Bad Bounces and Posts Do In Dartmouth in Series Opener with UNH, 3-2

Friday, December 7

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

4-4-1

New Hampshire

3-7-5

UNH

Dartmouth

Photo by: Mark Washburn

Bad Bounces and Posts Do In Dartmouth in Series Opener with UNH, 3-2

12/7/2018 9:11:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score Photos by Mark Washburn

Big Green hit three posts as Wildcats survive in Hanover.

By: Pat Salvas

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth men's hockey team did a lot of things right on Friday night against visiting New Hampshire at Thompson Arena.

The won battles, they got pucks on net, they had good movement in the offensive zone and they worked hard all night, causing the visitors to take five penalties.

However, the thing that they seemed to do best was hit the post. That cost the Big Green (4-4-1) as the Wildcats (3-7-5) came away from the first game of a home-and-home series between with a 3-2 win.

In total, Dartmouth hit three posts, all in the third period.

"We worked our tails off tonight," Koenig Family Head Coach Bob Gaudet '81 said. "We just didn't have the luck that usually is associated with working hard come our way. Tonight's result wasn't for the lack of effort, because I'm very happy with how we played. We just didn't have the puck bounce the way we would've liked it to."

Early on, it didn't appear that the home team would be in position where close calls would hurt. UNH took a 2-0 lead a little more than halfway through the first period thanks to scores from Brendan van Riemsdyk and Justin Fergona.

A Shane Sellar goal in the final minute of the opening frame cut the deficit to one and gave Dartmouth life headed into the locker room.

Freshman Drew O'Connor's fifth of the season came on a great redirect at the top of the paint from Harrison Markell's point shot. Carl Hesler picked up his second assist on the night after also aiding in the Sellar goal along with Jeff Losurdo.

The Wildcats picked up the win thanks to Joseph Cipollone's first of the season 11:03 into the third period. The initial point shot actually hit defender Charley Michalowski in the hand, causing him to react. But where Michalowski thought the puck had bounced back toward the high slot like conventional physics would dictate, it actually landed flat on the ice under him for Cipollone to pounce on.

Adrian Clark made just 13 saves in the game as he was not tested for long stretches all night, turning aside just two in the second frame. Credit the defense in front of him with 11 blocks, but for also holding New Hampshire to just 39 shot attempts all night.

The Green and White, on the other hand, attempted 63 in the game and held a 27-16 edge in shots on goal as their opponents blocked 17. The play of Ty Taylor in goal certainly helped the Wildcats as the goalie made 25 saves in his 60 minutes of action.

These two teams play again Saturday night in Durham with puck drop set for 7 p.m. from the Whittemore Center. It will cap the first ever home-and-home series between the two Granite State rivals.