Dartmouth Scores Four Unanswered In Comeback Win

Friday, February 28

Providence, R.I. / Meehan Auditorium

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

14-12-2, 11-9-1

Brown

13-13-2, 9-11-1

Dartmouth

Brown

Dartmouth Scores Four Unanswered In Comeback Win

3/1/2025 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Big Green Secure Share of Ivy League Title

By: Dan Richeal

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The Dartmouth men's hockey team earned a share of the Ivy League title on Friday night with a 4-2 win over Brown.

The Big Green came out firing with nine shots in the first period but it was Brown who took a 2-0 lead to the locker room after 20 minutes. The Bears scored at the 4:46 and 16:20 marks to open the game.

Dartmouth cut the lead in half at the 3:55 mark of the second period as a power play was coming to an end. The Big Green worked the puck around the zone as Nikita Nikora passed the puck to CJ Foley at the point. Foley took a slap shot that was redirected in front of the net by Cooper Flinton, the puck beat the netminder for Flinton's ninth goal of the season. Foley notched his 16^th assist of the season while it was Nikora's 21^st.

Just over eight minutes later at the 12:00 mark the Big Green tied the game at two. Foley poked the puck along the wall in the neutral zone and Braiden Dorfman punched the puck across the ice to Hayden Stavroff. Stavroff skated in and released a wrister that beat the goalie clean over the glove to tie the game. It was Stavroff's 10^th goal of the season while Dorfman notched his eighth assist with Foley picking up his 17^th.

The teams went to the locker room tied at two despite the Big Green outshooting Brown 19-13 through two periods.

Neither team scored in the first half of the third period as the teams traded chances.

At the 13:03 mark, John Fusco blasted home his eighth goal of the season. Sean Chisholm won a battle just inside the Brown zone and shoveled the puck to Hank Cleaves. Cleaves took the puck deep into the zone and turned along the wall. He found J. Fusco at the point fired him a perfect pass. J. Fusco one timed the pass through a Nikora screen for his eighth goal of the year. It was Cleaves' 11^th assist and Chisholm's 10^th.

With 1:10 left in regulation, J. Fusco notched his second goal of the game as he scored an empty netter. Luke Haymes and Flinton picked up assists on the play.

Emmett Croteau made 23 saves in net for Dartmouth as he improved to 9-4-0 this season.

J. Fusco's first goal of the game was his sixth game winning goal of the season, he is second in the ECAC in game winning goals.

With the win, the Big Green clinched at least a share of the Ivy League title while also securing the fifth seed in the ECAC Tournament.

It is the first Ivy League title for the Big Green since the 2006-07 season. Dartmouth has not had a sole Ivy League title since the 1979-80 season.

Dartmouth had a perfect night on special teams against Brown. The power play went 1-1 with five shots while the penalty kill went 2-2 while allowing just one shot on goal.

With the win over Brown, the Big Green completed the sweep of the Bears. Dartmouth had not swept Brown since the 2019-20 season before the season.

Flinton, Foley, and J. Fusco all had two point games while nine different players had a point.

Dartmouth blocked 17 shots in the game with Cleaves blocking a team high three. Matt Fusco, Cam MacDonald, Haymes, and Foley all blocked two shots in the win.

The Big Green are 10-1-1 this season when scoring four or more goals and 20-1-4 over the last two seasons.

Dartmouth closes out the regular season on Saturday at Yale, Dartmouth needs just one point to win the outright Ivy League title. Faceoff is slated for 7 PM in New Haven, Conn.