Russ Bartlett scored the third St. Lawrence power-play goal of the game just 54 seconds into the third period to send the Saints to a 4-2 win over Union and sweep their first-round ECAC playoff series.
St. Lawrence, now 18-12-4 on the season, will advance to Lake Placid for the third consecutive year and will have the opportunity to defend the ECAC tournament championship it won a year ago. Union finishes its season at 12-18-4.
“We’ve completed one step on the journey,” said Saint coach Joe Marsh. “Every game for us from the start of the playoffs is like a championship game, or an NCAA tournament game. Our hopes of making the NCAAs rely on winning the next six periods of hockey.
“Union played with a lot of fire and intensity, but our power play came through and we got a solid game in goal from Jeremy Symington. Our veterans know what it takes to be successful in the postseason, and they showed that this weekend. Everyone came through with consistent efforts this weekend, and part of that is from our senior leadership.”
The St. Lawrence power play, which has been among the best in the nation throughout the season, scored twice in the second period to offset an even-strength goal by the Dutchmen and give SLU a 2-1 lead after two periods.
Charlie Daniels scored his fifth goal of the season and fourth of the year against Union on a power-play shot from a tough angle at 3:27.
Union defenseman Alex Todd tied it on a wrist shot from near the blue line which sailed past a screened Jeremy Symington at 5:15, but the Saints retook the lead when Mike Gellard scored his 19th of the season at 15:35, tucking the puck under the pads of a sprawling Snee.
Bartlett scored the eventual winner at the 54-second mark of the third when he collected a rebound of a shot by Erik Anderson and tapped it into the unguarded side of the net. The assist gave Anderson 50 points on the season and the Saints two 50-point scorers in the same season for the first time since 1992.
Jim Lorentz gave the Saints a 4-1 lead at 8:40 when he blasted a slapshot past Snee from the left faceoff circle, and while the Dutchmen got one back on Jordy Federko’s third goal of the series at 17:50.
Saint goalie Jeremy Symington held them off the rest of the way and finished with 30 saves for his fourth win of the year over the Dutchmen. Snee finished with 26 saves for Union.
