Despite its excellent season this year, not many would have predicted the women's hockey team would do so well against number two-ranked UNH.
Having dropped two games already to the Wildcats, 3-2 early in the season and 6-2 more recently, the Big Green traveled to Durham for the ECAC semifinals on March 9 with a clear disadvantage.
And although these women could not pull off a win in their first ever semifinal appearance, they did hold UNH to a 1-1 tie by the end of regulation, pushing the game into overtime.
For the Big Green this was an incredible tactic. Dartmouth had not lost a game in overtime yet. Who would have guessed that a Kimberly Knox netter could have ended Dartmouth's unbelievable season, leaving them with a 20-9-3 record overall, 11-4-2 in the ECAC?
Dartmouth Coach George Crowe received ECAC/KOHO Co-Coach of the Year honors for leading his Big Green team to a new team record of the most wins in a season. Co-Captain and forward Sarah Howald '96 and goalie Sarah Tueting '98 made the ECAC second team for their play over the season.
Howald was also named to the Ivy League first team along with defender Amy Coelho '97. Tueting made the Ivy League second team.
Honorable mention Ivy League went to both forward Sarah Hood '98 and defender Sara Vogler '96.
Dartmouth showed perseverance throughout the semifinal game against ECAC powerhouse UNH, skating to a 0-0 draw by the close of the first period.
Tueting deserves the majority of credit for the first period tie. Tallying 15 of her total 41 saves in this period, Tueting made up for the luster the rest of her team seemed to lack.
UNH dominated throughout the first period and allowed Dartmouth only four shots for the whole period.
The second period passed scoreless as well. Dartmouth, however, picked up the pace of its game, managing to kill a late double penalty on the Big Green.
And then came the action.
Twelve seconds into the third period, Howald took a feed from Hood and went top-shelf over sprawled out UNH goalie Dina Solimini.
The Big Green had little time to celebrate, though. In that little time, barely enough time to get the game going again, Dartmouth let down its guard.
Just nine seconds later UNH highscorer Carisa Zaban (54 points overall) skated straight through the middle and knocked in an unassisted goal over Tueting's left shoulder. It was an even game again.
Both teams kept up a high level of play for the next 18 minutes, killing penalties and holding their opponents.
With exactly two minutes left on the clock, refs sent Zaban to the penalty box for highsticking. The two-minute penalty put Dartmouth on a power play for the remainder of regulation.
The Big Green fired shots at Solimini. The team hit the post twice in those final minutes but could come no closer and the period finished with a 1-1 tie.
Having already played 60 amazing minutes between the posts, Tueting only got better in overtime. UNH put forth a strong attack right from the start. For eight minutes Tueting answered every gun, including one when the puck actually beat her but managed to turn and cover it before it crossed the line.
Every second counts in sudden death overtime. Dartmouth showed its strengths in OT play, killing a penalty to Howald who had a two-minute break for hooking.
Knox's goal came at 7:55 when a scuffle in front of the Dartmouth cage allowed Knox to get her stick on the puck and flip it in.
The 2-1 finish advanced the Wildcats to the ECAC finals where they defeated defending champion Providence in the longest game in collegiate hockey history.
The game lasted 145:35, more than 43 minutes longer than the second longest game in history. That game, a men's game, took place in 1968 between North Dakota and Minnesota. The game lasted 102:09 minutes.
In the fifth 20-minute overtime, UNH's Brandy Fisher tipped in the puck to give the Wildcats the 3-2 win and the 1995-1996 ECAC championship.
Fisher was named the tournament MVP for her play.
The game was reminiscent of last year's ECAC final when Providence and UNH were also matched up. The game went into overtime. However, it was the Providence Friars who won.
By winning this year's championship, UNH broke a four year streak that the Friars carried in ECAC championships.
