Dartmouth Men's Hockey Wins League Game over Union

Saturday, January 23

Schenectady, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Union

Dartmouth Men's Hockey Wins League Game over Union

1/23/2010 9:45:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Dartmouth (5-14-0, 3-9-0 ECAC) men's hockey team earned a huge league win over the high-flying Union Dutchmen (13-6-5, 7-2-3) on Saturday in Union's Messa Rink. The Big Green recorded single goals in all three periods to win, 3-1.

Dartmouth struck first for the second game in a row. Joe Stejskal (Grand Rapids, Minn.) wound up and drilled a slapshot over netminder Corey Milan's shoulder for his first goal of the season. Kyle Reeds (St. Louis, Mo.) set the play up by winning the draw and passing quickly to Doug Jones (Marietta, Ga.). Jones got the puck up to Stejskal who wound up and slapped the puck towards the net as it sailed over Milan for the score.

After a fast-paced, sometimes frenetically charged first period, the Big Green held the 1-0 lead.

After several Dartmouth players got some great shots on net, Scott Fleming (Plainfield, Ont.) potted the second of the night for the visitors from Hanover. Adam Estoclet (Orono, Minn.) shot in front to Fleming who quickly spun around in the left-side circle to put it back on Milan, with the puck going under his leg for the score.

With a 5-on-3 chance for the home team in the waning minutes of the second, the buzzing Dutchmen tried to get a goal back but Dartmouth goalie James Mello (Rehoboth, Mass.) held off the frantic Union squad.

Rob Smith (Brooks, Alta.) and Paul Lee (Garden City, N.Y.) had a chance in the final seconds to give the Big Green a three-goal lead with an odd-man rush but Lee's shot was stopped cold by Union netminder Corey Milan who had a great kick save to prevent the score.

Union went into the second break, outshooting Dartmouth, 24-17 but the Big Green had the most shots in that frame, 13-7.

Less than 30 seconds into the final stanza Dartmouth potted its third goal, a power play strike by Estoclet from Matt Reber (Edina, Minn.). It was Dartmouth's first extra-man goal in three games.

Union finally got one back with 9:27 left on the clock. Action in front had Jason Walters finally getting the puck past Mello, breaking up the sophomore's first career shutout. Mello finished with 39 saves, a career-high while Milan had 20.

Dartmouth will be back in action next weekend, hosting Quinnipiac on Friday at 7:00 and then Princeton on Saturday at 4:00 in Thompson Arena.