored to be a very small part of this amazing senior class and Union Hockey.

It was also great to see Luke Cain and Stephane Boileau score goals on Senior Night. They both don't dress every game, so it was awesome to see them capitalize. You could tell how excited they were to score, especially Boileau (check the highlights). John Simpson also added an empty netter.

Union's power-play once again did a great job last night as they scored twice with the man advantage. They lead the nation with a 30.97% conversion rate. Union went 3-for-4 last night and 4-for-6 on the weekend. Daniel Carr netted a PP goal and added an even strength goal later. He is now tied with New Hampshire's Paul Thompson and Colorado College's Tyler Johnson for the nation's lead with 12 power-play goals. Thompson and Johnson are both seniors, while Carr is a freshman. His two first period goals gave Union an 3-0 first period lead. Three has been the magic number this season as the Dutchmen are 21-1-2 in games where they've scored at least three goals.

Keith Kinkaid had another great weekend once again. He made 35 saves (including 17 in the second period) last night to pick up his third shutout of the season. Kinkaid leads the nation with a 1.93 GAA and 24 wins.

Well, now it's on to the playoffs. Union gets the weekend off with the first round bye. Here are the first round matchups:
(5) RPI vs. (12) Colgate
(6) Princeton vs. (11) St. Lawrence
(7) Clarkson vs. (10) Harvard
(8) Quinnipiac vs. (9) Brown

For more on the game check out:
USCHO
Union Athletics
Ken Schott's Blog
Times Union (Sean Martin)
Times Union (Mark McGuire)

I also want to make a special shout out to former Union College president Roger Hull. In January 2004 he said:

"Let me tell you of my idea of being competitive: fielding a team that has a reasonable chance of winning every time it steps on the ice... And when they got to 40 percent [winning percentage], I was proud, and when they reached nearly 50 percent a few years ago, I was tremendously proud of them."

I wonder if he's super-tremendously-ridiculously-doing hand stands proud of this team.

Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid - February 24th, 2011

This is our eighth segment of 'Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid.' This past weekend Keith and the team swept both Clarkson and St. Lawrence on the road in two decisive victories. He is currently the 3rd best goalie in the country statistically with a save percentage of .919 through 1,891 minutes of play. His current record in net is 23-7-2.

How was the trip to the North Country last weekend? What particular aspect of the game do you think the team performed best? What does the team need to do better moving forward into this weekend?

The North Country trip was a success because we came back with the four points we came up there to get. It's always tough environments to play in and we played to win. I think the fact that we didn't have our best game against Clarkson and showed our true colors against St. Lawrence the next night was where we preformed the best. We know when we haven't had our best game and we responded really well. We need to have two consistent and fast starts and keep it rolling throughout the whole game.

Who was your MVP from the two wins we had over Clarkson and St. Lawrence? What made this person most deserving?

I think Wayno [Wayne Simpson]was the MVP this past weekend. He got us the overtime winner against Clarkson and continued shooting the puck against St.Lawrence starting our scoring for that night. Wayne is one of our most skilled guys out there and his speed is incredible.

What has been the mindset heading into this final weekend of the regular season? Is there a feeling of nervousness holding that one point lead over #3 Yale?

Our mindset is to dominate every aspect of the game against both Princeton and Quinnipiac. We are looking for great starts and our specialty teams need to come up big for us. We are just worried about playing our game and if we take care of our games we have nothing to worry about.

What will be the keys to this weekend's home games vs. Quinnipiac and Princeton? How much emphasis will you place on the last time you played these opponents in preparation?

Keys will be our specialty teams and our starts. When we are on our game we play to a level where we think no one can play with us. We need to learn from our mistakes last time we played these teams and take advantage of their weaknesses.

Do you see any key mismatches and/or matchups when preparing for this weekend's games?

Not that I can think of. We have great depth throughout our team and that is a strong point for us. We know we will battle whoever is in the lineup and we want this weekend to be special for our seniors.

What's the craziest goal scoring celebration that you've seen in your years of playing hockey?

I am not sure about craziest but I can think of some funny ones from our team. When Coby [Greg Coburn] scored last year against St. Cloud he did a little hop up in the air which we all watched on video and laughed about. Another is Stuart's goal against Brown in which he was shaking and slammed his stick with one hand on the ice. This was another one we all got a good laugh from.

Well there you have it folks, you've heard it from the man himself. Please leave your reviews in the comment box below. Enjoy this upcoming weekend's games- I hope everybody comes out to see our seniors play their final regular season games at Messa. Two wins and the Cleary Cup will be ours!! And remember fans, you can find Keith Kinkaid on facebook at any time during the day. -JZolot

Rock The Vote, Plus Other News

Four Union players are up for major awards this year:

Senior Stephane Boileau is up for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. 33% of the vote belongs to the fans, so make sure to vote for the Professor by clicking here. As of this moment he has 4.3% of the vote, while Canisius forward Cory Conacher leads the way with 24.2% of the vote.

Senior Adam Presizniuk and sophomores Jeremy Welsh and Keith Kinkaid are up for the Hobey Baker Award. You can vote for them by clicking here. Last year Mario Valery-Trabucco won the the fan vote. As Union fans we really have to pick up here as Kinkaid has received 1% of the vote while the other two have received none. Also, RPI's Chase Polacek and Allen York have received 19% and 18%, respectively. The current leader is North Dakota's Matt Frattin with 27%.

Tonight was "Coach's Corner LIVE at Bombers." Coach Leaman was unable to make it tonight, so captain Brock Matheson and Coach Ben Barr filled in for him. The last raffle of the night was an autographed puck from Brock. The luck winner was Connor Meigher, the son of Garnet Blades president Tim Meigher '75. Brock talked with the Meigher's for a bit and took this picture (below) with Connor. The senior captain did a great job on the radio and talking with fans after the show.

In other news, the repercussions of the Klump-Stewart confrontation were handed out today. Stewart was fined, while Klump was let go by CHN.

Tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 7pm the Union College Club Hockey team will travel to Binghamton to take on Broome CC. You can watch the game online by clicking here.

Players To Watch This Weekend/ Videos

Tonight the Dutchmen take on Cornell for the WHITEOUT! After a slow start the Big Red have picked it up lately as they've only lost once in their past 10 games (Union has also only lost once in their past 10 games). The one loss came against Union. They are now tied with Dartmouth for 4th place in the ECAC and are only one point behind third place RPI.

Tomorrow night Union welcomes in Colgate, who won their first ECAC game of the season last weekend with a 4-2 over Clarkson.

Cornell
Joe Devin: the senior forward was named last week's ECAC Player of the Week as he picked up three goals and two assists. He leads the team with 11 goals.
Greg Miller: the sophomore forward netted the game-winning goal in overtime against St. Lawrence last Saturday. He leads the team with 19 assists and 22 points.

Colgate
Francois Brisebois: the senior forward leads the team with 10 goals and 23 points. He's been very hot of late scoring a goal in three of his last four games and has picked up a point in seven of is last nine games. He accumulated a goal and assist in last week's win over Clarkson.
Kurtis Bartliff: the sophomore forward is tied for second on the team with 13 assists. He scored two goals against Clarkson.

Union
Keith Kinkaid: last weekend marked the first time this season where he allowed a combined six goals on back-to-back nights. Let's see how he responds.
Mat Bodie: the younger Bodie has been overshadowed by the success of Josh Jooris and Daniel Carr, but he has put together a very solid freshman campaign accumulating five goals, 19 assists, and 24 points. He is in the Top 5 of the ECAC in assists.

For more on the weekend check out:
Union Athletics.com
Cornell Big Red.com
Ithaca Journal.com
Go Colgate Raiders.com

When you get to the game be sure to pick up a game program. This week's feature article in the program is about John Simpson. Read it because I wrote it! Also, tonight I will be freelancing for the Ithaca Journal, which should be interesting. So, you can read my game recap in the Ithaca Journal with a Cornell twist.

Check out this music video made by some players from Cornell last season, and a feature on Cornell fans:

Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid - January 25, 2011

This is our fifth segment of 'Between the Pipes with Keith Kinkaid.' This past weekend Keith and the team split the weekend games against Dartmouth and Harvard. He is currently the 5th best goalie in the country statistically with a save percentage of .922 through 1,405 minutes of play.

What was your overall take this past weekend? How do you think Dartmouth and Harvard as a team played against us?

I think we are all pretty disappointed that we only got 2 points this past weekend but we have to put that behind us and focus on Friday. Dartmouth came out flying and capitalized when they needed to and Harvard always plays us tight. Harvard's goalie was solid all night and it was good to see the guys battle through a little adversity.

Who do you think gave you more of a run for your money this weekend - Mello or Carroll? How would you assess their performances?

I think Mello played extremely well. He seems to have our number ever since i have been here. Both goalies played outstanding and gave us a hard time all night. Mello won the game for them and Carroll, although he did not get the win, played his heart out.

Who is this past weekend's MVP in your opinion?

I think Brock has been playing really well the past few weekends. He was out there during the last 45 seconds of the Harvard game blocking shots for us and making solid plays all night. He is really poised out there and makes the right decisions.

Which line do you think has been most productive? Do you think any changes could be made to the lines?

All four lines for us are special in their own way. When all four lines are going we are great defensively and offensively. I think with Hatch being added to the Zajac-Prez line, he provides great speed for that line. They have really been outworking the opposition and getting great scoring chances every game.

How does the team plan to prepare for #1 Yale? How will you personally elevate your game to stop their high-powered offense?

We are preparing just like we would for any other team. Yale gave us a hard time last meeting and we are looking for revenge. It all starts in practice and we need good jump each and everyday to get going for this game. I'm expecting a packed barn for this game which also helps us get going and excited to play. What more could you ask for when a number 1 team is coming into your barn?

Which freshmen on the team do you think has the best ladies' game off the ice?

Well I think I'm going to have to go with Cole [Ikkala] as having the best ladies' game off the ice. He seems to be laid back and easy to get along with.

Well there you have it folks, you've heard it from the man himself. Please leave your reviews in the comment box below. Enjoy this upcoming weekend's games- BEAT YALE! And remember fans, you can find Keith Kinkaid on facebook at any time during the day. -JZolot

Route 7 Rivalry: Parts 2 and 3 Take Place This Weekend

It's that wonderful time of the year where two schools get to hate each other for an entire weekend. Isn't it awesome?!

The Union-RPI rivalry is one of the fiercest rivalries in all of college hockey, and it has become even more energized due to Union's recent surge from cellar dweller to a national ranked team over the past few years. Heading into Friday's matchup at Messa Rink the Dutchmen are ranked 12th in the country, while RPI is 18th making this weekend even more important. Both rinks should be rocking all weekend, and are each hosting a "Blackout" night.

The two teams met two weekends ago at Lake Placid and tied 3-3 thanks to Mat Bodie's game-tying goal with about 30 seconds left in regulation. For more on the game click here.

You should expect shis weekend's games to be the same since every game between these teams in recent memory have been absolute classics.

All-time RPI holds a 44-22-10 advantage in the rivalry, including a 28-19-9 record in Division I play. But, over the past few years Union has dominated going 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. Also, Head Coach Nate Leaman is 12-5-3 all-time against the Engineers. The first game of this rivalry took place on February 26, 1904 where the Engineers topped the Dutchmen 6-2. Union won their first game of the series on February 23, 1924 with a 7-0 win in Schenectady.

Union is currently riding a seven game unbeaten streak (4-0-3), while the Engineers come off of a win at Dartmouth (4-1) and a loss at Harvard (1-0) last weekend.

RPI is currently has the top ranked defense in the nation among teams that have played at least three games as they are averaging just 1.67 goals allowed per game. Union on the other hand is third in overall defense among teams that have played at least three game (1.80 goals allowed per game), fourth in overall offense (4.20 goals per game), and has the best power-play unit in the country (17-of-44, 38.64%).

My prediction: A weekend sweep for the Dutchmen... 2-1 Union, 3-2 (OT) Union

Players To Look For: RPI
Pretty much the same cast of characters here:


Nick Bailen '13



Chase Polacek: is the reigning ECAC Player of the Year... leads RPI in scoring with five goals, six assists, and 11 points... scored two goals last weekend in a win over Dartmouth... one of the fastest players in all of college hockey.

Nick Bailen: leads all ECAC defensemen in scoring with two goals and six assists.

Allen York: allowed just one goal last weekend to begin ECAC play... fourth in the nation among goaltenders with at least four games in GAA (1.62) and save percentage (.939).

Players To Look For: Union
Once again, the same cast of characters:

Adam Presizniuk: is third in the nation with 17 points... needs just one point and one assist to become Union's D-I all-time points and assists leader passing Jason Walters '10 and Joel Beal '05, respectively.

Keith Kinkaid: also allowed just one goal last weekend to open up ECAC play... tops in the nation among goalies with at least four appearances with a 1.38 GAA and is second with a .943 save percentage.

Stephane "The Professor" Boileau '11



Stephane Boileau: leads all current Dutchmen with 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) against the Engineers.

For more go to Union Athletics.com.