A tough stretch of four games in six days against nationally-ranked teams caught up to the Clarkson University Hockey team on Saturday night as the 15th-ranked Union College Dutchmen put an abrupt end to the Golden Knights’ longest ECAC Hockey winning streak in 10 years, defeating the Green and Gold 8-1 at Messa Rink in Schenectady, NY.

Coming off a 3-2 overtime victory at ninth-ranked Rensselaer on Friday, Clarkson was no match for the high-flying Dutchmen as Union (13-6-3, 5-2-1) snapped the Knights’ five-game league winning streak. Clarkson is off next weekend before returning to play at #1-ranked Yale on January 21. The Knights stand at 11-8-2 overall and are tied for fifth place in ECAC Hockey with a 5-3-1 league mark.

Clarkson held off Union in the first period, despite a 22-3 shot advantage by the home team through the opening 20 minutes. The Dutchmen took control in the second period and opened the middle frame with three goals in span of 2:45.

Daniel Carr started Union’s scoring at 5:12. Kyle Bodie followed 61 seconds later and Mat Bodie made it 3-0 at 7:57. Kyle Bodie scored again at 12:40.

The Knights got on the scoreboard at 18:15 when junior Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) tipped in a shot by classmate Louke Oakley (Whitby, ONT). Union came right back, however, when Jeremy Walsh tallied 19 seconds later to put the Dutchmen on top 5-1 through two periods.

Josh Jooris, Justin Pallos and Kevin Sullivan scored in the third period to close out Union’s scoring.

The Dutchmen outshot Clarkson 52-19. Junior Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) started in the Knights’ goal and posted 37 saves, including 22 in the first period, on 44 shots through 44 minutes of play. Sophomore Cody Rosen (Kingston, ONT) played the final 16 minutes in goal and stopped seven of eight shots.

Union was 1-of-5 on the power play while Clarkson went 0-of-4 with the man-advantage.