Box Score NEW HAVEN, Conn.  – The 2019-20 Yale Men's Hockey season began with a home conference win thanks to a pair of goals by Curtis Hall and 18 saves by Corbin Kaczperski as the Bulldogs, who never trailed, beat Brown 3-2 at Ingalls Rink.
 
The Elis had a 36-20 advantage in shots, including 15-6 in a first period that saw the home team hit the net twice.
 
Hall got the first of his two midway through the opening frame. While falling to the ice, he threw in a rebound off a save by Brown goalie Gavin Nieto. A few minutes later, Mitchell Smith one-timed a pretty, behind-the-net feed from Phil Kemp to give the Blue a 2-0 lead.
 
Hall increased the lead to 3-1 midway through the second when he took a lead pass from Jack St. Ivany and cruised into the low slot. The Boston Bruins' draft pick deked right and went left with a backhander past the goalie's right pad.
 
"We were pretty physical and hard on pucks and we were really dialed in on getting pucks to the net," said Hall. "It's what we have to do every night."
 
Kaczperski made seven stops in the second and six in a frantic third period to earn the win. "The guys in front of me did it all, they made my job easy all night. I didn't feel great out there but they were blocking shots and making it easier for me," said Kaczperski.
 
The Bears, who beat Princeton and Quinnipiac in last year's ECAC Playoffs, pulled Nieto for most of the last two minutes and produced multiple scoring chances while the Elis came close to empty-netters a few times.
 
"For the first game of the year, both teams played really well," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach. "I really liked our pace of play. And the way it ended… I think most of the games we play this year are going to be one-goal games right down the stretch. Good to get that test and survive it early."
 
The two squads are at it again tomorrow night at Providence with a 7 p.m. puck drop on ESPN+.