ECU Goes 1-2 at Canes Cup, Prepare for Appalachian

Pirates take 4-3 victory over Virginia Tech in Raleigh

01/14/07

GREENVILLE, NC - Riding high after a club record nine win first half, the ECU Ice Hockey Club looked to build on that mark as it rolled into Raleigh for the 7th annual Canes Cup hosted by NC State. The Pirates got off to a rocky start with a disappointing loss to Duke which saw ECU control the tempo for most of the game. Tied 2-2 to start the third period the Blue Devils rattled off three unanswered goals in the first 32 seconds of the final frame. The deficit proved to be insurmountable for the Pirates and the game would end with Duke taking the 5-2 decision.

Next up for ECU was tournament host NC State and despite doubling the home team's crowd, the Pirates could not muster enough offense to out-duel the Wolfpack as they would fall 6-3. The game also saw the loss of starting goalie Brent Falcon to a sprained ankle suffered late in the third period when a State forward collided with him. Riddled with injuries to Falcon and forwards Jeremy Lang and Seth Percy, ECU was in desperate need for a victory to salvage the weekend.

In an emotionally charged contest early Sunday morning the Pirates poured everything they had left into an action-packed 60 minutes. Bolstered by stellar goaltending from backup Connor Brearley who made his first career start for the Pirates, ECU would control the game outshooting the Hokies 41-35. At the end regulation the scoreboard would show a 3-3 stalemate. Eager to end the emotionally and physically draining tournament on a good note Steven Allbright redirected a heavy shot from Mitchell Sears past the Virginia Tech goalie just 18 seconds into the extra period to give ECU the victory over the eventual tournament champs.

Sitting at 10-3 overall and 9-0 in conference play, the Pirates will try and stay perfect in the BRHC as they set their sights on Appalachian State this weekend. The Mountaineers visit Greenville for a two game series starting Friday at 9:30pm. PirateRadio 1250 & 930AM will be broadcasting both games live and are also sponsoring "Blackout at Bladez." All fans are urged to purchase black "ARRRRGH" t-shirts from UBE for $5, or can simply wear black for the Friday night opener. Pirate fans across the country can also listen to all the action live by logging onto Pirate Radio 1250 and clicking the "Listen Live" button in the top left corner.