Rick Pinkston Scores Twice in Conference Loss at St. Lawrence

Saturday, February 21

Canton, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

St. Lawrence

Rick Pinkston Scores Twice in Conference Loss at St. Lawrence

2/21/2015 9:07:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

CANTON, N.Y. – Senior Rick Pinkston scored two goals, but the Dartmouth men's hockey team was unable to overcome a potent and opportunistic St. Lawrence team, falling, 6-3, Saturday night at Appleton Arena.

The loss — coupled with the results of other games from across the league — drops Dartmouth out of the top-four spot in the league standings with a 10-8-2 ECAC Hockey record, while 13-10-4 overall. The Saints locked up the No. 2 spot in the league postseason with a 14-5-1 conference mark and are now 18-11-3 overall.

The Big Green have locked up home ice for at least the first round of the tournament, but are still seeking a first-round bye at home next weekend in the final two games of the regular season against Quinnipiac and Brown.

Trailing by two late in the middle period, Pinkston scored his first of the night on a great feed from Eric Neiley with just 6.7 seconds left to cut the deficit to 2-1 heading into the third period.

However, St. Lawrence's offensive erupted for four goals in the third period, including an empty netter from Mike Marnell with 52 seconds left.

Pinkston's second of the night was a new career high and was the result of an arching wrist shot bid that handcuffed SLU goalie Kyle Hayton at the 11:34 mark and brought Dartmouth back to within two, 4-2, after the Saints' Woody Hudson and Joe Sullivan netted a pair to start the final period for the home team.

Hudson also finished the night with a pair of goals as he scored the Saints' second tally midway through the opening period.

Junior Nick Bligh gave the Green some hope for a comeback bid with 1:13 left in the final frame as his shot from the high slot on the power play trickled through the pads of Hayton and over the line for his third of the season, making the score 5-3. But that would be it as Marnell's empty netter sealed the Big Green's fate.

Dartmouth starter Charles Grant stopped 18 in the loss, while Hayton turned aside 28 at the other end of the ice.

This loss snapped a seven-game win streak at Appleton for Dartmouth who had not lost on St. Lawrence's ice since the 2008-09 season.

Dartmouth will wrap-up the regular season next weekend at home against Princeton and Quinnipiac on Friday and Saturday at Thompson Arena. Both are scheduled for 7:05 p.m. puck drops.