O'Connor Shines as Dartmouth Defeats Colorado College in Ledyard Opener

Saturday, December 28

Hanover, N.H.

7 PM

Dartmouth College

5-4-2

Colorado College

6-8-1

Colorado College

Dartmouth

Drew O'Connor

Photo by: Doug Austin

O'Connor Shines as Dartmouth Defeats Colorado College in Ledyard Opener

12/28/2019 9:59:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

Sophomore scores 2 and posts 3 points in Big Green win.

By: Pat Salvas

HANOVER, N.H. – Sophomore Drew O'Connor scored twice and had three points as the Dartmouth men's hockey team defeated Colorado College, 5-2, Saturday night inside Thompson Arena in the team's Ledyard Classic opener.

The Big Green (5-4-2) will play UConn Sunday night at 7 p.m. after the Huskies played to a 2-2 tie with St. Lawrence in the earlier game, but moved on thanks to a 2-1 win in a nine-round shootout.

O'Connor scored his first of the night and team-leading fifth of the season with a rocket one-timer from the point on the power play with 3:47 left in the first period and then salted the game away with his second into the empty net from center ice with 44 seconds left.

Making the move from left wing to center for the first time in his career, O'Connor logged huge minutes in all facets of the game and set up Matt Baker's second-period power-play goal that proved to be the game winner with a perfectly placed saucer centering pass.

Baker would also add an assist, while freshman defenseman Tanner Palocsik had a pair of helpers for the third time this season.

"That was a fun game to be a part of," Koenig Family Head Coach Bob Gaudet '81 said afterward. "We were on our toes and being aggressive all night, which I loved to see coming out of a long break. We responded really well every time they had had their pushes; something I'd like to see us do with more consistency moving forward."

Senior blueliner Clay Han got the scoring started just 1:23 into the game for his first point of the season, finishing off a great passing play from Daniel Warpecha and burying the puck in the far side of the net from the slot. Colorado College (6-8-1) answered back with a Grant Cruiskshank goal 10 seconds shy of the three-minute mark.

Quin Foreman also scored for the Big Green, capping a wild end to the second period that included three goals in a minute and 28 seconds. Baker's tally was answered by the Tigers' Chris Wilkie just 24 seconds later before Foreman's blast put the home team back up a pair headed into the final frame.

The goalies had to be sharp as they were tested all night. Dartmouth senior netminder Adrian Clark finished with 29 saves, while his counterpart in CC's Matt Vernon had 35. Several of Clark's stops were of the remarkable fashion as he robbed the visitors on a few occasions with the flash of the glove.

The home team was strong with the puck, finishing with 40 shots on goal, a figure it has reached just two times this season with Saturday's game.

Special teams was huge for the Green and White as Dartmouth was 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and 2-for-4 on the power play.