By now, it should come as no surprise that the Big Green men's hockey team enjoys playing in Thompson Arena, where only three opponents have been able to beat Dartmouth all season long, and where some of the finest hockey programs in the country, including No. 2 Cornell, and No. 3 Boston College, have met their match against the Big Green.
As much as the Big Green likes Thompson Arena, though, chances are that they'd rather not be there next weekend, as the fifth- through twelfth-ranked teams in the ECAC begin the conference playoffs. However, if the Big Green men hope to hang on to the fourth-place position in the ECAC, they'll have to do so away from the friendly confines of Thompson, as the team takes to the road for the final weekend of the regular season.
As the Big Green (15-11-1, 11-9-0 ECAC) prepares to do battle with Rensselaer (9-22-3, 3-14-3 ECAC) and Union (13-15-4, 9-9-2 ECAC), much remains to be settled in the battle for the last remaining first-round bye in the conference playoffs. Dartmouth, by virtue of its sweep of third-place Yale and rare victory over Cornell, holds a tie-breaker advantage over Brown, which is important, as the Bears' 22 points place them in a tie with Dartmouth for fourth place. In addition, with 20 points, Union is in position to capture the first-round bye should Dartmouth and Brown slip. With two other teams striving for a free pass , the Green will need to be at its best to hold onto its spot.
Friday's game against Rensselaer presents a greater challenge than RPI's unimpressive record would imply. While the struggling Engineers dropped a 7-3 decision to the Big Green in Thompson Arena on Jan. 25, RPI's play against the Big Green has been historically strong in Houston Field House. Last season's 4-2 Dartmouth victory was the Green's first win at RPI since 1989. In addition, RPI goalie Nathan Marsters made one of the best performances of his career against the Big Green, when the L.A. Kings draftee stopped 35 Dartmouth shots in RPI's 2-1 win in the ECAC Play-In game last season.
Matchups between Dartmouth and RPI frequently bring out the mean streak in both teams, as recent Dartmouh-RPI tilts have given rise to several fights. Dartmouth will face a stern, but hardly insurmountable test from the Engineers in Friday's game.
Saturday's game against Union will give Dartmouth the opportunity to avenge one of its three home losses, suffered on January 24 at Thompson. Dartmouth goalie Nick Boucher '03 was game, stopping 30 of 32 shots, but Union keeper Kris Mayotte stopped all 31 shots he faced in the Dutchmen's 2-0 win. Mayotte is the only goalie to shut the Big Green out this season, and Dartmouth's scoring unit will l be anxious to put the puck past him in the rematch.
Dartmouth may get help from other teams in solidifying its hold on a first-round bye: Brown will host the always-dangerous duo of Clarkson and St. Lawrence this weekend, while Vermont, Dartmouth's traveling partner, could give Dartmouth a big boost by beating the Dutchmen themselves on Friday night. However, with all-important playoff position on the line, Coach Gaudet and his team won't be in a mood to take chances, and the Big Green will look to head into the playoffs on a three-game winning streak.
