March 14, 2006

Dartmouth, Colgate, Harvard Hold On, Head to Albany

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On Friday night, it seemed as if things would not go as planned seeding-wise in the ECACHL tournament after No. 5 St. Lawrence and No. 10 Quinnipiac posted convincing upsets over their higher-ranked opponents. However, in the end, the conference’s top-4 seeds will all play in Albany, N.Y., this weekend at the Pepsi Arena. No. 1 Dartmouth will take on No. 4 Harvard, and No. 3 Cornell, which swept No. 9 Clarkson after two tough-fought double overtime games at Lynah Rink, will face central New York rival, No. 2 Colgate. The game times are at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., respectively.

No. 1 Dartmouth defeats No. 11 Yale, 2-0

Game 1: Green 5, Bulldogs 1

After playing the longest game ever a weekend ago in a five-overtime win over Union, Yale was literally on its hind legs against a rested Dartmouth squad, and the Green took full advantage early. Tanner Glass and Sean Offers opened the Green’s account in the first period, before John Gibson and Glass added a pair more in the second. A David Meckler goal put the Bulldogs within three, but Mike Ouellette’s power play goal won Game 1 for the Green. Dartmouth’s Mike Devine made 35 saves in the win.

Game 2: Green 3, Bulldogs 1

Although Brad Mills put the visitors ahead at the 9:39 mark in the first period, Yale’s discipline got it into trouble early. On a 5-on-3 power play, Ouellette, off a pass from Offers, tied the game up. Less than four minutes later, Ryan Bellows scored the eventual game winner and Offers added a third 3:20 into the final period. Yale’s Alec Richards made 44 saves in the loss. Dartmouth has won 10 of its last 12 games.

No. 2 Colgate defeats No. 10 Quinnipiac, 2-1

Game 1: Bobcats 3, Raiders 0

Colgate could not solve Quinnipiac’s Bud Fisher, who went on to record 28 saves in a 3-0 win for the visiting team. With only six seconds left in the first period, Joe Dumais scored the eventual game-winner past Mark Dekanich. Chris Myers and Ben Nelson also added tallies in the third period to give the Bobcats Game 1.

Game 2: Raiders 5, Bobcats 3

Playing with the pressure of being a game down, Colgate responded by tying the series. The first period was a high scoring affair with Quinnipiac scoring two power play goals and the Raiders responding with three tallies of their own. Bobcat Reid Cashman knocked in Quinnipiac’s third power play goal of the night at the 3:07 mark in the second period, effectively tying the game, but five minutes later, Marc Fulton tallied the eventual game winner off assists from Ryan Smyth and Kyle Wilson. Jesse Winchester added another goal in the third to fortify the hosts’ lead.

Game 3: Raiders 4, Bobcats 0

Colgate booked its third-straight trip to Albany on Sunday night behind a 30 save shutout performance by Dekanich. Jon Smyth drew first blood for the hosts with 27 seconds left in the first period, before Tyler Burton extended Colgate’s lead to two at the 3:07 mark in the second. Quinnipiac was unable to get into the game, and tallies from Peter Bogdanich and Wilson in the third wrapped up the Raiders’ come-from-behind series win.

No. 4 Harvard defeats No. 5 St. Lawrence, 2-1

Game 1: Saints 5, Crimson 1

St. Lawrence fired a huge warning shot at Bright Hockey Rink in Game 1, as the Saints dominated the Crimson. A Kevin DeVergilio strike put the Saints ahead before Charlie Giffin scored 10 minutes later to extend the visitors’ lead. In the third period, DeVergilio earned his second tally of the game off an assist by Brock McBride. Harvard was able to pull back within two with a Ryan Maki goal, but Kyle Rank and a Drew Bagnall empty-netter sealed Harvard’s fate on Friday.

Game 2: Crimson 3, Saints 2

An embarrassed Harvard squad was able to come back from a goal deficit to beat St. Lawrence on Saturday. While Tom Walsh scored a power play goal for the hosts at the 11:00 mark in the first period, Chase Trull and Mike Madill made the score, 2-1, for the Saints with tallies in the second period. But, Harvard would immediately fight its way back. Maki scored his second goal of the weekend just 59 seconds into the third period, before Dave Watters notched the eventual game-winner with just 2:26 left in regulation, sending the series to a third game.

Game 3: Crimson 8, Saints 4

It was a long night for the visitors, which used three goaltenders during Game 3, as Harvard returned the spanking it was given on Friday. A short-handed Tyler Magura goal at the 11:10 mark in the first period built the Crimson a three-goal lead, before Jamie Parker pulled one back for the visitors seven minutes later. However, the smallest deficit St. Lawrence would face after that is two goals and with 9:27 left in the second period, Steve Mandes put the hosts up, 5-2, with the eventual game-winning goal. Two tallies from Dan Murphy and a power play strike from Watters sealed St. Lawrence’s fate.

Archived article by Brian Tsao
Sun Senior Writer