Dartmouth secured a first-round bye in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference playoffs with its victory against St. Lawrence, which was aided by a Cornell University overtime loss to Brown University.
Friday's game against St. Lawrence marked a historic victory for the Big Green. Captain Scott Fleming '11 and assistant captain Adam Estoclet '11 became the 34th and 35th players, respectively, in Dartmouth history to break the 100-point threshold.
A previously recorded assist by Fleming on Feb. 19 was reversed when the goal was reviewed on Monday, negating what was originally believed to be his 100th point.
The Big Green seized an early lead after Nick Walsh '12 stole the puck at center ice and passed it forward to Doug Jones '12. Jones sent it to Eric Robinson '14, who put the puck over the head of St. Lawrence junior goalie Robby Moss to give his team a 1-0 advantage.
Although the Big Green outshot the Saints in the first period, 14-2, Dartmouth could not capitalize to increase its advantage.
After St. Lawrence scored the equalizer five minutes into the second period, the Big Green quickly responded. Evan Stephens '11 shot off Moss' pads, and Jones capitalized on the rebound to make the score 2-1.
"They are a very good team," head coach Bob Gaudet said, adding that he is close friends with St. Lawrence coach Joe Marsh. "I know [St. Lawrence] is very well coached and is always just one play away from tying the game, no matter how many shots they have."
The Saints tied the game again just 13 seconds into a Dartmouth power play.
Fleming pocketed his 100th point with less than six minutes to play in the game when he picked up an assist on a goal by Estoclet. The goal gave the Big Green a late advantage.
"It means a lot to finally get 100 and especially to do it in the same night as [Estoclet]," Fleming said. "We have played most of our careers here at Dartmouth together, and it just seems fitting that we would both get it in the same night."
Controversy erupted with less than one minute to play in the game when the Saints surrounded Dartmouth goalie James Mello '12, rocketing shot after shot. The puck was eventually cleared after several St. Lawrence players argued the puck had crossed the plane of the goal, which would have tied the game.
The Big Green took advantage of the situation and Fleming assisted on another Estoclet goal, giving Estoclet his 100th career point. The play went to video replay, which was inconclusive and the call on the ice stood. The Big Green held on to secure the victory.
"It was great to get the 100th point, especially the same night as [Fleming]," Estoclet said. "It was also great to get those two points, and get a little confidence back after a rough weekend against [Colgate University] and Cornell."
The weekend marked the last game for nine Dartmouth seniors, and was celebrated as senior weekend.
The Big Green did not fare as well against Clarkson on Saturday.
Dartmouth got on the board first, when a centering pass from Jones found Fleming, who put the puck behind Clarkson junior goaltender Paul Karpowich. Clarkson tied the game midway through the first period with a goal from senior Brandon DeFazio.
The score remained tied until the third period, as both teams failed to convert on several scoring opportunities.
Clarkson then tallied three unanswered goals in the final frame, including an empty-netter that capped its victory.
"We played hard and had a couple of excellent opportunities," Gaudet said. "It was really a back and forth game, and we blinked and they scored."
Despite the loss, the Big Green secured the first-round bye and home-ice for the second round of the playoffs.
It is the first season since the 2006-2007 campaign that the Big Green have earned a bye and the home-ice advantage.
Dartmouth will next play the winner of the series between seventh-seeded Clarkson and 10th-seeded Harvard University in two weeks. The game will be a best-of-three series, with the winner advancing to the conference semifinals in Atlantic City, N.J.
The home-ice advantage will help the Big Green in multiple ways, Gaudet said. Thompson Arena has seating for over 4,500 Dartmouth fans and supporters, who are often a major factor in playoff hockey.
The Big Green has performed well at home in big games this season, including a 4-1 thumping against Princeton in front of a sellout crowd on Feb. 12 and a strong performance against previously first-ranked Yale University on Jan. 7.
The Big Green has fared well against Clarkson and Harvard (9-19-1, 7-14-1 ECAC) this season. Although Dartmouth lost to Clarkson on Saturday, the Big Green trumped the Golden Knights, 7-1, on Nov. 12. Six different Dartmouth players scored in the game.
The Big Green has defeated the Crimson twice this season, including an 8-2 victory at Harvard on Nov. 26. Walsh netted Dartmouth's only hat-trick of the season in the game.
Dartmouth also beat Harvard, 5-2, in Hanover on Nov. 27.
Dartmouth finished the regular season in third place in the ECAC standings, behind Union College and Yale University.
