There's nothing like a little home cooking around the holidays. Just ask the Dartmouth men's hockey team, who hosted the 16th Ledyard National Bank Auld Lang Syne Classic on December 29th and 30th.
Playing before sellout crowds at an electric Thompson Arena, the Big Green (4-7-0) did not disappoint the hometown fans. In the nightcap of the tournament's first day, a visibly charged Dartmouth squad upended fifth-ranked New Hampshire 6-3 with their best offensive output of the season. The following night in the tournament championship the Big Green fell to ECAC rival Vermont in the waning minutes of the contest, 4-2.
Two hard-fought games against worthy opponents, coupled with strong play over the previous three games will set the tone for the rest of the season, as the Big Green enter the heart of ECAC league play.
"I think our luck is changing," said Tri-Captain Mike Mautro '02.
Coach Bob Gaudet '81 felt the same way.
"Even early on this season we were playing well as a team," Gaudet said. "We were just finding ways to lose. Now the bounces are going our way. Everything evens out."
New Hampshire
For the second year in a row, the two Granite State teams renewed their rivalry. This time the Big Green found the result a bit more to their liking.
Last year in Durham, despite two goals from Manchester native Maturo, the Big Green fell to UNH 3-2 in overtime, with the Wildcats barely avoiding a major upset. This time around, it was Maturo once again providing the firepower, with two goals and an assist in the 6-3 win.
The Big Green lit the lamp first on a Chris Taliercio '02 goal at 5:06 of the first. Aggressive forechecking in the New Hampshire zone by Chris Baldwin '02 and Frank Nardella '02 led to a UNH turnover, which Taliercio netted for his third of the year.
The Wildcats responded quickly, with Sean Austin scoring an effortless goal off a rebound to tie the game 50 seconds later.
The Big Green opened up a two-goal lead when Dory Tisdale '01, coming off a knee injury suffered in an exhibition game against Saint Francis Xavier, scored on an odd-man rush, and Maturo tallied his first of the game at 12:58.
With 2:56 left in the first Colin Hemingway connected on the power play to cut Dartmouth's lead to one at the intermission.
After a whirlwind first period, the second period gave the fans a chance to catch their breath. Mike Murray '03 scored the lone goal of the period on a shot from just over the blueline at 11:05 to give the home team a 4-2 advantage. The Big Green also played solid defense in their own zone to hold the high-powered Wildcats to seven shots in the period.
At 8:07 of the final stanza a hustling play by Murray behind the UNH net set up Maturo's second of the game, making it 5-2 in Dartmouth's favor.
Darren Haydar scored a power-play goal at 10:20 for UNH, but Baldwin answered at 14:56 with the final goal of the game, making it 6-3. This prompted New Hampshire coach Dick Umile to pull a visibly shaken Ty Conklin in favor of backup goalie Michael Ayers.
Nick Boucher '03 provided some stellar goaltending for the Big Green finishing the game with 36 saves, including 16 in the third period. Conklin made 21 stops on the game, while Ayers fended off the two shots he faced.
Playing on his 20th birthday, the win was exactly what Boucher wanted.
"This is what I hoped the guys would give me for my birthday," Boucher joked. "I'm glad they came through."
Vermont
Dartmouth's counterpart in the championship game was the University of Vermont, who easily dispatched Miami of Ohio 4-1 the previous day. The two familiar rivals locked horns for the 54th time on Saturday night.
Despite battling back from a two-goal deficit, the Big Green came out on the short end of a 4-2 decision. Chris Hills' first goal of the season came at an inopportune time for Dartmouth, as he broke a 2-2 deadlock with 1:39 left in the third.
A wayward pass in their own zone proved costly for the Big Green as Hills intercepted a clearing pass and fired a short wrister past Boucher for the game-winner.
Shortly later what appeared to be a tying goal by Dartmouth was disallowed when it was ruled a high-stick. Despite arguing vehemently to the contrary Gaudet and Tri-Captains Jamie Herrington '02 and Michael Byrne '01 were unable to change the officials' minds.
The Catamounts iced the game with 3.6 seconds left on an empty-net goal by Graham Mink.
In the first period the Big Green came out flat and spotted UVM a two-goal lead. Jeff Miles powered behind the net and threw the puck out in front to Byron Busniuk who connected for the first goal. Catamount speedster J.F. Caudron scored on an end-to-end rush on the power play at 7:24.
Dartmouth bounced back with a goal by Tisdale at 2:18 of the second. He connected on a wrist shot from the top of the face-off circle to put the Big Green on the board.
Maturo continued his torrid scoring pace, knotting the game at two with a goal at 13:59. Maturo's seventh goal of the season game on a breakaway as he beat UVM netminder Andrew Allen over the shoulder.
Boucher made 29 saves in the losing effort, while Allen stopped 17, earning him the tournament MVP.
Boucher, Maturo, and Tisdale were voted to the all-tournament team from Dartmouth, while UVM's Caudron and Andreas Moberg and UNH's Colin Hemingway rounded out the team.
In the consolation game, New Hampshire routed Miami of Ohio 4-0.
The Big Green face UVM again this weekend for a home-and-home series, beginning Friday at Thompson.
