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Brown University
1-0-0
Army
2-4-1
Men's Hockey Downs Army, 4-2, in Season Opener
10/31/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Four different players found the back of the net as the Brown men's hockey team skated past Army, 4-2, to give the Bears a season-opening victory in Friday evening's non-conference tilt at Tate Rink.
Brown moves to 1-0 on the young season, winning its season opener for the second straight year, while the Black Knights drop to 2-4-1 on the season.
"I thought we did some real good things, especially the young guys. I thought they played with a lot of maturity with it being their first game," said head coach Brendan Whittet. "After that first period, where we had a little bit of nervous energy, we came out really strong in the second."
Freshmen Max Willman (Barnstable, Mass.) and Charlie Corcoran (New Canaan, Conn.), and sophomores Davey Middleton (Novi, Mich.) and Kyle Kramer (Qualicum Beach, British Columbia) all scored for the Bears, while ten different players registered one point in the game.
Sophomore Tyler Steel (Vernon, British Columbia) made 29 saves in net for the Bears to pick up the win, while Cole Bruns stopped 32 shots on the other end.
Brown opened up the scoring just over five minutes into the contest when Willman notched the team's first goal of the season and the first of his collegiate career. After fielding a pass from fellow freshman Sam Lafferty (Hollidaysburg, Pa.), Willman charged at the goal from the left side and started to head behind the net, but banked a shot off a defenseman's leg at the last second to put the visitors on top, 1-0. Sophomore Tyler Wood (Manchester, Mass.) was also credited with an assist on the play.
After a Brown penalty 36 seconds later, the Black Knights struck back with a power-play goal, when Shane Hearn scored from the right circle to even the score, 1-1.
Brown responded with a flurry of shots near the end of the period, but Bruns made four stops during the span to preserve the tie game, as the teams headed into the locker rooms knotted at one goal apiece. Brown held the edge in shots, 13-9.
The Bears came out with some offensive power in the second period, outshooting the Black Knights by a 15-9 margin in the stanza. Middleton gave the Bears a one-goal lead just 2:20 into the stanza for the first of his career. Junior Brandon Pfeil (West Vancouver, British Columbia) pushed a pass along the boards to Middleton, who took the puck in the left circle and blasted a shot that deflected off a defender and into the net.
Brown maintained its momentum midway through the period when Corcoran registered his first tally of the season. Senior Massimo Lamacchia (Maple, Ontario) took a hard shot that bounced back out in front of the net, where Corcaran was waiting and quickly tapped in the rebound to move the Bears in front, 3-1.
Kramer gave the Bears a three-goal lead at 10:38 in the third period. Senior Matt Harlow (Bridgewater, Mass.) forced a turnover in Army territory and then slid a pass in front of the net, where Kramer knocked home the tally to move the Bears on top, 4-1.
After Army scored another power-play goal late in the period to pull within two, the Black Knights had a two-man advantage with 35 seconds left to play, but Mark Naclerio (Milford, Conn.) won a big faceoff and Matt Lorito (Oakville, Ontario) blocked a late shot to seal the victory.
Brown outshot the Black Knights, 36-31.
Brown opens up the home schedule next weekend when they host St. Lawrence in the conference opener on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Clarkson on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets for all Brown men's hockey games can be purchased online, calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or walking up to the Box Office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
