The Brown Bears (2-12-4 , 2-7-3 ECAC) defeated host Colgate Raiders(6-12-5 , 1-7-3 ECAC) 4-1 at Starr Rink on Friday. The win was Brown’s fourth in Hamilton in the history of the series, and its first since February 19, 1993.
Brown coach Roger Grillo addressed his weak record in Hamilton. “We have a young team, with six freshmen on the roster tonight, including [goalie Michael Clemente], so it is a new deal.†Brown’s young talent was on display Friday: freshmen netted the first two goals and totaled three points on the night.
Jeff Buvinow, Brown’s freshman blueliner, scored the first goal of the night, his fourth of the season, at 1:05 in the second period, capitalizing on a 0:28 Nick St. Pierre hooking penalty. Matt Vokes set up the power play on the hash marks to the right of Colgate freshman netminder Alex Evin and dropped the puck into the corner to Jared Smith who fired it out to Buvinow on the blue line. Buvinow walked the puck to his right and fired a slap shot through a crowd and into the back of the net.
Colgate answered right back when senior Tom Riley won the center-ice face off back to St. Pierre. St. Pierre’s pass connected with Riley at the blue line; Riley split the defense and wristed a shot from the top of the left circle into the far-side upper-corner at 1:13.
“Our guys were pretty confident tonight,†said Grillo. “They came out battling and competing.†And not to be broken by Colgate’s quick answer, Brown’s efficient power play got back to work again late in the second.
At 19:13, Colgate freshman centerman Nick Prockow, was whistled for interference in the corner behind Clemente’s net. Just 35 seconds later, Brown regained the lead when Jared Smith put home his first goal of the season and the Bears second power play goal of the night. Assistant-captain Matt Vokes carried the puck across the Colgate blue line, passed across the ice to Eric Slais in the corner to Evin’s right. Slais slid the puck across the crease to the far post where Smith easily hammered it home.
Sean McMonagle put home the Bears third goal at 13:58 in the third period when he picked up the puck in the right corner behind Evin and worked in behind the net. He stepped out on Evin’s left, let fly a quick shot off a Raider skate and immediately picked up the lose puck. He patiently walked across the front of the net and finally roofed his third of the season.
“It was a pretty good shift all around,†said Grillo about the insurance goal. “That was a key play.â€
Alex Evin made a career high 33 saves in net for the Raiders. Mike Stuart scored on an empty net to ice the game at 19:23.
Both squads are back in action Saturday night: Brown travels to Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y. to face off with first place Cornell (13-2-3, 8-1-2 ECAC) at 7:00 p.m., and Colgate plays host to Yale (12-5-1, 7-3-1 ECAC), also at 7:00 p.m., at Starr Rink in Hamilton, N.Y.
