Game Notes

HANOVER, N.H. - Dartmouth men's hockey continues with its season-opening road trip as the Big Green travel to Princeton and Quinnipiac for a pair of ECAC Hockey contests on Friday and Saturday. Dartmouth is looking for its first win of the 2009-10 season as the Big Green is currently 0-3 both overall and in league games.

THIS WEEKEND
The Dartmouth men’s hockey team looks to get in the win column against Princeton and Quinnipiac. The Big Green currently has a two-game win streak going against the Tigers and is looking to exact revenge on the Bobcats for a 4-1 loss at home to end the 2008-09 season.

SERIES HISTORY
With tonight’s game Princeton and Dartmouth will be meeting for the 186th time. The Big Green leads the series, 92-80-13. The Tigers had closed that gap in recent years but last season Dartmouth swept Princeton, 4-0 and 2-0. The two teams began meeting on Jan. 9, 1907 with a 5-2 Tigers victory. Since Bob Gaudet took over the coaching duties in Hanover, he has gone 10-13-7 against Princeton.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Princeton will be playing its third consecutive weekend at home. The Tigers are 2-2 after splitting its first two weekends of games. Matt Arhontas, Tyler Beachell and Mike Kramer are currently tied for the team lead with three points apiece. Nine Tigers have multiple points this season with seven garnering at least one goal and one assist. A total of 12 players have points this season. Five of Princeton’s nine goals this season have come on the power play, including two last weekend. Princeton has scored on 25 percent of its power-play chances and has killed 20 of the 21 penalties it has taken.

SERIES HISTORY
Dartmouth and Quinnipiac only recently began its series on Oct. 30 2004. On that date, the Bobcats came away with the first win, a 2-1 victory in Thompson Arena. Last season Quinnipiac won both meetings and leads the series 5-3-1.

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Quinnipiac comes into the weekend with a 6-1 record with two victories in ECAC Hockey play. The Bobcats swept Clarkson and St. Lawrence last week at the TD Banknorth Center. Brandon Wong and Eric Lampe lead the team with 11 and 10 points, respectively. The Bobcats have tallied seven power play goals while allowing five. In net Dan Clarke and Eric Hartzell have each split time.
 
NEXT UP
Dartmouth comes home for a pair of ECAC Hockey games against Clarkson and St. Lawrence.

vs. CORNELL
The Big Red potted single goals in the first and second before blanking the Big Green with two more to start the third. Dartmouth got on the board but Cornell added one more to take a 5-1 win.

vs. COLGATE
The Raiders scored two goals in the second before two Big Green rookies tied the score but Colgate was able to break the tie in the third with the game winner.

RADIO/LIVE STATS
Once again the 2009-10 season will be showcased on the radio. All Big Green games can be accessed through the Dartmouth Sports Network at http://www.dartmouthsportsradio.net. Local radio personality Chris Garrett will provide the play-by-play. Also by accessing DartmouthSports.com fans can keep up with the Big Green action by logging on and watching live stats or becoming a Big Green Insider which gives you access to video feeds.

NICE TO MEET YOU
Three of Dartmouth’s six freshmen have played in all three games this season. Dustin Walsh, Jason Bourgea and Mike Keenan have seen time in all three contests while Mark Goggin has played in two.

WELCOME BACK
With the first goal of the game against Harvard, senior Rob Smith was officially welcomed back. Smith suffered a season-ending injury in 2008-09, just two games into the year.

SHOOTING OUT THE LIGHTS
Dartmouth has outshot two of its three opponents already this season with 40 or more shots coming against both Harvard and Colgate.

COLLEGIATE FIRSTS
Rookies Dustin Walsh and Mark Goggin each collected their first collegiate goals against Colgate on Nov. 7.  Walsh scored first in the second period before Goggin’s tally tied the game in that same frame.

NOT SPECIAL YET
The offensive side of the special teams game has not been favorable for Dartmouth yet this season. The Big Green has managed just two power play goals in 18 attempts. On the other hand the Big Green has been able to kill 10 of its opponents 17 power play attempts.

TOP OF THE SCORING HEAP
Three players currently have two points for the Big Green. One senior and two juniors account for most of the scoring in this young season. Senior Joe Gaudet has recorded a goal and an assist along with junior Adam Estoclet. Classmate Andrew Owsiak leads the team with two assists.

EXHIBITION OPENERS
Dartmouth made its first appearance on Thompson Arena ice  Oct. 24 against McGill University in an exhibition. McGill skated away with a 7-4 victory as junior Adam Estoclet potted two goals while freshmen Mike Keenan and Mark Goggin scored the other two.

SEASON OPENERS
Dartmouth opened up the 2009-10 season in the friendly confines of Thompson Arena. Despite scoring the first goal of the game, Harvard came back to take the opening season victory. Dartmouth is now 67-31-3 in home openers and is 31-22-2 when opening up on the road. Under the tutelage of Bob Gaudet, the Big Green has gone 6-7 in the first game of the year.

OFFENSIVE DEFENSE
Defenseman Evan Stephens has been Dartmouth’s top scoring blueliner for the past two seasons. Stephens was the top scoring d-man last season with 19 while Joe Stejskal recorded 12. Peter Boldt increased his scoring with nine. Stephens  got into the points column for 2009-10 with an assist in Dartmouth’s first game of the season while Boldt had a goal against Cornell.

BIG GREEN BROTHERS
Dartmouth will have three sets of brothers dotting the roster this season. Senior Joe Gaudet welcomed younger brother Jim last year. In 2009-10 older brothers Connor Goggin and  Nick Walsh will welcome younger siblings Mark and Dustin.

JODY OH
Last season, goalie Jody O'Neill was named both the Ivy League and the ECAC’s Rookie of the year. The first time Dartmouth has had a player earn both honors since Hugh Jessiman in 2003.

CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Senior defenseman Peter Boldt is the 2009-10 Big Green captain. He will be the 118th captain in Dartmouth men’s hockey history. Classmate Joe Gaudet and junior Scott Fleming will serve as assistant captains.

NHL HOPEFULS
Dartmouth has four players currently on its roster that were drafted by NHL teams in the entry draft. Sophomores Troy Mattila and Joe Stejskal were both taken before coming to Dartmouth while Mark Goggin was drafted in 2008 and Dustin Walsh in 2009.

NHL PIPELINE
Four former Big Green players began the 2009-10 NHL season on one of the league’s 30 rosters. Dartmouth has nine total that are currently in the NHL system.

WELCOME ABOARD
Dartmouth welcomes six freshmen to the roster this season,  four forwards, one defenseman and a goalie join the Big Green. Two members of the group have already been drafted by an NHL team as Mark Goggin was taken by Boston in 2008 and Dustin Walsh was drafted by Montreal in 2009.