Early in December, the team made its annual visit to the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth to donate gifts for a toy drive. Eric Robinson '14 said the drive was a great experience for the team and that all the time the team spent together over break helped bring the team closer.
"Having the opportunity to give back to the community and participate in something like the toy drive is great," Robinson said. "Over break, we practiced a lot, watched movies, played video games together and really built team chemistry. Each player and every line is developing an identity, which is going to be key in being successful."
Before the team's shortened winter break, the Big Green faced Sacred Heart University on Dec. 11, defeating the Pioneers, 4-1. Head coach Bob Gaudet '81 said he thought the team played exceptionally well in the game despite having taken finals the previous week.
"Usually during that week in the season, the team falls a step behind, and we have to get back in shape for the next game," he said. "I'm very proud of how hard the team played coming out of exams."
The hockey team continued its strong play in the Ledyard National Bank Classic, a four-team tournament held at Thompson Arena in Hanover on Dec. 30 and 31. In its first game in tournament play, the Big Green beat a strong College of the Holy Cross team, 3-2. The win was the 1000th for the Big Green program, a milestone that took 106 seasons to achieve.
Gaudet, who played hockey for the Big Green, said he has always had strong feelings for Dartmouth and its hockey program.
"I have been a part of this program for a long time, as both a player and a coach," Gaudet said. "This milestone is a blessing and a great thing for the community, and for the team, it is something that is much bigger than us, as we are representing many people who came and played before us. It really shows the breadth of Dartmouth hockey."
The Big Green moved on to play in Saturday's championship game, where it fell short against St. Lawrence, who beat Dartmouth in a shootout after the teams ended regulation tied 2-2. The Saints outscored Dartmouth 3-2 in the shootout despite the best efforts of goalie Cab Morris '14, who was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Despite the loss, the Big Green ended the year in a positive manner, as Morris was awarded the ECAC Hockey Goalie of the Month in December. Morris was injured for much of his freshman season and only was able to start once, but he has posted a 1.62 GAA and a .938 save percentage to go with 75 total saves in three starts this season.
"[Morris] is part of an excellent goalie group, which also consists of James Mello '12 and Jody O'Neill '12," Gaudet said. "This season, [Morris] is working hard and diligently, and has a goal every practice. He played great in the tournament, came up with big saves, and it's an honor that he was recognized."
The Big Green plays Rensselaer in Troy, N.Y. tonight at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on the NBC Sports Network. Gaudet said that practice is going to be key for the upcoming game.
"In Division-I hockey there is always a very small margin for error," Gaudet said. "We have to have great attitude and work ethic and give it our best in order to beat Rensselaer."
Robinson hopes that the team will be able to continue its stretch of strong play this weekend.
"We have a very young team and sometimes because of that it's difficult to get off to a good start," Robinson said. "Now that the young players have gained some college experience and matured, I'm excited at the possibility to start off the year well."
Gaudet said that the team's goals have not changed from the start of the season they still want to compete for the national, Ivy League, and ECAC championships but he stressed the importance of staying focused and taking everything one step at a time.
"With about 20 games left, there's only so much time we'll have left together as a team," Gaudet said. "The games are going to come fast and furious. With the team's closeness, camaraderie and friendships, we want to make the most out of the time we have left, and give everything we have to represent the College."
Upon returning from their New York road trip this weekend, the Big Green will play three more games away from home over the next three weeks before returning to Thompson Arena for a two-game homestand beginning on Jan. 27.
