While much of the campus will be celebrating Winter Carnival this weekend, the men's hockey team will try to claw its way back into the ECAC playoff hunt with crucial games tonight and tomorrow night at Thompson Arena.
The Big Green (2-10-2 ECAC, 4-13-2 overall) face off against the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers (8-5-1 ECAC, 14-9-1 overall) tonight at 7:30 and host the Union Skating Dutchmen (4-7-3 ECAC, 7-10-3 overall) tomorrow night at seven.
Dartmouth sits in 12th place in the conference with six points. To make the playoffs, the Big Green must leapfrog into at least 10th place. The squad has lost nine games in a row and is 0-9-1 in its last 10 games. The Big Green still have not won an ECAC contest since Nov. 18.
The Big Green will also try to avoid matching a dubious streak from last year's disastrous season. In the 1993-94 campaign, the Big Green went winless in an eleven game stretch. Losses in both games this weekend would surpass that mark.
Starting goalie Scott Baker '97 will probably return to the lineup after practicing all week, Coach Roger Demment said.
Because of what Demment called "undisciplined play" against Cornell last Saturday, Dion Del Monte '95 and Charlie Retter '98 will not play against RPI.
Dan Bloom '96 and Bill Kelleher '96 move up to the first line with Patrick Turcotte '96 to take the place of Del Monte and Retter.
Del Monte leads the Big Green with 13 assists and 22 points. Two goals by Mike Stacchi '95 against Cornell last Saturday propelled him into a tie with Turcotte for the team goal-scoring lead.
Stacchi and Turcotte each have 10 goals.
RPI is in fourth in the ECAC with 17 points and looking to secure home-ice in the first round of the conference playoffs.
Forwards Craig Hamelin and Bryan Richardson lead the Engineer attack with 38 and 34 points, respectively. Goalie Mike Tamburro was stellar in a 2-2 tie against Clarkson last weekend.
Union has 11 points and currently sit in 10th place in the ECAC. Corey Holbrough leads the Skating Dutchmen with 26 points and line-mate Chris Albert follows with 23 points.
Freshman goaltender Trevor Koenig had his first career shutout and Union's first since 1990 when he made 40 saves in a 6-0 blanking of St. Lawrence last weekend.
