Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. – Corey Milan made 30 saves in regulation and then stopped all four shots he faced in a shootout to lead Union College to the championship game of the 2008 Governor's Cup at the Times Union Center.

The Dutchmen and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) played to a 1-1 overtime tie, but the Dutchmen won the shootout, 2-0, in four rounds to advance to the championship game. The game is recorded as a tie for NCAA Tournament purposes.

RPI, the two-time defending Governor's Cup champions, jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 1:20 into the first period when sophomore Scott Halpern (Boca Raton, FL/Bay State Breakers) pushed a loose puck that was in the crease across the goal line. Classmates Tyler Helfrich (Calgary, AB/Prince George Spruce Kings) and Chase Polacek (Edina, MN/Academy of Holy Angels) earned the assists. Polacek took the initial shot, which was blocked, and Helfrich sent the puck into the crease. The score ended that way after the first period with the Engineers holding an 18-6 advantage in shots.

The Dutchmen tied the game at 16:24 of the second period on a fine individual effort by freshman Kelly Zajac (Winnipeg, MB/Salmon Arm Silverbacks). Zajac, a forward, carried the puck into the offensive zone down the right side and snaped off a shot that RPI netminder Mathias Lange (Klagenfurt, Austria/New York Apple Core) stopped but could not control. A sliding Chris Potts (Phillipsburgh, NJ/Tabor Academy) pushed the puck back to Zajac, who scored under the crossbar for his first career game.

The third period was played evenly, with each team getting a few chances, but each time Milan and Lange stopped the opposition.

In overtime the Engineers went on the power play and had one shot on goal as Union's penalty kill shut down the Engineers.

Milan finished with seven saves in the third period and one in overtime. RPI's Lange made a total of 24 saves, 14 in the second period and four in the third.

In the shootout, Union scored on its first two opportunities, the first by Stephane Boileau (Blainville, PQ/St. Jerome Panthers) and the second by Mario Valery-Trabucco (Montreal, PQ/Northwood School). Boileau's went to his backhand to slide it slowly past Lange and Valery-Trabucco rifled one over the shoulder of Lange.

Milan had to make three saves on four overtime shots by the Engineers, the last on Patrick Cullen (Washington, DC/Indiana Ice).

With the shootout victory, the Dutchmen (1-1-1) will play Colgate, 5-2 winners over Robert Morris in the earlier semifinal, in the championship game at 8pm while the Engineers (0-4-1) will play Robert Morris at 5pm in the third-place game.