DURHAM, N.H. - Kevin Goumas (Long Beach, N.Y.) scored 31 seconds into overtime and Matt Di Girolamo (Ambler, Pa.) made a season-high 37 saves to lead the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team to Friday night's 2-1 non-conference victory against 11th-ranked Union College at the Whittemore Center.
UNH recorded its first win of the season to improve to 1-1-0 at home and 1-4-1 overall, while Union suffered its first loss of the year and is now 2-1-3.
Di Girolamo made double-digit saves all three periods of regulation with 11 in the first as well as 12 in both the second and third. He also stopped two shots in the extra frame. Union goalie Troy Grosenick made 21 saves, nine of which came in the first period; he did not stop a shot in overtime.
With the score tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, Union immediately pressured at the start of overtime. Kevin Sullivan fired a low shot from the right circle stopped by Di Girolamo, but Sullivan corralled the puck off the rebound and was once again denied by the UNH netminder.
The Wildcats quickly advanced the puck to the other end of the ice and Nick Sorkin (Rockville, Md.) slid a pass from the slot to the right point for Connor Hardowa (Edmonton, Alberta), who had just came off the bench. Hardowa advanced through the circle and snapped a pass across the top of the crease that Goumas redirected high into the open left side of the net.
Following a scoreless first period in which Union recorded an 11-9 shot advantage, the Wildcats netted the only goal of the middle stanza to lead 1-0 through 40 minutes. UNH went on its third power play of the game at 1:55 and did not score on its two shots during that two-minute skater advantage, but the 'Cats capitalized on a tired Dutchmen squad on the ice by scoring nine seconds later. John Henrion (Holden, Mass.) intercepted an attempted clearing pass, charged the net and beat Grosenick.
Di Girolamo withstood a Union flurry in the closing minutes of the second period to preserve UNH's one-goal lead. With two minutes on the clock, an acrobatic save denied Greg Coburn's shot from the left circle, and then Di Girolamo shuffled across the crease to stop Trevor Mingoia's bid from the right circle. One minute later, Mingoia charged down the slot and he quickly snapped a wrister that was enveloped by Di Girolamo.
Union tied the score, 1-1, at 8:39 of the third period when Mat Bodie stole the puck at center ice and skated to the high slot. Bodie fired a shot wide right of the cage and the puck caromed off the end boards back to the right post, where Bodie chopped it into the upper-right corner of the net.
The teams remained scoreless thanks in part to a pair of Di Girolamo saves, coupled with a glove save by defenseman Damon Kipp (Salmon Arm, British Columbia) in the final minute of regulation.
UNH finished the game 0-for-5 on the power play and a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
New Hampshire continues its four-game homestand Oct. 29 against Hockey East rival Northeastern University. Game time at the Whittemore Center.