Brown stopped Union's winning streak tonight in Schenectady by a score of 3-2.
The Bears seemed to control most of the game, building a 3-0 lead early
into the
third period. Union started quickly with a couple of quality scoring
chances in the
first two minutes, but couldn't get the puck past Yann Dannis, who was very
solid
in net all night long.

Brown held a 1-0 lead going into the third period and added a power play
goal less
than 3 minutes in. A sloppy defensive mistake behind the Union goal led to
another
Brown goal a little over 1 minute later. Union hit the scoreboard with less
than 8 minutes
remaining when Brian Kerr wristed a shot past Dannis, one I thought he
should have
stopped blindfolded. Union continued to put a lot of pressure on Brown and
it paid
off with a Jordan Webb goal with 1:10 remaining and an extra attacker.
Despite the
additional pressure, the Dutchmen couldn't get the tying goal.

After the final horn, several fights broke out behind the Brown net. With
the way
referee Scott Hansen pulled out his pad of paper and began writing down
numbers,
I expect a few game disqualifications out of those. The preliminary,
unofficial report
on the Union radio post-game indicated 3 game DQs for each team. Whatever the
official call ends up as, it will hurt Brown for tomorrow night's game
against RPI and
Union for their next game against Yale next Friday.

Frankly, the officials in the ECAC continue to baffle me. Once it looks
like the overall
officiating is getting better, you see a game like tonight's Brown-Union
matchup. I give
the Bears credit in that they are a scrappy, defensive, and opportunistic
team that does
not give up a lot of goals. Union's overall sloppy play tonight was likely
attributable to
Brown's tight-checking style of play. However, several instances of
grabbing the helmet,
hooking the shoulder, holding the stick, and shots to the head of the
opposing players
should have been called tonight. Scott Hansen clearly let a lot of the play
continue and
did not call many penalties during the course of the game. I understand
that the grabbing,
hooking, and holding is part of the game (and to keep doing it if you're
not penalized for
it), but when it continues out of control, it needs to be called. It's one
thing to let them
play, but it's another to keep allowing the suffocating "clutch-and-grab"
style.

The annual ECAC logjam has now begun for the stretch run. Union is now tied
with Yale
for 3rd place with 18 points, one point ahead of Brown and Clarkson, who
are both one
point ahead of Dartmouth.

-Andy