Former Vipers Forward Ikkala Wins National Championship:

Former Vernon Vipers forward Cole Ikkala & Union College won its first National Championship after a 7-4 win Saturday over Minnesota.  Ikkala finishes his fourth and final year at Union College, played two seasons in Vernon (2008-2010) playing in 92 games with the Vipers collecting (30-goals-32-assists-62-points).

Cole Ikkala's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=38024

This is posted on the Union College website:

Union wins NCAA Div. I Men's Ice Hockey Championship, 7-4 over Minnesota

4/12/2014

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship Trophy has a new home....Schenectady, NY, and the campus of Union College.

The Dutchmen scored three goals in a span of under three minutes late in the first period, and defeated the University of Minnesota, 7-4 at the Wells Fargo Center in front of 18,742. Union finishes the 2013-14 season with a record of 32-6-4 and the school's first championship since the 1929 men's lacrosse team.

Only 19 seconds into the contest, the Gophers took a penalty. Union had a two on one but after a Mike Vecchione drive from the right circle was stopped by Adam Wilcox, the rebound came out to an open Daniel Ciampini, but he shot it high. Minnesota took a 1-0 lead at 2:37. Nate Condon's shot was stopped by Stevens but the rebound dribbled out in front and Justin Kloos took the bouncing puck to the left of the net and fired it in for his 16th of the season.

Union got another man advantage at 3:11, and had crisp passing but many shots that

were high or wide just missing the net. Minnesota got the man up aMIH t 6:42 and had some chances in close but the Dutchmen killed it off. But at 9:26, Union knotted the game at 1-1. Shane Gostisbehere came in through traffic from the blue line and got a strong shot while covered by two Gophers just inside the blue line that quickly found the back of the net at 9:26. Jeff Taylor and Matt Wilkins got the assists.Just 37 seconds later, Minnesota regained the lead at 2-1. Sam Warning took a shot from an impossible angle on the left goal line that found the inside right part of the net with a host of guys in front of the crease.

Union poured on the pressure with under five minutes remaining in the first and it paid off. Big time, to the tune of three goals in under three minutes. At 15:09, Mike Vecchione capped off four straight shots right outside the crease, picking up the final rebound and slamming home his 14th to tie it at 2-2. At 16:06, Eli Lichtenwald got his own rebound in close and his shot went off the back of the right goalie pad and in for #9 and it was Union's first lead, 3-2. Then, at 17:03, Daniel Ciampini capped off a furious flurry with his 23rd and Union now led, 4-2.

The period ended with 20 Dutchmen shots on the board and 15 for the Gophers. The Union total was the most shot total for any period of a championship game since North Dakota had 23 in the third period in the 2005 title contest.

At 1:13 of the second period, the Gophers got closer and made it 4-3. Justin Kloos, who scored with one second left to beat North Dakota in the semifinal, tried a wraparound that was stopped. Taylor Cammarata tried to knock in the rebound but after the initial save he was successful for his 17th goal. Union got a penalty at 2:25 and during that, a shot from the point came back out to the right post area but Cammarata went high and wide. Later, at 7:13 Gabe Guertler had a wrister from the left circle stopped by Stevens.

The Dutchmen got a power play at 9:33, and during the opportunity, Kevin Sullivan had a clean shot stopped after the shot from between the circles.  Stevens made a great left pad save with five minutes left in the second after Kloos came in from a pretty pass and tried to put it inside the right post. The Gophers had a penalty at 15:39 and after that power play was killed off, Union got a call at 18:06, and shots were 34-33 Union after two periods.

The Dutchmen were 23-2-1 when leading after two periods. They got insurance on the one goal lead at 5:31, as Max Novak had a give and go with Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan dished it back to Novak who directed it in on the go in front for his 15th of the season and a 5-3 Union lead.

Down 2-1 midway through the first period, Union scored three consecutive goals in a span of 1:54 to gain a 4-2 lead. It is the fastest that three goals have been scored in a row in the championship since 1977, when Michigan and Wisconsin combined to score three goals in 1:04. The Dutchmen's trio of goals in 1:54 matched the mark set by Colorado College in the 1957 title game, the last time the same team scored three in such a short span. The Tigers posted three over the duration of 1:54 in the third period. The record for three consecutive goals by one team in the title game is 1:45 by Colorado College, set in the third period of the 1950 championship.

The combined six goals in the first period are the most in the championship since the 1963 final, when North Dakota (5) and Denver (2) totaled seven, which is the record for the opening frame. A combined seven goals in the first period has occurred three times (1956, 1961, 1963). The combined six goals are the most in any period of the championship since 1997 (North Dakota 5, Boston University 1, 2nd).