1926–27 Brown Bears men's ice hockey season
1926–27 Brown Bears men's ice hockey season
The 1926–27 Brown Bears were Brown University’s hockey team in a return to varsity play after a 20-year pause. It was Brown’s 10th season of ice hockey, but the first since 1906. They played as an independent and held home games at the Rhode Island Auditorium. The Bears finished the year 4–4–0.
Head coach Jimmy Gardner led the team in his first season. Gardner was a respected figure in ice hockey, having played and coached since 1899 and having served as the first head coach of the Providence Reds. Brown also benefited from the new indoor rink, which allowed regular practice and helped revive the program.
Captain of the team was George Fessenden. The squad practiced steadily for weeks after the arena opened, giving them time to build the program from scratch. Brown did not schedule its first game until after the winter break.
The Bears opened with plans for a January 22 matchup against Colby, but the full schedule was released in January and instead Brown began the year against Yale and Harvard, two of the strongest college teams in the country. Gardner stressed defense, knowing Brown would be underdogs, and the team approached the challenge with determination even though their depth would be tested.
In the first game, Josh Billings was ruled academically ineligible just before the start, leaving Brown short on forwards. Brown did not look out of place against Yale, but the team’s lack of a deep bench showed as the game wore on while Yale pulled away. Horace Partridge scored Brown’s goal.
A week later against Harvard, Brown used more reserves and fought hard defensively. Fielding, Peters, and Chase appeared in the lineup, with Chase eventually scoring the team’s lone goal. Brown held Harvard to two goals through the first two periods, but Harvard pulled away in the third to a final 1–5.
After a break for exams, Brown earned its first win of the year, a 2–1 upset of Bowdoin. This victory ended an 18-game losing streak that dated back to 1904 and gave the team confidence.
Brown then faced New Hampshire, a strong opponent, and struggled to keep pace with the Wildcats’ speed. The Bears’ offense was still learning the game, and they could not match UNH’s firepower.
Boston University came to town the following week. The Terriers started fast, scoring twice in the first period, but Brown fought back in the middle period. Gardiner narrowed the gap, Partridge tied the game, and a late Partridge goal put Brown ahead. An injury to Billings temporarily slowed Brown, and captain Ben Fessenden was hit by a shot and knocked out, but he recovered to guard the goal for the rest of the game. Brown claimed its second win of the season in a hard-fought match.
Brown was scheduled to rematch with UNH in Durham, but that game was canceled after the Wildcats’ rink was buried in snow.
In March Brown added a few more games. The Bears defeated cross-town rival Providence, who were playing their first season of hockey, with Peters scoring both Brown goals. Next came a loss to MIT, as Brown’s offense struggled and Fessenden faced tough defense in goal.
The season finale was a rematch with Providence. The game started slowly, with penalties on both sides, but Billings scored Brown’s lone goal in the first period. Providence tied the game before the third period began, and Perrine scored twice early in the third to put Brown ahead. Brown then played solid defense and rode strong goaltending by Fessenden to finish the season on a winning note.
Robert F. Berwald Jr. served as the team manager. Note: there is some historical discrepancy about the Yale game score, with Yale sources listing 1–8 while other records list 1–9.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:31 (CET).