Team Notes: Bears Begin Stretch Run at Harvard and Dartmouth
This Weekend: Having completed the
non-league portion of their schedule with a 2-2-3 record, the Bears
begin the final stretch of 16 straight ECAC Hockey games this
weekend at Harvard and at Dartmouth. The games mark the first
meeting for Brown against its New England foes, who have already
played nine and eight ECAC Hockey contests, respectively, to
Brown's six. The Bears are in search of their first league win
since posting a weekend sweep of Colgate (5-2) and Cornell (3-2)
the weekend of November 19-20.
Last Time Out: Playing in their first
Tournament Championship game since the UConn Hockey Classic in
December, 2004, the Bears dropped a 7-3 decision to Minnesota State
in the Shillelagh Tournament Sunday afternoon. The Bears advanced
to the Championship Game by virtue of a 6-1 win over #10 Boston
University, on the strength of 41 saves by junior Mike
Clemente and a goal and an assist from five different
players (David
Brownschidle '11, Bobby
Farnham '12, Jack
Maclellan '12, Chris
Zaires '13, and Harry
Zolnierczyk '11). Maclellan also scored in the
Championship Game to stretch his point scoring streak to seven
games and his goal scoring streak to six games, while Zolnierczyk
notched two assists against the Mavericks to stretch his point
scoring streak to three games. Freshmen Jake
Goldberg and Garnet
Hathaway both scored the first goals of their careers in
Sunday's Championship Game, while Maclellan and freshman
defenseman Matt
Wahl, who also stretched his point scoring streak to three
games with an assist in each game, were named to the All-Tournament
Team.
Multimedia: Brown is in its fourth year of a partnership with America One (previously B2 Networks) to handle all video and audio streaming needs. Video and audio, called by Mike Rubin '00, for all 12 of Brown's home games will be streamed live over the internet. In addition, five away games will be shown live via America One, including Brown's game at RPI later this month. Free audio for all home games and select away games will also be available. In addition to Brown's normal audio broadcasts on Brownbears.com, six other games will also be broadcast on WPRV AM-790, including Friday's Harvard game, and home games against both Yale and Harvard. Video for single games can be purchased for $7, or fans can purchase a season-long hockey pass (all men's & women's games) for $75. Fans can also follow all Brown home games on livestats, available at http://livestats.prestosports.com/brown/
Brendan Whittet '94: Brown alum Brendan Whittet, class of 1994, returns for his second season as Brown's bench boss. A 15-year veteran of the college coaching ranks, Whittet guided the Bears to one of their most successful seasons in recent history in his first season at the helm. Under Whittet's guidance, Brown won 13 games, the most since winning 16 during the 2004-05 season. The Bears improved in nearly every facet of their game offensively, while advancing to the ECAC Hockey Championship Tournament for the first time since 2003. A former defenseman for the Bears, Whittet is the 15th head coach in the 111-year history of the Brown men's hockey program and the 4th Brown hockey alum to coach the team, joining Wescott E.S. Moulton '31 (1948-52), Donald F. Whiston '51 (1953-55), and J. Allan Soares '60 (1971-74).
Mike Clemente Named ECAC Hockey/MLX Skates Goalie of the
Week: In Brown's weekend sweep at Colgate and
Cornell, Clemente posted 48 saves, a .923 save percentage, and a
2.00 GAA, while allowing only one even-strength goal. Clemente
helped lead Brown to its first road sweep over the central-New York
duo since 2/93, its first win over Cornell since 1/07, and its
first regular season road sweep since 1/05. He recorded 28
saves on Friday against the Raiders with 20 the next night against
the Big Red.
Jack Maclellan and Matt Wahl Earn All-Tournament
Honors: Following Brown's second place finish at
Notre Dame's Shillelagh Tournament (6-1 win over #10 Boston
University; 7-3 loss to Minnesota State), junior Jack Maclellan
(2g, 1a) and freshman Matt Wahl (2a) were both named to the
All-Tournament Team.
These Dates Historically Speaking: All-time,
Brown is 7-12-2 on January 7th, including an 0-2-0 in games played
against Harvard. Brown is 5-4-1 in home games and 2-7-1 in away
games with an 0-1-0 record in games played at a neutral site. The
two Brown-Harvard games were played in 1970 (at Brown) and 1978 (at
Harvard). Brown is 4-9-2 in games played on January 8th, including
a 9-4 loss at Dartmouth last year on January 8th. The Bears are
0-4-1 in away games and 4-5-1 in home games played on this
date.
Brown vs. Harvard: Brown and Harvard have
met 156 times, with the Crimson leading the all-time series,
103-41-12. Brown won the very first meeting between the two schools
in the oldest active collegiate hockey rivalry, winning 6-0, in
1898 on a flooded baseball field in Dorchester, MA. Brown is 5-2-3
in the past 10 meetings, including a 3-1-2 record in the last six
meetings. Harvard snapped a five game winless streak against the
Bears, dating back to 2/23/08, when it claimed a 5-2 win in
Providence last February. The Bears have earned at least one point
against the Crimson in each of the last four seasons with Harvard's
last sweep coming during the 2005-06 campaign. Four different
players have posted three career points against Harvard with
junior Jeff
Buvinow leading the way (3 goals in six games).
Junior Jarred
Smith (6 games) and senior Harry Zolnierczyk (7 games)
both have one goal and two assists, while senior Jeremy
Russell (8 games) adds three assists. In all, nine of
Brown's 15 returning skaters have posted at least one career point
against Harvard.
Scouting Harvard: The Crimson enter Friday
night's contest against Brown following a 3-1 loss at Vermont in
the Championship Game of the Catamount Cup. Harvard advanced to the
Title game with a 4-2 victory over Army, its first win in 8 games,
dating back to a 4-2 win over St. Lawrence on November 12th.
Harvard is tied for 10th in the ECAC, one spot behind Brown, with a
2-7-0 record. Junior Alex Killorn leads the Crimson with 10 points
(6g, 4a) in 12 games, including a team-high two power play goals
and three game-winning goals. Senior Michael Biega is second on the
team with 7 points (2g, 5a), while junior Eric Kroshus (3g, 3a) and
sophomore Danny Biega (1g, 5a) both have six points. Senior Kyle
Richter has seen the majority of time in net this year and has
posted a 2.49 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 11 games (3-7-0).
Classmate Ryan Carroll has a 4.87 GAA and a .889 save percentage in
three games (0-2-0), while freshman Raphael Girard has also seen
time in net.
Brown vs. Dartmouth: This weekend will
mark the 139th meeting in the rivalry between Brown and Dartmouth.
The Bears swept the season series from Dartmouth in 2007-08 (for
the first time since 1997-1998), but the Big Green earned the
season sweep in 2009-10 and earned three points last year with a
9-4 win in Hanover and a 5-5 tie in Providence, as Dartmouth is
12-2-2 against the Bears since February 22, 2003. The Big Green
leads the all-time series, which began on February 22, 1928 with a
15-0 Dartmouth victory, by a 68-63-8 margin. Junior Jeff Buvinow is
Brown's statistical leader against Dartmouth with 1-4-5 totals in
four career games, while senior Harry Zolnierczyk (2g, 2a) and
junior Jack Maclellan (1g, 3a) each have four points in five and
four career games, respectively.
Scouting Dartmouth: The Big Green went 1-0-1
in their own tournament, tying Mercyhurst, 4-4, in their first
game, before earning a 4-3 overtime victory over Colgate in the
third place contest. Seniors Adam Estoclet, Scott Fleming, and Matt
Reber led Dartmouth over the weekend, as Estoclet has 2-2-4 totals,
Fleming posted 2-3-5 totals, and Reber earned 2-4-6 numbers in the
two games. Senior Joe Stejskal was the hero in the Colgate win,
scoring the game-winner 2:37 into overtime. Fleming leads six
different players in double digits in scoring with 15 points (6g,
9a) in 13 games, while freshman Matt Lindblad has 14 points (6g,
8a), including a team-high four power play goals, in 13 games.
Reber adds 13 points (3g, 10a), juniors Nick Walsh (7g, 5a) and
Doug Jones (1g, 11a) both have 12 points, while Estoclet adds 11
(6g, 5a). Junior James Mello has seen the majority of time in net
this season and has posted a 1.93 GAA to go along with a .935 save
percentage in nine games (5-1-2). Junior Jody O'Neill has appeared
in four games (2-2-0) and has earned a 3.60 GAA and a .863 save
percentage, while freshman Cab Morris has also seen time.
