COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (March 17, 2015) – Vassar scored seven straight goals in the third quarter, while sophomore Chris Billups (Watchung, NJ/Oratory Preparatory) and junior Noah Parson (Cary, NC/Panther Creek) combined for seven goals and three assists to help the Brewers knock off Adams State University 14-12 Tuesday afternoon. Sophomore Liam Moriarty (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield) also had a big game for VC, finishing with four points on three goals and an assist, while senior Scott Brekne (Stony Brook, NY/Ward Melville) chipped in two goals and an assist. Brekne was also outstanding on faceoffs, winning 13-14 restarts to help give his team a 21-7 edge in the game. Vassar improves to 3-2 on the season with the win, while Division II Adams drops to 1-3.

Moriarty got Vassar off to a hot start in the first quarter, scoring the team's first three goals to give the Brewers a 3-1 edge at the 5:10 mark. The Grizzlies then went on a scoring streak of their own, getting a trio of goals from Josh Peterman, Danny Mayes and John Beedle over the next four minutes to go up 4-3 on VC.

Brekne was able to even the score at the last possible moment in the first quarter, scoring with one second on the clock off a feed from Parson to tie the game at four.

Adams State took control in the second quarter, scoring three goals while allowing Vassar none to take a 7-4 lead. Despite outshooting the Grizzlies 18-13 and holding an 8-3 advantage on faceoffs in the first half, the Brewers went into the locker room trailing by three.

Vassar was lights out in the third quarter, going on a seven-goal tear to open the second half and jump ahead of Adams 11-7. Parson got VC started with a man-up goal at the 13:37 mark, while scores from Billups and Brekne tied the game 7-7 with 11:55 to play. The Brewers took the lead less than a minute later, after another goal from Billups with 10:56 on the clock put his team ahead for the first time since the first quarter.

Vassar continued its hot streak with a trio of goals from Parson, Billups and junior Shane Flattery (Brewster, NY/Brewster) to take four-goal advantage on the Grizzlies with 5:50 left to play. Adams State got two back in the closing minutes of the quarter, but VC still maintained an 11-9 lead heading into the fourth.

Adams State struck first in the final 15 minutes of play, getting a goal from Beedle at the 11:26 mark to cut the Brewer lead to one. VC got it back on the ensuing possession, as Billups scored his fourth of the game to put the Brewers in front 12-10 with 10:53 to play.

The teams again traded goals, as a Mayes goal at the 9:15 mark and a score from Parson with 7:46 to play kept the Brewers ahead 13-11. Sophomore Matthew Altman pushed the lead back to three with his first goal of the game at the 3:54 mark, but the Grizzlies refused to a go away. Adam State junior Seth Stowell notched his second of the game off a dish from Jamison Bobo with 2:30 on the clock to make it 14-12 Brewers.

A save from sophomore goalie Brandon Crecco (Carmel, NY/Mahopac) halted the ASU offense on the next possession, but a turnover gave the Grizzlies another chance with the ball in the closing minute. Crecco held strong for the Brewers, making another save on a last ditch effort from the Grizzlies to preserve the two-goal victory.

Sophomore Brandon DeStasio (West Hempstead, NY/Chaminade) tied for a team-high two assists in the game, while John Beedle finished with a game-high five goals for the Grizzlies. VC was a perfect 2-2 on extra man opportunities, while Adams finished 1-3.   

Vassar will return to game action this Saturday, March 21 to play RPI at home. Faceoff is slated for 1:00 pm.

Notes:

Vassar's 21 faceoff wins are the most in school history since at least 2002, topping the team's previous game-high of 19 against Kean University on February 27, 2013.

Noah Parson is now tied for seventh all-time at Vassar in both career points (86) and goals (59) after his three-goal, two-assist performance against ASU.

--VASSAR--