Despite an Early Lead, Dartmouth Hockey Falls to Rensselaer

Friday, January 22

Troy, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Rensselaer

Despite an Early Lead, Dartmouth Hockey Falls to Rensselaer

1/22/2010 9:00:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

TROY, N.Y. – The Dartmouth men's hockey team took an early lead that held for almost two full periods but Rensselaer surged ahead in the third to win, 2-1. The loss dropped the Big Green to 4-14, 2-9 in the ECAC while the Engineers improved to 13-11-1, 6-5 in the league.

Despite Rensselaer having both a 5-on-3 advantage and then a power play advantage, all in a span of less than 4:00 minutes it was Big Green sophomore Connor Goggin (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) that lit the lamp first with Dartmouth's second shorthanded goal of the season.

Goggin had just come out of the box after serving his penalty and came down, passing the puck around with fellow defenseman Evan Stephens (Bessemer, Mich.) and forward Scott Fleming (Plainfield, Ont.). Goggin was set up beautifully as he snuck the puck across the line, beating netminder Allen York for the first goal of the game.

Both teams pressured in the waning minutes but Dartmouth's lead held as the Big Green went into the break with the lead, just the sixth time this season they have been in the lead after the first period.

Intense pressure by the home team in the beginning of the second period had both netminder James Mello (Rehoboth, Mass.) and the rest of the Dartmouth squad on its heels.

RPI had the only power play chance of the game but the Big Green defense and goalie were up to the challenge, preventing any scores as the visitors continued to hold onto its 1-0 lead after two full periods of play.

The Engineers continued to pressure as the third period began with back-to-back shots on Mello. The sophomore goalie made some huge saves early in the final stanza as Dartmouth held precariously onto its lead.

After giving Mello fits through most of the second and into the third period, Rensselaer finally tied the score up at 00:00 with a great second-chance goal by Tyler Helfrich. Helfrich took a shot to the stomach that was saved high with Helfrich there to bat the puck over Mello's head for the tying goal.

RPI took the lead off a goal by Paul Kerins. The senior shot high on Mello with the netminder putting his glove up, but the puck glanced off the tip of his glove and into the back of the net.

Despite several great chances towards the end of the game, the Big Green was unable to get the tying goal needed.

Mello, in just his second career start finished with 19 saves while York had 27 for Rensselaer.

The Big Green will continue in Albany with a 7:00 pm matchup against Union on Saturday in Schenectady.