The veteran leadership, the strong goaltending, the defensive style, the national title hopes -- all of that will be on display for the first time tonight at 5 at Thompson Arena as the Dartmouth men's hockey team welcomes McGill for an exhibition game.
But don't expect this Big Green lineup to resemble perfectly the one that head coach Bob Gaudet '81 hopes to bring to St. Paul for the NCAA Frozen Four next April.
Gaudet is leaving six of his senior forwards off the ice against the Redmen in an effort to catch of glimpse of his entire roster in game action.
It's a crucial opportunity for Gaudet to give his role players--those key cogs that can make or break a championship contender--plenty of ice time in a competitive situation.
So for the record, co-captains Mike Maturo and Jamie Herrington will be in shirt and tie tonight, along with Chris Baldwin, Chris Taliercio, Dan Casella and Frank Nardella.
"We know what those guys can do," Gaudet said yesterday. "This is a chance for all the players to get out there and get their feet wet, especially the freshmen. And I think we'd be sorry later if we didn't do it."
The only other unusual aspect of tonight's game will be the goaltending situation.
Incumbent starter Nick Boucher '03, Alaskan Dan Gastrock '04 and newcomer Dan Yacey '05 will each play a period, with Boucher taking the reins in the middle frame.
Dartmouth has hopes for this season after finishing fourth at the ECAC Championship last March.
The Big Green was tabbed second in the preseason media poll, receiving five first-place votes, and fourth in the coaches' poll, with one first-place nod (from Harvard's Mark Mazzoleni)).
McGill brings a 2-2 record into Thompson Arena.
In the teams' last meeting, the Redmen prevailed, 3-2, in Montreal on Oct. 27, 1999. Maturo scored in that game and Herrington and Gary Hunter '02 recorded assists.