Providence, RI – Union (11-10-5, 4-5-3) scored two goals in the second period to take the lead but Brown (3-11-5, 2-7-3) countered in the same session to tie the score as the Dutchmen settled for a 2-2 tie against the Bears at Meehan Auditorium. Union goaltender
Kris Mayotte (Pittsburgh, PA) made 32 saves, including several highlight stops throughout the contest. It was his sixth 30-save effort of the season. The Dutchmen remain winless against Brown in their last six games, which includes two ties.
Union and Brown traded chances throughout the first period with the Bears holding a 12-8 advantage. They converted on the power play at 16:58 to take a 1-0 lead. Paul Baier sent a pass from the point over to Sean Hurley on the right side. Hurley lifted a shot over the left shoulder of Mayotte for his fifth goal of the season.
Mayotte was tested later in the period and came up with two tremendous saves to keep Brown's lead at one. The netminder robbed Cory Caouette at 18:11 on a breakaway attempt. Caouette stole the puck in the neutral zone and brought it up the left side into the Union zone. He skated across the front of the crease, staring at an open net, but Mayotte reached across and gloved the puck out of the air to cut short a premature celebration.
Following an offensive rush by Brown to start the second period Union responded with a goal at 3:26 to tie the game. A shot from the right face-off circle by
Augie DiMarzo (West Haven, CT) trickled under the left pad of Brown goaltender Adam D'Alba.
T.J. Fox (Oswego, NY) set up DiMarzo's fourth goal of the season with a pass from the middle.
Union broke the tie to take a 2-1 lead at 10:42 on a goal by
Jonathan Poirier (St. Jerome, QUE). The Dutchmen charged the Brown goal during a power play attempt. Freshman
Chris Potts (Phillipsburg, NJ) poked at a rebound as he was knocked to the ice. The puck slid under D'Alba's pads and Poirier was at the right post to help it in the rest of the way.
Brown was caught celebrating too early again, this time on the apparent game-tying goal at 12:35. Pete LeCain got Mayotte down on the ice when he faked a shot from the right side. LeCain had a wraparound chance but the Dutchmen netminder reached across and trapped the puck under his glove at the post.
A Bears' celebration was warranted at 13:48 after they scored to knot the game at two. Jeff Prough scored his eighth goal of the season off a one-timer to Mayotte's left side. Chris Poli picked up the assist with a pass from the slot.
The score remained unchanged through the third period due in part to a strong defensive showing by
Sean Streich (Kimberley, BC) who disrupted a three-on-one break by Brown at 7:50.
In the overtime session both teams had a power play opportunity. The Union penalty killing unit held the Bears without a shot on their chance. The Dutchmen had two chances in the closing seconds but could not connect. Junior
Olivier Bouchard (Quebec City, QUE) had a chance with 44 seconds left at the right post but a Brown defenseman stepped in front of the shooting lane to block the shot.
It was Union's fifth overtime game of the season. The Dutchmen are now 0-0-5 in those games. They outshot Brown 42-34 and finished one-of-three on the power play.
Union closes out the month of January with two games on the road next weekend. They start things off at Dartmouth on Friday the 27th at 7:00 p.m.
