Dartmouth Overcomes Early Deficit to Win 6-3 at Brown

Friday, February 6

Providence, R.I.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Brown

Late Schierhorn Goal Helps Big Green Earn Tie and Deflate Colgate

Dartmouth Overcomes Early Deficit to Win 6-3 at Brown

2/6/2015 9:20:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

PROVIDENCE – Come-from-behind wins don't get old, but if you can do it, they sure are fun.

That's just what the Dartmouth men's hockey team had to do once again Friday night at Brown's Meehan Auditorium. After trailing, 3-1, following the first period, the Big Green (10-8-4, 7-6-2 ECAC) finished the game with five-unanswered goals to pick up the 6-3 ECAC Hockey win and a season sweep of the Bears (4-17-1, 1-13-1 ECAC).

Junior Brad Schierhorn scored the eventual game-winning goal just 23 seconds into the third period and finished by tying his career highs in both assists (2) and points (3) and Dartmouth got at least one goal from every line. In all, five players had multiple points in the game.

A game of wild swings in momentum began with Eric Robinson getting Dartmouth on the board just 36 seconds into the opening period. The Big Green had not scored in the opening minute of a period all season until the fifth-year senior put in a rebound after an odd-man rush and crisp passing from linemates Schierhorn and Tyler Sikura.

That's when Brown responded in a big way, netting three goals from Mark Naclerio, Zack Pryzbek and Nick Lappin in a nine-minute window during the middle of the period.

However, overcoming deficits has been something Dartmouth has been able to do as of late and the second period did little to dispel that belief.

“Brown played well in the first period. They played with a lot of passion and we couldn't match it,” head coach Bob Gaudet '81 said. “We played a much better second period and put together and excellent third.”

Corey Kalk redirected an Andy Simpson point shot in the slot while on the power play at 1:44 of the middle frame to start the comeback. Not wanting to go to the locker room down by a goal entering the third period for the second straight game, Dartmouth looked to senior and the leading scorer Eric Neiley in the final minutes.

Neiley's team-leading 10th of the season came on wrist shot from the top of the left circle after carrying the puck from his own defensive zone. The equalizer slipped through the five-hole with 1:31 left on the clock.

That's when Schierhorn bested Robinson's first-period goal by 13 seconds, putting a quick shot from along the goal line under the crossbar while on the power play to put Dartmouth ahead, 4-3. Neiley and Sikura picked up the helpers as they calmly moved the puck in the offensive end before it finally ended up on Schierhorn's tape.

Schierhorn added another assist later in the period as he set up Troy Crema and Nick Bligh for a 2-on-1 rush that Bligh would finish for his first tally of the season.

Brandon McNally hit the empty net in the final seconds to seal the deal and push the unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1) and the win streak to four.

After the rocky first period, netminder James Kruger finished the night with 33 saves, while his counterpart in Brown's Tyler Steel had 26 in the losing effort.

Dartmouth was 2-for-3 on the power play, while the penalty kill was 3-for-4.

The Big Green now make the trip south down I-95 for Saturday's match-up against No. 15 Yale at Ingalls Rink in New Haven. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.