Men's Hockey Tripped up by Colgate

Friday, February 18

Hamilton, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Colgate

Men's Hockey Powers Past Princeton, 5-3, Sweeps ECAC Weekend

2/18/2011 8:46:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

HAMILTON, N.Y. – Prior to the game on Friday night, the Dartmouth men's hockey team was 12-2-2 when scoring first but it was Colgate that took the early lead and never looked back as the Raiders tripped up the No. 16 Big Green, 5-3. Dartmouth mounted a comeback in the third with two goals in the final period but it was not enough as Colgate won just its sixth game of the season.

Two goals by Colgate (6-23-2, 3-14-2 ECAC) in the opening frame put the Big Green (15-8-3, 11-6-2 ECAC) in a hole it was not accustomed too. Both Raider goals were knocked in off Dartmouth players with the first coming 11:37 into the frame off a power play shot by Francois Brisebois. His shot on net glanced off a Big Green skate and over James Mello's (Rehoboth, Mass.) arm. The second strike 16:35 into the period drilled a Dartmouth defender in the back as Jeremy Price was able to knock the puck down to put it past Mello for the 2-0 score.

A second power play goal by the home team in the second period put the Big Green in a 3-0 hole. A hard-working goal by the Raiders had Kurtis Bartliff lighting the lamp for the sixth time this season.

The Big Green finally got one back late in the frame as Dartmouth started coming alive. Dustin Walsh (Shannonville, Ont.) stripped the puck at center ice and skated down, putting a shot on netminder Eric Mihalik that was blocked back out front. Matt Lindblad (Winnetka, Ill.) chipped the puck over to Walsh to the right side of the net as he put it around the post behind Mihalik.

Dartmouth had its chances as Colgate had been whistled for five penalties after two periods of play but the extra-man advantage had definitely helped the Raiders more going into the final frame.

The Big Green finally got a power play tally midway through the third off a snipe by Connor Goggin (Glen Ellyn, Ill.). Dustin Walsh got the puck on the right side boards, passing to Lindblad behind the net. Lindblad rifled the puck over the cage to Goggin who was waiting outside the circle for the slapshot that had Dartmouth down by just a goal, 3-2.

But Colgate was not to be denied as the Raiders took a two-goal lead again when Brian Day stopped a Big Green clear and went back door on Mello for the strike.

Mike Keenan (Weymouth, Mass.) put a shot on net late in the game as a Colgate defender knocked the puck down but Adam Estoclet (Orono, Minn.) was there to get a piece of the puck and slide it through Mihalik's legs for the goal as Dartmouth continued to knock on the door.

An empty net goal by the home team with 15 seconds left on the clock shut the door on the Big Green's comeback as the loss snapped a two-game win streak for Dartmouth.

Mello finished with 28 saves while Mihalik had 33 as the Raiders outshot the Big Green, 22-19.

With a loss by Cornell to Harvard on Friday, the Big Green still sits in sole possession of third place in the ECAC Hockey standings with 24 points as Dartmouth and Cornell will square off tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Lynah Rink.