Men's Hockey Lives to Play Another Day

Saturday, March 12

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

HARVARD

3/12/2011 7:29:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. - In a must-win game for the No. 18 Dartmouth men's hockey team, seniors proved how much they wanted to even the quarterfinal series with Harvard, as Adam Estoclet (Orono, Minn.) and Andrew Owsiak (Moose Jaw, Sask.) potted the two goals in the 2-1 overtime victory on Saturday night in Thompson Arena.

Owsiak's goal came on his only shot of the game just 97 seconds into the extra-frame. The two teams will now square off in a deciding game on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. with the winner advancing to Atlantic City, N.J., and the ECAC Hockey Championships.

Estoclet gave Dartmouth (17-11-3) the early lead after he ripped one home from the left-side circle with under 6:00 to play in the opening period. Evan Stephens (Bessemer, Mich.) pushed the puck up along the boards, passing across ice to Scott Fleming (Plainfield, Ont.) who was waiting to the right of the cage. Fleming immediately passed back to the other side as Estoclet waited with his stick down.

The Big Green put a flurry of shots on Crimson (12-11-1) goalie, Ryan Carroll, at the end of the contest but could not find an insurance goal as time wound down. The two teams went into the first break tied in shots with nine but Dartmouth held the lead in faceoffs, 20-9. Early in the period the Big Green had won all of the nine faceoffs that had been called.

A fairly even second period had both sides with chances but each goalie was able to make the necessary saves in their respective ends. James Mello (Rehoboth, Mass.) withstood several flurries as the junior goalie appeared unflappable through the first 40 minutes of play.

Harvard made things interesting after potting a power-play goal midway through the third. Chris Huxley took a shot that rang off the post as Alex Killorn was there to gather the puck and put another shot on net. Michael Biega was in front of the net as the senior was able to get his stick down and beat Mello down low for the equalizer.

The two sides came out to play a full 20 minute overtime but Owsiak wouldn't hear of it as he scored his second goal of the season, 1:37 into the OT frame to lift the Big Green to victory. The play began after Dartmouth won the faceoff with Owsiak rushing up ice and sending a shot towards the net from wide on the right side. The puck glanced off a skate and found the top right corner as Owsiak was mobbed along the boards by his teammates.

Mello is now 15-8-3 on the season as he finished with 24 saves. Carroll had 25 saves and fell to 9-9. Dartmouth owned a 27-25 shots edge and was scoreless on five power plays. Harvard was 1 for 4.