Union blanked again, this time by Brown

Box Score

by Ryan Fay

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – When Union played at Brown on Dec. 5, the Dutchmen's offense exploded for seven goals in a 7-1 win over the Bears.

Union's offense didn't have the same success in Saturday's rematch at Messa Rink.

Behind a 36-save effort from goaltender Tim Ernst, Brown shut out the Dutchmen, 1-0.

“He was dynamite tonight,” Union head coach Rick Bennett said. “Brown, from our last game, has tremendously improved.”

It was Union's second straight shutout loss, having been blanked, 2-0, by Yale on Friday. Union hadn't been shutout in back-to-back contests since consecutive 4-0 defeats at Dartmouth and Harvard on Nov. 9 and 10, 2007.

Union (6-11-1 ECAC Hockey, 14-14-2 overall) rarely made Yale goalie Alex Lyon work for his shutout on Friday. But Ernst had to earn his. With Brown leading 1-0, the Dutchmen showed a renewed sense of urgency in the third period, when they outshot the Bears, 16-3. Several of those bids were quality chances. Ernst passed each test.

With Union on the power-play, Ernst denied Daniel Ciampini six minutes into the period with a circus glove save. The rebound found its way to Mike Vecchione, who had a good look, but Ernst made a chest stop.

“I thought I held on to it, actually,” Ernst said. “I didn’t know it was still loose, but I knew I made that save.”

With 9:47 left, he denied a bid from Nick Cruice, who came flying across the crease. Just under four minutes later, he turned away a close range shot from Matt Wilkins. Union maintained its pressure until the final buzzer.

“[Ernst] played great,” Brown head coach Brendan Whittet said. “He got us that win, that’s for sure. He battles. He doesn’t give up on pucks. That’s what we need out of our goaltender.”

Brown (4-13-1, 7-17-1) gave Ernst all the support he needed at 5:45 of the second. Joey de Concilys' shot from the right point went over the shoulder of Union goaltender Colin Stevens, off the crossbar, and into the back of the net.

“I thought at the last game at Brown that we had a little puck luck,” Bennett said. “That goal they got was a little bit [of puck luck]. It was just a great shot, it had eyes and found the back of our net. That’s what it comes down to. We just weren't able to put it in the back of the net to tie it.”

Despite another loss -- Union's fourth straight on home ice -- Bennett was pleased with his team's performance.

"I thought we played a good game. I really did," he said. "As a staff, we're really proud of our guys and the way they played tonight... there was pride and passion. That is all we can ask for. Sometimes, you're going to lose. We've had a tough go of it but we've also seen some pretty darn good times here. Who's to say those aren't ahead for us?"

End notes: Union defenseman Jeff Taylor missed the game with an upper-body injury after getting hit in the head by Yale's John Hayden in Friday's loss. Hayden missed Yale's game at RPI on Saturday after getting suspended for one game by the league.... Matt Krug took Taylor's spot on the blueline... the Dutchmen also were without defenseman Sebastien Gingras, who missed his second straight contest with an upper-body injury.

Postgame reaction

Brown head coach Brendan Whittet and goalie Tim Ernst: http://t.co/mE6aeXKLFw

Union forward Mike Vecchione and defenseman Charlie Vasaturo: http://t.co/sUaMHaBcAs
Union head coach Rick Bennett: http://t.co/Njn2NIBBGV

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