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Brown Bears Fall to No. 16 Providence in Thrilling Mayor’s Cup Matchup
Despite a hard-fought battle, the Brown Bears hockey team suffered a 4-2 defeat against the 16th-ranked Providence College Friars in the annual Mayor’s Cup game on Tuesday night at meehan Auditorium. The loss drops Brown’s record to 3-10-0 overall and 2-6-0 in ECAC play, while Providence improves to 8-6-2 and 4-3-1 in the Hockey East Association.
The Brown coaching staff emphasized a positive outlook despite the result, focusing on the team’s effort and potential for growth. “I’m very proud of the team, as I told them, I played for Bill Belisle, and he was a big believer that if you play the right way, play hard, play with pride, play with energy, and play with intensity, and you don’t win, that’s the game,” a senior coach stated. “It was a good step. If we play that way and bottle that and continue to get a little bit better at some things,we’re going to have a great second half.”
The coach further stressed the importance of focusing on process over outcome.”The majority of our season is ahead of us. We can either choose to focus on just results, or we can focus on the process and getting better. Ultimately, these games, if we play that way, will go our way with the end result.” the sentiment was one of encouragement, acknowledging a competitive performance against a highly-ranked opponent. “I couldn’t be more proud of the team.
First Period Goals Set the tone
Providence jumped out to an early lead with a pair of goals in the first period. At 4:47, Patrick Moynihan scored his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Jamie Armstrong and Riley Nash. Just over five minutes later, at 10:08, ben MacDonald extended the Friars’ lead with a shot from the point, assisted by Julius Sumpf, marking his first career goal.
Power Play and Late-Period Drama
Providence extended their lead on a power play early in the second period. At 3:11, Roger McQueen finished a backdoor feed from Kale McCallum for his fifth goal of the season, making it 3-1. Later in the period, a goal by Will Elger appeared to increase the Friars’ advantage to 4-1, but the goal was overturned after a triumphant coach’s challenge by Brown, keeping the score at 3-1.
The Bears refused to concede, and with just 1.7 seconds remaining in the second period, Alex Pineau scored his first goal of the season, bringing Brown within one. zackary Tonelli and Matthew Cataldo won a crucial puck battle before moving the puck to the slot, were Pineau fired a shot past Svedebäck.
Empty-Net Goal Seals the Victory
Providence sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:23 of the third period, awarded after a Brown penalty during a Friars rush. Tanner Adams was credited with his fourth goal of the season.
Key Stats and Upcoming Matchup
Tyler Shea recorded a season-high 43 saves in the loss for Brown. Providence finished the night 1-for-3 on the power play,while Brown went 0-for-3.
The Bears will return to action on Sunday, December 28, with a non-conference matchup against Princeton (7-4-0, 4-2-0 ECAC) at Hobey Baker Rink.Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+ in the United States and on Stretch Internet internationally.
You can follow the latest updates on Brown Athletics by following @BrownU_Bears on X.You can find more photos from the game in the gallery: (12-9-2025) MIH vs. #16 PC (12/9/25).
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) plays a vital role in supporting the athletics program and enhancing the student-athlete experience through philanthropic contributions. You can learn more about supporting the Bears here
