MEN'S HOCKEY: Brown Dives Into Key Role For Eagles

The strides Brown has made and his determination to work his way onto the ice have materialized into performances that can’t be ignored. Aside from his epic one-man defensive stand, he has provided a constant presence as the anchor to one of BC’s most dynamic lines. As his playing time has increased, Brown has been able to assert his abilities as a valuable veteran leader for a squad approaching college hockey’s most pressure-packed stretch: trophy season.

“He’s always been a high character type guy,” York said of Brown, “but his work effort, his ability now as a player, is all helping him to be a better leader.”

Yet Brown realizes that the Eagles’ success does not hinge on a single player, but rather their ability to embrace individual roles, forming a collective unit that can strike fear into the hearts of any Hockey East opponent.

“We’ve always preached that you have to accept your role, you have to know your own role, and my role is an energy guy,” he said. “I have to block shots, get pucks deep, wear their team out, finish hits—that’s what we do.”

It’s clear from his approach to the game and the attitude he exudes that Brown is an old-school player focused on doing the little things perfectly. Style points don’t necessarily affect the outcome on the scoreboard, but sound fundamentals do. Yet just last week, the junior’s hard-nosed mentality resulted in a grand moment on one of college hockey’s grandest stages—the Beanpot. 

After not even dressing for his first two Beanpots, Brown made the most of his first opportunity in this year’s tournament title game with a crucial second-period goal to solidify a BC victory. Yet his words and actions prove that Brown values one facet of the game over all others—team success.

“The goal was great, but the most important thing was getting a win for the team,” he said. “I thought all four lines contributed really well. We were clicking, we were firing on all cylinders.”

The Michigan native has had to prove a lot since his days as a high school star, and his ascendancy to excellence as an Eagle has been another chapter in Brown’s story of perseverance. The upcoming stretch of games will pose a make-or-break challenge to a BC team hungry for another championship. Just like the fateful Vermont offensive attack he brought to a halt, however, Brown is prepared to face this new challenge head-on.

“I think this is the time when either you’re going to pull together and go win trophies, or you’re going to be an average team,” Brown said. “We’re going to try to win trophies.”