Senior forward Joseph Cipollone scored with 56 seconds remaining for the Wildcats
Late Cipollone Goal Sends New Hampshire Past Union, 3-2
Senior forward Joseph Cipollone scored with 56 seconds remaining for the Wildcats

Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. - Senior forward Joseph Cipollone (Purchase, N.Y.) scored the game-winning goal with 56.5 seconds left in regulation as the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team defeated Union, 3-2, on Saturday at the Whittemore Center. Sophomore defenseman Luke Reid (Warman, Saskatchewan) posted two points on a goal and an assist while senior forward Filip Engarås (Stockholm, Sweden) also had a goal in the contest.

The Wildcats improve to 2-0-0 (0-0-0 HEA) and the Dutchmen fall to 0-2-0 (0-0-0 ECAC).

UP NEXT: Wildcats will return to action on Friday and Saturday, UNH travels to Arizona State Friday, Oct. 15 for a 9 p.m. (ET) contest at the Oceanside Ice Arena.

Score: New Hampshire 3, Union 2
Records: UNH (2-0-0, 0-0-0 HEA), Union (0-2-0, 0-0-0 ECAC)
Location: Durham, N.H. (Whittemore Center)
Date: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Attendance: 3,273


HOW IT HAPPENED

- Union notched the first goal 2:01 into the first period after Michael Hodge slid the puck down low to Liam Robertson, who roofed a wrist shot past senior goalie Mike Robinson (Bedford, N.H.) from the top of the crease. Tyler Watkins also tallied an assist on the goal.

- After the first period, UNH outshot Union 9-6. Each team went 0-1 on the power play.

- UNH tied the game at 1-1 with 1.4 seconds left in the second period after junior forward Harrison Blaisdell (Regina, Saskatchewan) won the faceoff back to Reid, who blasted a slap shot high glove side on Connor Murphy for the power play goal.

- UNH outshot Union 15-8 for the period. The Wildcats were 1-2 on the man-advantage and the Dutchmen were 0-3.

- Union took a 2-1 lead at 3:07 of the third period when Dylan Anhorn went coast-to-coast and fired a wrister from the slot blocker side past Robinson.

- The Wildcats evened the score at 11:49 when Engarås found the puck in a defender's skates in the slot and buried a shot past Murphy. Senior forward Tyler Ward (Kamloops, British Columbia) and freshman defenseman Alex Gagne (Bedford, N.H.) posted assists on the goal.

- UNH scored with 56.5 seconds left in the third period when Cipollone put home a rebound to take a 3-2 lead. Reid and junior defenseman Kalle Eriksson (Leksand, Sweden) had assists on the goal.

- The Wildcats kept Union from scoring the equalizer for the 3-2 final score.


INSIDE THE NUMBERS

- Robinson made 16 saves and improves to 2-0-0, while Murphy posted 30 saves and stands at 0-2-0.

- UNH outshot Union by a 33-18 margin.

- The Wildcats went 1-5 on the power play and the Dutchmen finished 0-5.


BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

- Blaisdell assist marks his first point in a Wildcat uniform.

- Gagne tallied his first collegiate point.

- Reid's two-point game was the second of his career.

- Senior forward Jackson Pierson (Zionsville, Ind.) posted a team high 11 faceoff wins.

- Seven different Wildcats notched points.

- The last time the Wildcats started the season 2-0-0 was 2017-18.

- UNH is now 8-4-0 all time versus Union.