With only four games left in the regular season, the Big Green will travel to Erie, Penn. this weekend to face the ninth-ranked Lakers from Mercyhurst. The two game series on Friday and Saturday will conclude Dartmouth's non-conference schedule before the Big Green ends its regular season with a pair of key Ivy League contests at Princeton and Yale.
With convincing victories against Cornell and Colgate last weekend, the Big Green clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the ECAC playoffs, giving Dartmouth fans one more chance to witness the greatness of the senior class that dominated the Raiders 8-0 last Sunday.
Led by Patty Kazmaier Award nominee Carly Haggard '03 and a solid freshman line, the Big Green has averaged five and a half goals per game over its last six contests. In that span, Haggard recorded four goals and six assists while the all-freshman line of Gillian Apps, Cherie Piper and Tiffany Hagge poured in a total of 17 points.
"It's no question that we have a talented freshman class," said Coach Judy Oberting '91.
"They'll have a huge impact on the games over the next few years."
Dartmouth's potent offense will be tested this weekend against a stingy Lakers' defense. Mercyhurst (23-6-1) comes into the contests with a 1.52 goals against average, and the two Lakers' goalies that split time this season both hold a .933 save percentage.
With its stifling defense, Mercyhurst has shutout eight opponents in 30 games, and it looks forward to the challenge of stopping Dartmouth's talented forwards.
Although the Big Green has allowed an average of two goals a game on the season, the performance of the defense has been simply amazing in the past three weeks. In the last six games, Dartmouth has allowed only four goals, two of which came against a Harvard squad that averages 6.39 goals a game.
On top of shutting out four of its past six opponents, the Big Green's special teams have been superb as well. In the same span of three weeks, Dartmouth has allowed only one goal on 34 of its opponent's power-plays. At the same time, the Big Green has tallied two short-handed goals.
The team is peaking at the right moment on its way into the postseason. The games against Mercyhurst won't affect conference standings, but it will certainly help Dartmouth climb the national charts to earn a coveted spot in this year's Frozen Four. With only two regular season games left after this weekend, the team can start preparations for the ECAC tournament and another destined rematch against the Harvard Crimson.
