Union Preview

Clarkson (3-7 overall, 0-3 ECAC Hockey) is looking to snap a five-game losing streak before it starts a stretch of four consecutive road games next weekend. Union (4-3-3, 1-0-2) will try to remain undefeated in conference play in tonight's 7 p.m. contest at Cheel Arena.

Last Night's Results

Rensselaer 5, Clarkson 2

It was a frustrating evening for the Golden Knights who dropped their first home game of the season. Clarkson fell behind 2-0 but rallied with two power-play goals in 65 seconds, on shots from Adam Pawlick and Brandon DeFazio, to tie the game. But Jake Morley was called for an elbowing penalty shortly after the tying goal and the Engineers scored on the ensuing penalty and went on to a comfortable win.

Union 4, St. Lawrence 3

The Dutchmen nearly blew a big lead late but held on to edge St. Lawrence University in Appleton Arena. Union built a 4-1 lead after two periods, thanks in part to power-play goals from Mario Valery-Trabucco and Kelly Zajac. The Saints cut the lead to one with third-period goals from Brandon Bollig and Derek Keller. Union had 23 shots in the first two periods but put up just six in the third.

Clarkson Coach George Roll on Union

"We know what to expect from Union. We had a tough time with them in the playoffs last year. They are a physical team and do a lot of the little things well."

Stat of the Night

Just like last night's game, scoring first and leading early could be huge tonight. Union is 3-1 when it scores first and just 1-2-3 when it does not. The Dutchmen are 3-0 if they lead after one period and 1-3-3 when they do not. Clarkson is only 3-2 if it scores first, but its lost all five games when it does not. If the Golden Knights do not have a lead after the first period they are 0-6 this season.

Who to Watch

Clarkson:Senior Matt Beca has scored one goal with four assists in eight career games against Union. Junior Bryan Rufenach has two goals and two assists in six games. Junior Scott Freeman has two goals with one assist, including the 10,000th goal in program history in last year's ECAC Hockey playoffs, and senior Tim Marks has three assists against Union. Goalie Richie LaVeau is 0-1 with a 3.70 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage against Union. Paul Karpowich is 0-2 with a 3.51 GAA and .890 save percentage.

Union:Junior forward Adam Presizniuk has been dominant against Clarkson, with five goals and seven assists. Senior Jason Walters has four goals and three assists and Valery-Trabucco has four goals and two assists. Goalie Corey Milan is 3-1-1 lifetime against the Golden Knights.

Last Meeting

Union won its first-ever postseason series by sweeping Clarkson with a 7-2 victory in game two of a first-round series at Messa Rink on March 7. The Dutchmen blew the game open early with three goals in the first period and added four more in the third, although two came on empty nets as Clarkson coach George Roll was forced to play with an extra attacker to try to cut into the deficit.

Stats and Notes

Clarkson is 27-13-5 lifetime against the Dutchmen, but Union is 3-1-1 in the last five games. Union has lost six straight games at Cheel Arena, last winning 5-3 on Jan. 31, 2003. ... The Dutchmen rank 10th nationally in scoring, averaging 3.6 goals-per game. ... Union defenseman Mike Schreiber has a plus-13 rating this season, leading the conference, and has yet to have a game with a minus number. He was plus-one in Friday's contest.