Error in Our Favor
HOCKEY scouts make mistakes. When Ross Brownridge was in high school in Brampton, Ontario, 25 miles northwest of Toronto, he played Junior B hockey. "I was approached by some schools but they said I was too slow - that's why I came to Dartmouth," he said last month. Brownridge's decision was helped by his future brother-in-law, Bob Huggard '77, who had been a back-up goalie for Dartmouth. "Bob told me to apply; I did; and I got in."
Nobody is complaining about Brownridge's speed at Dartmouth. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior center has collected 20 goals and 22 assists in 22 games this season, with four games left to play. Those statistics moved Brownridge to third place on the career scoring list. With 149 points overall (60 goals and 89 assists), he has passed Mark Culhane '79, Dan Sullivan '4O, Bob Moore '6l, Joe Riley '49, Buddy Foster '39, Bruce Mather '47, Mike Turner '72, Bill Harrison '44, Tom Fleming '76, and Cliff Harrison '51. Only Bill Riley '46, with 218 points, and Dick Rondeau '44, with 176 points, were more prolific scorers during their undergraduate days at Dartmouth. Brownridge's 89 assists are second only to the 110 amassed by Bill Riley during his career.
Brownridge's scoring fueled Dartmouth to a 12-5-1 record in the Ivy division as of mid-February and to third place overall in the East, behind Boston College and Providence. The streak included seven wins and a tie in eight games and upset victories against Boston College (6-5), at Cornell (43) for the first triumph at Ithaca in 15 years, and at Providence (5-3) during a span of six days. As the season neared an end, Dartmouth's chances looked favorable for finishing among the top four teams and earning the home-ice advantage in the first round of the play-offs.
"I think Ross is a real pro prospect," said head coach George Crowe. "He does so many things so well. You know, you really don't notice him that much on the ice unless you watch the game closely. He seems to have that sixth sense of being at the right place at the right time and he's very steady - he seldom makes a bad play. He's a very consistent player and has improved, especially in his defensive ability,each year."
Co-captain Brownridge's two goals against Providence made him the top scorer in the ECAC. He scored a hat trick against Northeastern and with six powerplay goals shared the team lead in that department with defenseman John Donnelly. Brownridge collected 20 goals and 25 assists last season en route to being named to the all-Ivy first team. The region's hockey writers named him to the all-New England team and his teammates and coaches voted him the Martha M. Phelan award as Dartmouth's most valuable player.
Dartmouth, the defending Ivy League champion, is shooting for an appearance in the post-season ECAC tournament for the second year in a row. Last year, the Big Green finished second in the ECAC tourney at Boston Garden and third in the nation in the subsequent NCAA championship at Detroit. Brownridge feels the game against top-ranked Boston University in last year's ECAC competition was the most memorable event of his career. "We definitely were the underdogs, and it was the greatest feeling in the world to win at Boston Garden," he said of the 5-3 semifinal victory.
Brownridge, who has been skating since he was four years old and playing competitively since he was seven, would like to have an opportunity to play professional hockey next year. He's been contacted by one team and offered a try out but thinks he might shop around for a pro spot. An economics major, he said he would "like to give it a try for a couple of seasons."
"Too-Slow" Brownridge circles like a bird of prey around the St. Lawrence goal during Dartmouth's 6-4 victory in January.
Dartmouth clinched the Ivy championship with a win over Harvard on February 27, its 11th straight game without a loss. Against Harvard, Brownridge scored his second consecutive hat trick.
