The Athletic - Boston Only three years removed from national title, Providence College hockey grieves for two of its own

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
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Sep 26, 2007
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This is awful :cry::cry::cry:

0049585.jpg

Drew Brown, in white T-shirt, and Adams, over his left shoulder, celebrated with teammates after winning the title in 2015. (Courtesy of Providence College)

Only three years removed from national title, Providence...


It might sound strange at first, but Noel Acciari is truly thankful he broke his finger during the first game of last season. If the Bruins forward hadn’t blocked a shot and suffered the injury, he wouldn’t have had the chance to visit his best friend, Drew Brown, one last time.

Acciari and Brown became close while playing hockey at the Kent School in Connecticut, high school kids just trying to figure it all out. Their bond grew stronger as roommates and teammates at Providence College, where they were both on the squad that won the NCAA championship in 2015.

Barely three years after they lifted the championship trophy, that beloved team has now buried two of the players who helped bring the school its first national title.

So with Acciari’s finger splinted and wrapped, on Oct. 30, 2017, he and Providence College coach Nate Leaman took an early-morning flight to Michigan to see Brown, who was battling bone cancer.

The timing was difficult. Brown had learned just days before that the cancer had spread to his brain. Brown’s condition had deteriorated to the point that doctors had to cut his head open to remove a tumor putting pressure on his frontal lobes, affecting his ability to communicate.

Brown had always been a strong-willed person, but after the surgery he didn’t want many visitors.
That didn’t apply to Acciari and Leaman.

“Once Noel and Nate came out, Drew didn’t want them to leave,” said Sandy Brown, Drew’s mom.
It was the last time Acciari and Brown would see each other. Brown passed away Nov. 11, 2017. He was 25.

Mark Adams, better known as Roo to his family and friends, wrote Mandarin all over the dry-erase board in his office. He was teaching himself the language because the pharmaceutical company he worked for wanted him to travel to China. Most days he was in his office as early as 4 a.m. for a conference call with the group from China.

Sept. 17 was another one of those early days — Adams in the office again, working away — when he suffered a heart attack and passed away. He was 27.

During the autopsy, it was discovered that Adams had a “heavy heart”: His heart was 660 milligrams when it should have been 400, said his father, Mark.

“Sad but true, he had early congestive heart failure,” explained Mark Adams Sr. “It sucks. It’s mind-boggling to think about a kid that age, a great athlete and a great kid. But (that disease) is out there and it bites kids more than you think.”
 

Bruinaura

Resident Cookie Monster
Mar 29, 2014
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:(

Say what you want about him as a player, but he seems like a pretty good dude to me.
 
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bobbyorr04

Bruins fan 4ever
Sponsor
Apr 12, 2011
13,048
19,505
This is awful :cry::cry::cry:

0049585.jpg

Drew Brown, in white T-shirt, and Adams, over his left shoulder, celebrated with teammates after winning the title in 2015. (Courtesy of Providence College)

Only three years removed from national title, Providence...


It might sound strange at first, but Noel Acciari is truly thankful he broke his finger during the first game of last season. If the Bruins forward hadn’t blocked a shot and suffered the injury, he wouldn’t have had the chance to visit his best friend, Drew Brown, one last time.

Acciari and Brown became close while playing hockey at the Kent School in Connecticut, high school kids just trying to figure it all out. Their bond grew stronger as roommates and teammates at Providence College, where they were both on the squad that won the NCAA championship in 2015.

Barely three years after they lifted the championship trophy, that beloved team has now buried two of the players who helped bring the school its first national title.

So with Acciari’s finger splinted and wrapped, on Oct. 30, 2017, he and Providence College coach Nate Leaman took an early-morning flight to Michigan to see Brown, who was battling bone cancer.

The timing was difficult. Brown had learned just days before that the cancer had spread to his brain. Brown’s condition had deteriorated to the point that doctors had to cut his head open to remove a tumor putting pressure on his frontal lobes, affecting his ability to communicate.

Brown had always been a strong-willed person, but after the surgery he didn’t want many visitors.
That didn’t apply to Acciari and Leaman.

“Once Noel and Nate came out, Drew didn’t want them to leave,” said Sandy Brown, Drew’s mom.
It was the last time Acciari and Brown would see each other. Brown passed away Nov. 11, 2017. He was 25.

Mark Adams, better known as Roo to his family and friends, wrote Mandarin all over the dry-erase board in his office. He was teaching himself the language because the pharmaceutical company he worked for wanted him to travel to China. Most days he was in his office as early as 4 a.m. for a conference call with the group from China.

Sept. 17 was another one of those early days — Adams in the office again, working away — when he suffered a heart attack and passed away. He was 27.

During the autopsy, it was discovered that Adams had a “heavy heart”: His heart was 660 milligrams when it should have been 400, said his father, Mark.

“Sad but true, he had early congestive heart failure,” explained Mark Adams Sr. “It sucks. It’s mind-boggling to think about a kid that age, a great athlete and a great kid. But (that disease) is out there and it bites kids more than you think.”

Very sad news and another reason not to take life for granted.
 

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