Two Late Goals Lift Bulldogs

Box Score

Providence, RI -- Will Engasser scored 51 seconds into overtime to lift the Yale men's hockey team to a 3-2, come-from-behind win over Brown.

The Bulldogs (7-4-3, 4-2-3) scored twice in under two minutes to steal two points from the Bears (1-9-4, 1-4-3).

Yale, which won all three games with Brown this season, outshot the home team 34-23, including 14-6 in the third period but looked like it would not have enough luck to take a point from this road trip to Providence.

Engasser, who had a goal and two assists, was surprised to see his pass bounce into the net for the winner.

"I was behind the net trying to hit [Sean] Backman in the slot. I just backhanded it and their goalie stuck out his leg and it went off his skate," said the Yale captain. "We had all the momentum after getting the goal late in the third and it seemed like they were playing not to lose."

Billy Blase, ranked fifth in Division I in both major goaltending categories, stopped 21 of 23 shots on target to earn the victory. He made a number of quality saves to give the Blue an important win.

"I thought they played very defensively. I love getting the shots but didn't see many tonight," said Blase. "But we certainly got our bounces tonight."

Everything was even in the opening period other than the power-play opportunities (3-0 Brown). Yale had the edge in shots (11-10) and both teams tallied a goal.

The visitors found the net first. Defenseman Robert Page snapped off a shot from the point that was saved and the rebound came out to Engasser, who put it back immediately. Sibbald made another save and then fell on the puck but it came free and Sean Backman, who was in the right place at the perfect time, easily tapped it in from the side of the crease at 3:49 for his eighth goal of the year. That extended his goal streak to five games.

The Bears did not capitalize on any of the man-advantages, but a scramble in front of the Yale net resulted in the score going to 1-1 at 7:56 of the first period. Devin Timberlake, (3^rd goal) standing a foot  from the goal line at the side of the net, put back a rebound between his legs with his back facing the net that slid under Blase.

Brown, which had the only goal of the second, took the lead just 2:34 into the frame on a shot from the left dot by winger Ryan Garbutt (3^rd). Blase, who came out aggressively to play a puck heading for him, whacked it back to the circle but did not get enough help from his back-checking forwards. Garbutt, alone on the left, picked up the loose puck and sent it low toward the net catching the Bulldog netminder slightly out of position.

The Bulldogs came close to evening the score many times but Sibbald kept coming up with big saves. Yale finally got the equalizer with 1:08 left on a wild scramble for a rebound in front of the Brown net. Robert Page, charging in from the point, managed to smack the puck into the back of the net from the edge of the crease while he was lying on the ice.

"I got hit from behind and was on my stomach when I shot the puck with the lower part of my shaft," said Page. "My body went to the side of the net but my arms ended up in the net."

Brown ended up 0-for-5 on the powerplay while Yale, winners of four of the last five games, had just one chance and could not score.

"The guys battled for 60 minutes and really earned the two points," said Yale Associate Head Coach C. J. Marottolo, who finished his tenure (3-1) as the top bench man while Keith Allain was on assignment with Team USA. "Brown played a smart game and they are a lot better team than their record indicates. Our guys were not going to be denied. We believe we can win these games in the third period."