Seniors Lead Big Green to 3-2 Win Against Visiting AIC

Saturday, November 29

Hanover, N.H.

4:00 PM

Dartmouth College

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL

Seniors Lead Big Green to 3-2 Win Against Visiting AIC

11/29/2014 6:47:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. – Senior Eric Neiley scored his first goal of the season just beyond the midway point of the third period that lifted the Dartmouth men's hockey team to a 3-2 win against visiting American International Saturday afternoon at Thompson Arena.

Fellow seniors Eric Robinson and Tyler Sikura scored two goals just three minutes and 43 seconds apart in the first period to give the home team an early lead. However, every time the Big Green (3-3-1) seemed to pull away, the Yellow Jackets (2-9-2) had an answer to make it interesting again.

This was just the second all-time meeting between the two programs separated by just 127 miles of I-91 with the previous instance coming in 2008, which ended in a 3-3 tie.

Neiley's tally made it a 3-1 game at 12:19 of the final frame as the assistant captain and 2014 All-Ivy League Second-Team Honoree fought off a defender draped across his back and beat AIC netminder Alex Murray with a wrist shot between the left arm and torso.

But just when it seemed as if the Big Green were going to cruise to the two-goal victory, the resurgent Jackets fought back with a marker in the final minute. With just 21 seconds remaining and Murray pulled, David Norris came out of the scramble in front of the Dartmouth net with the puck, backhanding a shot under the bar for AIC's second goal of the night.

The Yellow Jackets were unable to tie things up, though, as the Green clamped down in the final moments to hold on for the one-goal, non-conference triumph.

Robinson's goal came at 8:19 of the first period and was the result of some solid passing from Sikura and Brad Schierhorn, finishing off a great tic-tac-toe play at the top of the crease.

The duo of Schierhorn and Sikura connected again shortly thereafter as the latter netted his second of the season at 12:02. Schierhorn and Brandon Kirk were each credited with helpers as they set up Sikura in the neutral zone for a nice rush and goal inside the right post.

Austin Orszulak cut the Dartmouth lead in half with a wrist shot at the top of the circle at 14:48 of the opening frame, sending the teams to the locker rooms separated by one after 20 minutes. It would remain that way until Neiley was finally able to solve Murray in the third. Picking up an assist on Neiley's tally was freshman Timothy Shoup for the first point of his collegiate career.

Murray finished the night with 34 saves and was one of the main reasons AIC was able to keep it a one-goal game for most of the contest. James Kruger was solid in the Big Green crease, finishing the affair with 15 saves and the win as Dartmouth held a 37-17 advantage in shots.

Both teams were 0-for-3 with the man-advantage.

The Big Green are back in action Sunday at 4 p.m. when they play host No. 1 Boston University at Thompson Arena. The CHaD Toy Drive will continue as fans are encouraged to donate a new, unwrapped toy for the team to bring to the kids in early December.