DiCharia Ties Game In Third Period

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The tying goal by Frank DiCharia in the third period, followed by Andrew Gaus' game-winner in overtime, earned the Yale men's hockey team a hard-earned 2-1 ECAC victory on Saturday night over Union in the Messa Rink.

Following the Bulldogs' (4-1-1, 2-1-1 ECAC) first loss of the season to Rensselaer in overtime on Friday night, Yale was redeemed by dominating the final two periods and earning two points against the Dutchmen.

DiCharia and Gaus led the offensive charge and helped Yale get back in the win column. They combined for six shots on goal, putting the Union defense to the test. DiCharia assisted on the game-winner in overtime, which was Gaus' second goal of the season and first-career overtime-winner.

Junior goalie Alex Lyon made 19 saves on 20 shots, including a miraculous stop in the second period that ended with him covering the puck by lying on his back. Union goalie Alex Sakellaropoulos made 29 saves on 31 shots in the loss, as the Bulldogs held a 31 to 20 shot advantage in the game.

Union's only goal came in the second period on a power play – the only blemish on Yale's 10 penalty minutes in the game. Lyon was a stone wall on several short-handed situations, fighting off the Dutchmen at every angle.

With time running out in overtime, Yale was deep in the Union zone when the puck spit out into the slot, giving Gaus the chance to one-time the game-winner past Sakellaropoulos with one minute remaining. Stu Wilson, along with DiCharia, recorded the assists.

The stingy Yale defense, led by Lyon, did not give the Dutchmen any quality chances in overtime. Union had just one shot on goal in four minutes of extra time, to Yale's four.

It is the first overtime win this season for the Bulldogs - the other two results were a tie against Harvard on Nov. 6 and a 3-2 loss to Rensselaer on Friday night.

Facing a 1-0 deficit in the final period, it took the Bulldogs just 78 seconds to tie the game. After freshman Ted Hart won the face-off, Cody Learned tipped it to DiCharia who ripped a shot past Sakellaropoulos from a few feet inside the blue line to make it 1-1.

"We had a plan of what we wanted to do right off the draw. Hart won it clean, Learned tipped it back to me, and I shot it from the top of the circle," said DiCharia. "We had been buzzing all game so it was great to put the team on the board and give us some momentum in the third period. I feel we controlled the game from that point on."

DiCharia's goal was one of 14 shots on net that Yale took in the third period and overtime. After taking 17 shots on goal in the first 40 minutes, the Bulldogs dominantly controlled the puck in the final 25 minutes, outshooting Union 14 to five.

Senior defenders Rob O'Gara and Mitch Witek both blocked Union shots in the final minute of the third period, assisting Lyon and sending the game into the extra period.

Union connected on the game's first goal in the second period in the final seconds of a power play at 5:07. Brett Supinski wristed a shot that was deflected into the lower left corner, just past the reach of Lyon, giving the Dutchmen a 1-0 lead. It was the first time an opposing team has scored on a power play against the Bulldogs this season.

Lyon was brilliant in the rest of the period, including a save on a slap shot by Union's Cole Maier at 10:44. Maier's shot was followed by a rebound attempt, which Lyon stopped and held by lying on his back over the puck.  

Later in the period, Maier was called for a major and game misconduct, resulting in five-minute power play for the Bulldogs. A holding penalty on O'Gara at 2:29 evened the odds for two minutes of those five, yet the Elis had several opportunities to tie the game in that stretch. Shots by Gaus and forward Chris Izmirlian were turned away.

At the 15-minute mark, O'Gara had Yale's best scoring chance, with Sakellaropoulos behind the net. O'Gara ripped a shot that the Union goalie was able to just barely deflect away, as he returned to his post after playing a puck on the boards.

The Bulldogs' defense was feisty in the first 20 minutes, spoiling two Union power plays and blocking five shots in the period. Lyon was strong between the pipes, making seven saves, several of which came under siege during four penalty minutes.

At the 7:32 mark, the Eli goalkeeper made a quick glove save on a high-corner rip by Union forward Mike Vecchione, keeping the game scoreless. Yale's best chance in the first came four minutes later, when Learned had a clear slap shot on net that was saved.

Yale now has five points in ECAC play and prepares for next weekend when it hosts Cornell and Colgate at Ingalls Rink. The puck drops on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m.

Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity