In a thrilling Elite 8 quarterfinal matchup, Brunswick rallied from a 2-0 deficit to stun Nobles, 3-2, in overtime on Wednesday evening. The game-winning goal came just 34 seconds into the extra session, when Harvard-bound left winger Drew DellaSalla beat a defenseman to the inside and fed junior right-winger Sean Gibbons on the backdoor for the empty-net put-away.
With the victory, the Bruins advance to the NEPSAC Frozen Four for the first time in school history and will face Cushing in Ashburnham, Mass., on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Ron VanBelle was ecstatic about his team’s performance and advancement to the next round. “I couldn’t be prouder of this group,” VanBelle said. “They never quit, even when things weren’t going our way. This is a special moment for our program.”
The game started with Nobles netting a goal in the first period on a 2-on-1 rush and another in the second period on a power-play wrister from 10 feet inside the blue line to take a 2-0 lead. However, Brunswick kept pushing and outshot the home team by a 29-16 margin after two periods, coming up empty on several opportunities.
The Bruins drew their first power play just 90 seconds into the third period and capitalized with a goal from Sean Gibbons to bring them within one. The ice remained tilted toward Brunswick’s offensive end for the rest of the final 18 minutes, and the Bruins finally tied it on a great individual effort by junior defenseman Cooper Cleaves with just 2:11 to play.
On the game-tying goal, Cleaves attempted to dump the puck and get in on the forecheck, but a fortunate bounce off the stanchion put it right back on his stick at the top of the right face-off dot. He fired one off the post to the far side and in for the equalizer, sending the Brunswick fans into a frenzy.
Senior goaltender Brendan Holahan was outstanding between the pipes, coming up huge, especially in the first period when Nobles came hard with a flurry of chances to increase the lead. Holahan’s efforts were crucial to Brunswick’s comeback victory.
After the game, Coach VanBelle praised his team’s resilience and determination. “We stayed the course and kept pushing,” VanBelle said. “We knew we were capable of coming back, and we did just that. It’s a testament to the character and heart of this team.”
Brunswick will now turn their attention to their upcoming matchup against Cushing in the NEPSAC Frozen Four on Saturday afternoon.
It promises to be another exciting game, and Brunswick will be hoping to carry their momentum from this comeback victory into the next round.
