DURHAM, N.H. - Juniors Eric MacAdams (Salem, Mass.) and Patrick Grasso (Ankeny, Iowa) recorded two goals to lead the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team to a 5-1 victory over Brown at the Whittemore Center on Saturday night. Goals from both sophomore Eric Esposito (West Haven, Conn.) and MacAdams in the game extended their point streaks to five games.
The Wildcats now improve to 10-8-1 (4-5-0 HEA) on the season, while the Bears fall to 3-11-0 (3-7-0 ECAC). UNH's 7-1-0 home record is the best home start in eight seasons (2012-13) when the Wildcats also started 7-1-0.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 11, when they host Northeastern at 7 p.m. at the Whittemore Center on CBS All Access as the game is presented by Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. Hot dogs will only be $1. The team will hold its annual Skating Strides for Breast Cancer Awareness game as fans are encouraged to wear pink. Hockey East will be selling Skating Strides merchandise and there will be a chuck-a-puck competition as the proceeds will be donated to the Ellie Fund. Individual game tickets with affordable options that start as low as $9 and a convenient six-ticket flexible miniplan can be purchased for the season by calling the Whittemore Center Box Office at (603) 862-4000 or by visiting UNHWildcats.com.
Score: New Hampshire 5 Brown 1
Records: UNH (10-8-1, 4-5-0 HEA), Brown (3-11-0, 3-7-0 ECAC)
Location: Durham, N.H. (Whittemore Center)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020
Time: 7 p.m.
Attendance: 3,241
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UNH struck first at 4:20 of the first period. MacAdams collected the puck at the left face-off circle beating two Brown defenders and found the back of the net around Gavin Nieto's outstretched right blocker. Senior Liam Blackburn (Prince George, British Columbia) was credited with an assist on the goal.
- Just over two minutes later during a power play opportunity, MacAdams netted his second of the game off a pass from Chase Stevenson (West Kelowna, British Columbia) at the left face-off circle to the front of the net. MacAdams gathered the puck and fired the close range shot top blocker side.
- At 9:15 of the first period, Esposito stole the puck at the offensive blue line and skated with speed to the right side of the net and fired opposite to score top shelf stick side. Sophomore Joseph Cipollone (Purchase, N.Y.) recorded an assist on the goal.
- During the Wildcats' first power play, with just over two minutes remining in the first period, Charlie Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) sent the puck to the front of the net and bounced off the skate of a Brown defender onto the stick of Grasso in the slot for a wide open shot. Sophomore Angus Crookshank (North Vancouver, British Columbia) was able to get a piece of the puck on the first rebound, but Grasso came in and netted the puck to make the game 4-1 going into the second period.
- The second period remained scoreless but UNH outshot brown by a 17-11 margin. UNH and Brown both went 0-1 on the power play in the second period.
- 11:05 into the third period, Filip Engarås (Stockholm, Sweden) grabbed the puck from behind the net and attempted to score on a wraparound but was denied. Once again Grasso pounced on the loose punk and buried the rebound. Sato also recorded an assist on the goal.
- In the third period, UNH outshot Brown by a margin of 13-3 to secure the 5-1 victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Sophomore Ty Taylor (Richmond, British Columbia) made 18 saves to improve to 5-0-0 on the season, while Nieto posted five saves, and Gabriel Vinal recorded 35.
- UNH outshot Brown by a 45-19 margin.
- The Wildcats went 2-4 on the power play and the Bears finished 1-3.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- Esposito is now on a five-game point streak, as he has two goals and three assists for five points over this stretch.
- MacAdams has continued his point streak to five games with four goals and two assists for six points.
- The Wildcats are now 3-1-1 against the Bears in their last five matchups.
- UNH now leads the all-time series against Brown 23-14-3.
- The Wildcats have scored 18 goals over their last four games, outscoring the opposition 18-9.
