The lights grew dim and Thompson Arena's sold out crowd hushed as U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" began to gradually crescendo in the mind of every spectator present. Flag bearer, Anthony Balsamo '04, stepped onto the ice and into the center of the flashlight-powered spotlight as the audience erupted in a deafening roar. Followed by the Dartmouth Club Hockey players, Balsamo skated 3/4 the perimeter of the rink waving the green flag with utmost pride before collapsing in a fit of nasty coughs. Unable to regain composure, Balsamo went home and tragically left the team to play their final home game of the season bruiser-less.
Despite the absence of the team's shortest enforcer and bringer of doom, Dartmouth hit the ice hard and captured a definitive victory Sunday afternoon over MassBay College. This win marks a four game win streak for Dartmouth, replacing the one from three weeks ago as the new team record.
Dartmouth came out hard, scoring early and often, with Peter Hanbury '03 contributing four goals and two assists, Rusell Daiber'06 a goal and two assists, Samuel Kardon '03 two assists and Jon Webster '04 adding a goal. The Clubbers maintained the upper hand throughout the game until the third period when MassBay tied the game at 6-6.
In a beautifully executed play, Hanbury passed the puck to Josh "Hanbury Never Passes the Puck" Navikonis '04, who then jammed the puck in MassBay's net with only 50 seconds remaining in the game.
A very excited Chris "Tanya Harding" Grieco '03 then put forth his best effort to destroy Hanbury's and Navikonis's efforts by mangling one of his opponents and consequently spending the remainder of the game in the penalty box. Grieco later commented that he was "glad to have the opportunity to both screw over his team and spear someone in the gut in the same play."
Injured forward Julian Saltman '04, working behind the bench with the highly talented Jacques Gerbille, relayed the feelings of Coach Gerbille: "Coach was extremely upset when Grieco was given a two-minute penalty for 'idiocy' with under 30 seconds left in the game, especially since he had received the same penalty the night before." Saltman also commented that Gerbille has a "special place in his French-Canadian heart" for the '03 class, despite the unwillingness of Hanbury to play a single minute of defense in his Dartmouth club hockey career.
Saturday night at Skidmore, the Clubbers were subjected to a much less gratifying finish when an embittered old man, claiming to be the zamboni driver, walked onto the ice with 31.8 seconds remaining in the one-goal game and began to physically remove the goals. Heedless of the pleas, curses, and threats that came his way, this indignant man continued with his business and effectively ended the game before time had officially run out. Fortunately, Dartmouth had a 7-6 lead over Skidmore and another win was added to head coach Jacques Gerbille's illustrious career.
Dartmouth dominated Skidmore early on, with Hanbury scoring five of the team's goals. Roy Small and Eric "Chenner" Chen '06 each scored a goal for themselves, with Chen adding a crushing hit of such brutal force along the boards that the glass broke.
Skidmore began to slowly creep back throughout the second half of the game. Thanks partly to Small's two penalties, both of which Dartmouth ineffectively killed, Skidmore managed to tie it at 6-6 during the third period. With only 54 seconds remaining, Hanbury received the puck from goaltender Charles "Chucker" Rosenwasser '06, skated the length of the ice and past all opponents, and buried it in Skidmore's net, effectively "winning" the game for the Clubbers.
The game, unfortunately, marked the end of Rosenwasser's record-breaking 71 consecutive-minute shutout-streak, when Skidmore squeaked their first goal by him on a well-executed two-on-zero breakaway. Rosenwasser now claims to "hold the title of longest streak without giving up a goal." He also has the title of most arrogant freshman.
Sunday's game marked the final home game for the team's seniors. Hanbury will graduate as the all-time leading scorer in club hockey history with 569 goals and 3 assists. His famed jersey, number 19, will be retired and inconspicuously hung from the rafters of Thompson Arena, assuring inspiration in all future club players and confusion in all future varsity players and their spectators. Grieco will also graduate with his own impressive record as the team's career-leading strawberry daiquiri consumer, with one consumed.
