On Dec. 12, Dartmouth faced off against the visiting University of Vermont Catamounts in Thompson Arena in a game that was televised on ESPNU.
The Catamounts (3-10-4, 2-4-3 Hockey East) challenged Dartmouth early, scoring three goals in the first seven minutes of the game and chasing goalie James Mello '12, who held the nation's best goals-against average until recently.
Dartmouth assistant captain Adam Estoclet '11 scored one goal midway through the opening frame. Despite the goal, however, the Big Green entered the second period down 3-1.
During the first intermission, hockey legend and ESPN analyst Barry Melrose interviewed Matthew Lindblad '14 about the season, an experience he termed "really cool."
"I couldn't really focus on the conversation, because we were in a really tight game with Vermont and that was what was on my mind first and foremost," Lindblad said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
The Catamounts' offensive pressure showed no sign of letting up after the break, and the team scored again in the opening minutes of the second period.
Although down, the Big Green was far from out, as Nick Walsh '12 scored consecutive goals late in the period to bring his team back within striking distance.
Estoclet then notched his second goal of the game to even the score as the Big Green skated into the third and final period of play.
Less than two minutes into the third, Lindblad knocked in a rebound in front of the Catamounts' goal to give the Big Green its first lead of the game.
UVM's last offensive push proved to be too much for the Big Green, however. The Catamounts scored two goals midway through the third period and defeated Dartmouth, 6-5.
The Big Green was back in action against Mercyhurst College in the opening round of the Ledyard Hockey Classic, an annual tournament that was hosted in Hanover last week.
Although the Big Green went ahead after a goal from Matt Reber '11 late in the first period, Mercyhurst (7-10-2, 5-7-0 AHA) blitzed Dartmouth with four goals in the second frame.
Reber countered with another goal late in the second period, but the Big Green entered the final frame facing a two-goal deficit.
In the third period, Estoclet and captain Scott Fleming '11 each notched a goal to tie the game at 4-4, forcing the two teams into a five-minute overtime period.
While regulation college hockey games end after the overtime period, ending in a tie if neither team scores, the tournament rules dictate that one team must win and advance, so the match-up went into a shoot-out after an inconclusive period.
The Lakers bested the Big Green in the shoot-out and advanced to the championship match where they played the fourth-ranked Boston College, sending Dartmouth to a consolation match-up against the Colgate College Raiders.
"A shoot-out is just one of those things that could really go either way, and we came up on the short end of things," Lindblad said.
The Big Green was forced to mount another come-from-behind attempt against Colgate (3-14-1, 0-5-1 ECAC), falling behind by two goals early in the game.
Dartmouth's offense came alive, however, as Dustin Walsh '13, Fleming and Estoclet each tallied a goal to give the Big Green a one-goal advantage.
The Raiders capitalized on a Dartmouth penalty to bring the game to a 3-3 tie and send the match-up to overtime, but the Big Green came out on top following a Joe Stejskal '11 game-winning shot. The goal was Stejskal's first of the season.
Big Green hockey has a full weekend ahead, taking on Yale University this Friday at 7 p.m. followed by a match-up with the Brown University Bears on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Thompson Arena.
"Yale is an absolutely fabulous team, they have so much offensive skill, but their defense is also really good," Head Coach Bob Gaudet said. "It is going to take an A-plus effort but I think our boys can do it. We are also playing a very tough Brown team. They are the best they have been in a very long time and it will be a good game."
