Bucknell Edges Brown 8-6 in Eastern Championship

Cambridge, MA-Bucknell University used a 5-0 run in the third period to overpower and outlast Brown University 8-6 in the opening round of the 2009 Men’s Eastern Championship hosted at MIT this afternoon. Brown freshman Svetozar Stefanovic, the CWPA Northern Division Player of the Year, scored twice in the loss, while senior captain Kent Holland, a First Team All-North selection, led the defense with nine saves in the cage.

The Northern Division Champion Bears built a 4-1 lead in the first half and saw the advantage dwindle to a tie and later a loss to Bucknell, the No. 3 team out of the Southern Division.

Bucknell’s Johnny Stupp started the Bison’s run with a man-up score at the 7:26 mark before Sean COghlan and Howie Kalter tacked on even strength and man-up goals at 6:38 and 4:33, respectively, to tie the game at 4-4. The squad gained the lead at the 3:08 mark when Bucknell buried a man-up shot to make it 5-4 before Stupp added an advantage goal of his own for a 6-4 Bison lead after 24 minutes of play.

The Bears weren’t going down without a fight, as the team managed to pull within a goal at 6-5 as Gordon Hood, a First Team All-North selection, split the herd of Bison for a man-up goal to move to within 6-5, but Bucknell responded with an even strength marker and an advantage goal to push the margin to 8-5 with 1:43 left on the clock.

The Bears brought it back within two as Dean Serure beat Bucknell goalkeeper at 1:30, but the Bison defense was able to run out enough of the clock to prevent Brown from making a comeback.

Stefanovic, Hood and Holland all earned First Team honors, while Corey Schwartz garnered second team accolades.