The turning point in the game was an empty-net goal by the Saints with just eight minutes to play, after the third-period replacement of goaltender Mike Devine '08 with backup goaltender Dan Goulding '09.
St. Lawrence University (9-9-3, 4-4-2 ECAC) led 4-1 at the end of the second, before Evan Stephens '11 pulled Dartmouth (6-8-1, 3-7-1 ECAC) back into the game with two goals in four minutes.
Big Green was soon denied its opportunity, however, when the Saints followed the empty-net goal with three shorthanded goals in less then five minutes in the third period, putting the game out of Dartmouth's reach.
The Saints offense was led by sophomore Travis Vermeulen, whose hat trick led to the lopsided win over Dartmouth at home in a game that was nationally televised on ESPNU.
"It was a rough game, pretty unacceptable" captain Nick Johnson '08 said. "It was kind of embarrassing."
After getting back in the game 3-4, the Big Green coaching staff pulled Devine earlier than conventional coaching wisdom would suggest with eight minutes left in the third.
"[Devine] could have played a little better. He wasn't as sharp as his last game," Johnson said, before saying of Goulding: "He was pretty good for a bit, then we left him dry."
After the game's first shorthanded goal by the Saints following Devine's replacement, Vermeulen followed with two more shorthanded goals, earning himself his first collegiate hat trick.
The game began with a dangerous shot fired in by Joe Gaudet '10 early in the first, followed by a goal by J.T. Wyman '08, his tenth goal of the season. Wyman's score came off a restart shot that deflected off of the skates of a St. Lawrence player into the back of the net.
St. Lawrence responded immediately, asVermuelen took a shot off the rebound of a diving save by Devine, sliding the puck in past the glove of the Big Green's scrambling goalie. Quickly, St. Lawrence gained the lead to put themselves ahead 2-1.
The period came to a close with a big save by Mike Devine, who immediately shut down the Saints' rebound shot.
Dartmouth was given a scoring chance early in the second period as the puck slid across the Saints' open net with goaltender Alex Petizian out of position. However, no Big Green player could get his stick on the bouncing puck before it was cleared by the St. Lawrence defense.
The Saints then used the game's first power play opportunity to gain a 3-1 lead off of a rebound on a save by Devine.
St. Lawrence increased their lead to 4-1 when junior Matt Generous beat the Dartmouth defense and faking left, forced Devine out of position while firing the puck into the right side of the net.
Early in the third period, Stephens fired two shots past St. Lawrence goalie Alex Petizian in just four minutes and 28 seconds, putting the Big Green in a position to retake control of the game. Stephens' second goal, however, was the only Big Green power play opportunity of five that Dartmouth was able to capitalize on.
Devine finished the game with 19 saves while Goulding racked up five. The Saints' Petizian had 27.
The Big Green will be back in action when they travel to face perennial powerhouse Boston University Tuesday, Jan. 15.
