Dartmouth Men's Hockey Opens Season with Loss to Harvard

Friday, October 31

Cambridge, Mass.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Harvard

Dartmouth Men's Hockey Opens Season with Loss to Harvard

10/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - In the first game of 2008-09 for both teams, Dartmouth and Harvard went into the final period of play tied at 1-1 but the Crimson potted three goals in the stanza to defeat the Big Green, 4-1 on Friday at the Bright Hockey Center. The contest was the first ECAC Hockey League game of the season.

Harvard had the first power-play chance early in the game, getting two shots on freshman netminder Jody O'Neill (Nepean, Ont.) but the rookie came up big making both point-blank saves. Dartmouth had its own power play chance but was unable to record any shots in the 30+ seconds of extra-man time.

An odd-man rush by Harvard's Steve Rolocek midway through the first stanza almost had the Crimson potting the first goal but O'Neill made a great upper arm save. It was Harvard that eventually broke through with 7:52 showing on the clock. Michael Biega took a shot that was blocked leaving the puck in front with O'Neill sprawled out. The scrum in front of the net had the puck squeeze out to Pier-Olivier Michaud who was waiting to the left side of the post to put it past O'Neill's feet.

Dartmouth got the goal right back on the power play at 5:06. Rob Pritchard (Burnaby, B.C.) took a shot in front that was saved by Matt Hoyle. Adam Estoclet (Orono, Minn.) took another shot through traffic as Scott Fleming (Plainfield, Ont.) was there for the putback as the Big Green knotted the score at 1-1.

Dartmouth had an opportunity to end the period up a goal as the Big Green skated 5-on-3 for two of the final four minutes, but the Harvard penalty killers were up to the task and the two teams went into the break tied.

Dartmouth went on the power play early in the second as Evan Stephens (Bessemer, Mich.) tried to pull his team ahead but his shot sailed just over the cross bar. The Crimson killed the penalty in the Big Green end as the scoreboard remained knotted.

With another man in the box Colin Moore had a chance at a shorthanded tally but O'Neill made the save. Harvard had its own chance as Dartmouth gave the home team a 5-on-3 opportunity at 8:15 but the Big Green nullified the penalties.

Fleming almost snuck one past Hoyle as Pritchard slid the puck off the boards towards the sophomore by the net. Fleming tried to get it past Hoyle's skate and the post but the shot went just wide.

On Harvard's eighth penalty of the game, shots by Joe Stejskal (Grand Rapids, Minn.) and Doug Jones (Marietta, Ga.) continued to put pressure on the Crimson's freshman netminder. Another penalty by Harvard gave Dartmouth its second 5-on-3 of the contest.

Hoyle came up big in the waning minutes of the period as Kyle Reeds (St. Louis, Mo.), Peter Boldt (Greenwich, Conn.) and Pritchard all put shots on net.

Harvard applied the pressure early as the Crimson registered three shots on the net to start the final period. The Big Green didn't have a chance until 16:26 when Brandon Harrington (Rochester, Minn.) had the first two shots for the visitors.

The first penalty of the stanza to the Big Green allowed the Crimson five shots on net before scoring the go-ahead. Doug Rogers took a shot that went a little high as O'Neill slapped the puck down but Biega was there to shove it past to put Harvard ahead, 2-1 with 12:21 left to go in the contest.

With another Dartmouth player in the box less than a minute later the Crimson potted another one, as suddenly the home team had a two-goal advantage.

The Big Green went back on the power play with under seven minutes to go in the game as Dartmouth looked to get a momentum shift. With under two minutes to go the Big Green opted for the extra-man as the net was empty but it was Harvard that put the exclamation point on the night on an empty net strike with :04 left.

O'Neill finished with 27 saves while Hoyle had 30.

The Big Green will be back in action on Sunday opening up the home portion of its schedule with a 7:00 pm game against twin-state rival, Vermont. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling the Dartmouth ticket office at (603) 646-2466.