In a weekend symbolic of the Big Green men's hockey entire season, the team dropped its last two games over the weekend to Yale University Friday and Princeton University on Saturday.
Over the last two weekends, the team had done its best to salvage what was left of the regular season as they strove for tenth place and the final playoff berth.
And for a while, it looked as though they might succeed.
The team came close to beating first-place Harvard College and then stole a victory from second place Brown University the next day.
Last weekend, the team extended its winning streak against St. Lawrence, convincingly defeating the Saints 5-2.
Then, last Saturday, Clarkson University stonewalled the Big Green's comeback bid. Two penalties late in the game against captain Mike Loga '94 and Trevor Dodman '95 ruined the team's chances, and Clarkson overcame the Big Green by a score of 5-3.
The loss to Clarkson in Thompson Arena mathematically eliminated the Big Green's playoff chances.
This weekend, the air went out of the balloon.
Whatever reserves the team had been drawing upon in their titanic efforts of the last two weekends seemed to run out on Friday against Yale as the Big Green allowed the Bulldogs to pepper goalie Ben Heller '97 with 42 shots.
Heller did an admirable job considering the team's defense all but abandoned him in front of the net. Yale defeated Dartmouth 9-5.
"It was a game that was played more like a pond hockey game than a collegiate game," Coach Roger Demment said.
Demment said the team had been so focused over the last two weeks that all the team could play was a loose, offensive game.
The next day, the Big Green's work ethic returned. But as has happened all season, no matter how hard they tried, their luck abandoned them en route to falling 4-3 to Princeton.
Princeton scored two quick goals early in the third period, grabbing the lead in what had until then been a tie game.
Mike Stacchi '94 got one back for the Big Green with three seconds to go in the game, completing a hat trick.
Demment said although seven players will leave the team for next season, the Big Green will be powered by the talent of its returning players and a strong incoming group of freshmen.
"We're all looking forward to getting right back at it in the fall," Demment said. "I think that the program as a whole is moving in the right direction."
Charlie Retter '98 will join his brother Brent Retter '97, one of the star freshmen on this year's team.
"I've grown up with him and I know the way he plays," Retter '97 said.
Retter predicts success for the team next year.
"Next year I think we're going to do extremely well," he said.
