ECAC points are hard to come by. Ending a four game road trip at two conference powerhouses makes the task even more difficult.
The Big Green faced these facts over the weekend, dropping games to St. Lawrence, 6-1, and Clarkson, 6-4. Dartmouth was simply outplayed by the Saints, who physically dominated a smaller Big Green team that couldn't get into sync.
While the Big Green kept it close against an extremely talented Clarkson squad, a Golden Knight third period charge erased Dartmouth's upset hopes. The Big Green finished their four game road trip with a dismal 0-3-1 record. They stand at 9-11-1 overall, 4-9-1 in the ECAC.
Saints steal a win
The Big Green entered this game on a high note. Coming off a gutsy tie with UVM and a confident week in practice, there was achance that Dartmouth was ready to return to its early season form.
In two previous games with the Saints, the Big Green looked impressive, and it appeared they would use St. Lawrence as a stepping stone for Saturday night's big game.
That "stepping stone" turned out to be a brick wall. Dartmouth managed to keep the game close early, but midway through the second, St. Lawrence ran away with it, riding a Derek McLaughlin hat trick to a 6-1 trouncing of the Big Green.
The Big Green hung around in the second period, though it was obvious they weren't clicking as a team. At 12:31, St. Lawrence took a 2-0 advantage courtesy of Ryan Cassidy, but Dartmouth's Bill Kelleher '96 quickly cut the deficit back to one just 1:04 later off the assist from linesmate Whitworth.
St. Lawrence owned the third period, netting three goals to rub salt in Dartmouth's wounds.
Clarkson posts comeback
The Big Green didn't let their flat performance on Friday affect them, as they jumped out to a quick start against the Golden Knights in Potsdam, New York.
But the re-occurring theme of the Big Green's season painfully surfaced once again in the third period. Dartmouth has had problems putting together 60 minutes of solid hockey, and Clarkson's four-goal third period kept up the trend.
