The No. 8 University of New Hampshire needed just half a minute to remind the men's hockey team that it still has a ways to go in order to compete against the country's elite teams.
The Bears allowed twin goals just 37 seconds apart in the first period of Saturday's game in Durham, N.H., and the Wildcats never looked back. Despite two goals from Jordan Pietrus '10, Brown lost 5-2, dropping its record to 1-4-3 overall.
In the fifth minute of the game, UNH's Matt Fornataro and Mike Radja came down the ice on a two-on-one break, and Fornataro snapped a pass to Radja from the left face-off circle. Radja then sent a wrist shot past goalie Dan Rosen '10 for his first of three goals on the night, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead 4:17 into the game. At 4:54, Jamie Fritsch increased the lead to 2-0 with a shot from the right circle into the upper left corner of the net.
Neither team struck again until the middle of the second period, when the Bears got one back. After entering the game on a line change, Pietrus got the puck in the slot and found the back of the net for his first collegiate goal to cut the Wildcats' lead to 2-1.
"I was just trying to get in on the net, to cut their lead, and I was fortunate enough that the puck trickled through," said Pietrus.
Four penalties in the first nine minutes of the third period stymied Brown's comeback effort. UNH went up 3-1 on a 5-on-3 advantage at 4:44, then added its fourth goal less than six minutes later on a power play.
Saturday's game marked the fourth consecutive game in which Brown has allowed multiple power play goals, and in that stretch the team has gone 0-3-1.
"Our number one problem is discipline," Pietrus said. "Any time against any team, let alone the No. 8 team in the country, when you give up four power plays, it's only a matter of time before they get enough scoring chances to put one in."
But the Bears failed to capitalize on their own power play opportunities. Bruno could not find the net on six power plays, despite 11 shots on goal, and in the third period, UNH pulled ahead 5-1 with a short-handed goal to put the game out of reach.
Pietrus continued his success, however, notching another goal with 5:51 remaining in the game. On a two-on-two rush, captain Sean Hurley '08 cut to the middle of the ice and dropped the puck back to Pietrus, who put it past the goalie to make the score 5-2, where it stayed for the rest of the contest.
One bright spot for Brown was the performance from Pietrus, who scored his first two collegiate goals in the loss.
"It felt good to get that monkey off my back," Pietrus said. "It's just unfortunate that it came in a loss."
The Bears will compete next on Friday, when they travel to Boston to face Northeastern University.
