A leader. A role model. A portrait of consistency.
Dartmouth men's hockey fans have been using these and other phrases to describe Mike Maturo '02 for a long time.
Pretty soon, they can add 100-point scorer to the list.
With 99 career points to his name, "Metro" leads the Big Green into New York's capital region this weekend for a crucial two-game set against Union and Rensselaer.
Maturo's next point will make him the 29th member of the 100-point club in the 97-year history of Dartmouth men's hockey.
"Scoring 100 points is nice, but I try to keep it in perspective," the senior co-captain said in the Thompson Arena parking lot yesterday before the team departed for its road trip. "Winning an Ivy League and ECAC championship is much more important to me."
When asked about the magnitude of the milestone, Maturo played it down.
"One hundred points doesn't really mean anything because some guys get 100 points in a season," he said.
But usually, those guys play for teams with more overall firepower than the Big Green.
"This is not something where Mike has been blessed to play on teams that score eight or nine goals a game," head coach Bob Gaudet '81 said. "We've battled, fought and clawed for everything we've gotten. He's always been at the forefront. He's always a guy you can count on."
Maturo has been a cornerstone of the Class of 2002, Gaudet's first recruiting class at Dartmouth.
The left winger from Manchester, N.H. has provided a lot more for his head coach than just 99 points and counting.
"The local interest in Mike is tremendous," Gaudet said. "I know through my kids how much all the youth and high school players look up to him. He's a New Hampshire kid who now will have 100 points at the college level. He's a good student and a captain. He's been great for our program."
Maturo was Dartmouth's leading scorer in two of his first three seasons. As a rookie, he paced the Big Green with 25 points (9g, 16a). As a sophomore, his 16 points (8g, 8a) made him the second-leading scorer behind Frank Nardella '02, but last year, he returned atop the scoring list with 33 points (18g, 15a) in 34 games.
As he stands on the brink of the 100-point mark for his career, Maturo is once again leading the Big Green. He has set a scorching pace with 25 points (11g, 14a) in 17 games.
"Mike has been such a great player," said Gaudet, now in his fifth year. "He's been our leading scorer for two of his first three years. He's done a great job for us. One hundred points is a great milestone for him."
Maturo's first chance for No. 100 will come tonight at Union, against whom he has five points (2g, 3a) in six career games.
If he reaches the milestone, it won't be while playing alongside his usual right winger, Mike Murray '03.
Gaudet is sitting Murray out for a game as a result of an ill-timed slashing penalty the junior incurred at the end of last Saturday's home game against St. Lawrence.
Murray was whistled for the minor with 1:40 remaining, seriously harming his team's chances of netting the tying goal in a 4-3 game.
Tonight, Murray will miss his first game since Nov. 26, 1999, a span of 76 consecutive games. However, he is likely to return to the lineup tomorrow night against RPI.
"There's no question it's because of the late penalty," Gaudet said of the decision. "I don't want to make a huge deal about it, but I'm not going to hide the fact. We're a team that plays hard, and because we play hard, we're going to play with a lot of emotion. But the emotion has to be channeled in a proper way.
"Mike is a great kid and a great player," Gaudet added. "He competes and he's hard-nosed. He's not the type of player who runs people over, but he still gets involved in physical play and really helps our team."
While Murray will be on the sidelines " with rookie Chris Snizek '05 taking his place on the top line " one player who will be getting his chance tonight is goaltender Darren Gastrock '04.
Gastrock was the first to replace Nick Boucher '03 after the junior netminder struggled in the first nine games of the season.
Gastrock, a sophomore from Alaska, performed admirably in four straight appearances, with the highlight being a league win on Jan. 4 against Vermont.
Tonight, he will be between the pipes for the first time in 21 days as the Big Green looks to rebound from a one-tie, one-loss performance last weekend.
