Dutchmen breeze to 7-1 win over Brown

Box Score 

by Ryan Fay

Union secured its first ECAC Hockey road win of the season after breezing to a 7-1 win over Brown Friday at Meehan Auditorium.

The Dutchmen received seven goals from seven different players while extending their unbeaten streak against the Bears to six games.

Max Novak and Sebastien Gingras paced Union (8-6-1, 2-4-1 ECACH) with a goal and two assists apiece. Novak, who was rejected at Brown, has five goals and three assists in seven career games against the Bears (2-8-0, 0-7-0).

Mike Vecchione put Union on the board at 10:18 of the first period after tipping in a shot by Gingras. The Dutchmen extended their lead to 2-0 just over two minutes later after Novak's faceoff win led to a Daniel Ciampini snap shot that eluded Bears netminder Tyler Steel. The goal was Ciampini's seventh of the season, tying him with Vecchione and Spencer Foo for the team lead.

Union added two more goals in the second. Gingras beat Steel through the five-hole at 4:04. Four and a half minutes later, Roman Ammirato struck for his second goal in as many games after beating Steel with a backhander from the left circle.

The Dutchmen put the game out of reach with three additional tallies in the third. Matt Wilkins upped Union's lead to 5-0 at 1:25 after a set-up by Novak.

Brown's Charlie Corcoran was ejected at 7:47 after getting a five-minute game disqualification for interference following a nasty hit on Union's Michael Pontarelli, who did not return and is considered day-to-day. During the ensuing power-play, Union tacked on goals from Eli Lichtenwald and Novak.

Matt Harlow scored Brown's only goal at 13:13 of the third. The tally was Brown's first since a 4-3 overtime loss at Colgate on Nov. 21. The Bears were subsequently blanked in three straight games entering Friday.

After giving up five power-play goals in last Saturday's 8-2 loss to Western Michigan, the Dutchmen penalty kill held Brown to no goals and one combined shot on four power-plays.

Union goalie Colin Stevens made 22 saves before being replaced by Alex Sakellaropoulos at the start of the third. Stevens was banged up during the second and is considered day-to-day.

Sakellaropoulos stopped four-of-five shots the rest of the way.

Steel turned aside 35 shots for the Bears.

The Dutchmen resume league action Saturday at 7 when they travel to Yale in a matchup of the last two national champions.

End notes... Vecchione wore an "A" on his jersey... Ciampini, who was named an alternate captain before the season, will now see his "A" rotate.... Sam Coatta remains the other alternate captain while Charlie Vasaturo remains captain.

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