Hockey Advances to Tourney Semifinals

Brunswick advanced to the semifinal round of the Nichols-Belmont Hill Tournament with a 5-1 win over Upper Canada College on Thursday night in Buffalo. The Bruins, 1-1-1 in the tourney, secured the semifinal spot based on goal differential.

 

The Bruins, knowing a four-goal victory would secure the second position in their division and a place in the semis, netted the decisive goal late in the third period. With the win, Brunswick (6-3-1) will face Nichols in the semifinal round at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 30.

 

Brunswick’s Christian LeSueur opened the game with the lone goal of the first period. The co-captain followed with two more tallies in the third period, both on assists from Charles Shaffer, to push the Bruins to a 3-1 lead at the 7:59 mark. LeSueur’s hat trick gives the talented winger seven goals on the season.

 

Brunswick made it a 4-1 contest less than two minutes later, as co-captain Nick VanBelle notched his 10^th goal on the year off of a LeSueur assist.

 

Holding a three-goal lead, just one shy of clinching a berth in the semis, the Bruins netted the decisive goal 35 seconds later on a goal by Aaron Aboodi.

 

Brunswick's defense, highlighted by goaltender Dan Dachille’s 17 saves, clamped down on Upper Canada College over the final 4:40 of action to secure the semifinal-clinching victory.