Hanover
The Big Green’s 8-4 defeat of No. 6 Harvard marked the first time this season it has won consecutive games. In addition, freshmen Shane Sellar, Ryan Blankemeier and Charlie Michalowksi all scored their first collegiate goals, and classmate Adrian Clark made 14 saves in relief to earn his first collegiate victory.
The result came before an announced crowd of only 1,579, but it was an important step in a big week for Dartmouth. The Big Green, which scored the game’s last five goals, hosts Yale on Friday and Brown on Saturday in its second and third consecutive Ivy League games. They will also be the team’s fourth and fifth ECAC contests in nine days.
The Big Green trailed by 2-0 and 4-3 scores Tuesday, and coach Bob Gaudet yanked goaltender Devin Buffalo with 13 minutes remaining in the second period after the junior allowed his fourth goal on 12 shots.
Buffalo had played 88 percent of his team’s minutes before the Harvard game, but when a slapshot from the left point sailed under the crossbar for the Crimson’s fourth tally and its second on as many shots in a minute and 21 seconds, the Albertan got the hook for the third time this season. Harvard netminder Merrick Madsen, pulled after the sixth goal, entered the night having played 97 percent of his team’s minutes this season, the highest such mark in the ECAC.
“The goals happened pretty quickly, one after another, and you never know, so you have to always be ready,” said Clark, a Toronto native who had a six-minute relief stint at St. Lawrence and a 45-minute one at Vermont earlier this season before starting last weekend in a loss at No. 11 Union. “I was trying to get fired up and be explosive and ready to make any kind of save.
“At first, the play was kind of away, up ice, so that gave me some time to stretch. Harvard shoots from anywhere, and I wanted to get that first save out of the way, to feel the puck and get mentally into the game.”
Said Gaudet: “Buff’s a good goalie and so is their kid, but it was a tough night, for whatever reason. The pucks were flying in. We hung in there when we got down and found a way, and I thought we got better as the game progressed.”
Harvard, ranked No. 2 in the country last week, opened the scoring during the 14th minute and doubled its lead a minute later when a puck thrown out of the corner to Buffalo’s left caromed in off a Dartmouth skate. Troy Crema pulled the Big Green within 2-1 just 26 seconds later, however, and Kevan Killistoff and Sellar each scored from between the circles to give the hosts a 3-2 lead four minutes after the first intermission.
Harvard scored twice to chase Buffalo, but Blankemeier and Grant Opperman tallied during the second period’s final five minutes to send their team into the break up, 5-4. The latter of those tallies came after Cam Strong’s rush up the right side and a backhand pass across the lower crease that Opperman, a right-handed shot, somehow redirected high and inside the right post while fighting off a backchecker.
Opperman, a senior, has three goals in his last two games, and Crema has four in his last two outings, two of them into empty nets. Dartmouth’s final goals on Tuesday came from Connor Yau, Crema and Michalowski, the last two into Harvard’s untended twine.
Sellar, who began the game with two assists in 13 college games, had a goal and two assists. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound forward from Carlisle, Pa., just west of Harrisburg, skates with a style that makes it look as if he just dismounted a horse, but he’s been an increasing force of late.
“He’s got a real bowlegged stride, but it’s nothing new for him; he’s been that way his whole life,” Gaudet said with a chuckle. “He may not look like he’s getting from point A to B in a hurry, but he is.
“He’s big and strong and really disciplined. Our strength coach will make him stronger, and he’ll pick up a half a step and he’ll be a 225-pound power forward.”
Dartmouth has climbed to seventh place in the 12-team ECAC and is 7-8-3 overall and 4-5-2 in conference play. Harvard, which has lost three consecutive contests, is fourth in the ECAC at 11-5-1 and 7-4-1.
Yale will arrive on Friday in eighth place at 7-7-3 and 3-5-3, and last-place Brown is 3-13-1 and 2-8.
Notes: Dartmouth entered the game 2-8 when trailing after a period. … The Big Green’s scratches included captain Carl Hesler, who sustained an upper-body injury against Rensselaer last weekend on a play when the opponent delivering the hit was ejected. The junior had played in 85 consecutive contests to start his college career. … Dylan Jopp, a 12-year-old Lyme resident and a goaltender in the Hanover Wild’s house hockey program, made his debut as the flag boy, leading Dartmouth onto the ice and skating a lap while carrying a large banner emblazoned with a block D. … Michigan, New Hampshire and Harvard, all of which traveled to Hanover the day of their games against the Big Green, all lost those contests. The Wolverines had played at Vermont the night before. … Clark’s mask features Dr. Seuss characters painted on it, including the Cat in the Hat and the Lorax. … Alex Jasiek turned 21 on Tuesday, but wasn’t one of Dartmouth’s 12 players with points. … The Big Green have scored a power-play goal in eight consecutive games. … Dartmouth was outshot for the fifth time, but scored on eight of 24 shots (tied for its lowest output of the season), while Harvard tallied four times on 26 shots. … The last time Harvard surrendered eight goals came during a loss to visiting Dartmouth in November 2010. … Madsen played his junior hockey for the fabulously named Minot (N.D.) Minotaurs of the North American Hockey League. … Dartmouth’s last eight-goal output came Dec. 14, 2014, during an 8-3 defeat of visiting Sacred Heart. … Senior defenseman Josh Hartley had two assists while playing his 100th Dartmouth game.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.