Hanover
The result called to mind unhappy memories of last season, when Dartmouth twice lost by the same score. The first of those routs was during the season opener against visiting Harvard, and the latter was a fiasco at Michigan, although the Big Green rallied for a 1-1 tie with the host Wolverines a night later.
Coach Bob Gaudet is no doubt hoping for a similar rebound after Friday, when his team surrendered the opening goal during the seventh minute and trailed by four at the second intermission. It was an almost complete-opposite performance from Tuesday’s 8-4 home pounding of No. 6 Harvard.
“It was one of those nights where nothing we did turned out well,” said Gaudet, whose team was outshot, 31-22. “We just could not catch a pass or move the puck.
“It wasn’t close, so I’m not going to be puling my hair out thinking it was this play or that play. It was a lot of plays. We just have to put this one behind us.”
Charlie Curti had two goals and two assists for Yale, which improved to 8-7-3 overall an 4-5-2 in ECAC play. The Bulldogs gained a measure of revenge for Dartmouth sweeping them out of the conference quarterfinals last season, dropping the Big Green to 7-9-3, 4-6-2 and leapfrogging into seventh place in the 12-team standings.
Gone was the emotion evident in Tuesday’s victory. Dartmouth was also playing its fourth game in eight days, which Gaudet said factored into the outcome.
“We played like a tired team tonight,” he said. “It’s been a tough schedule, but we have to find a way.
“You’re going to get whacked sometimes, and it’s not the end of the world.”
Dartmouth freshman Adrian Clark started in goal and was pulled with 15 minutes remaining and after allowing six goals on 24 shots. Third-string netminder Dean Shatzer played the rest of the way because top dog Devin Buffalo suffered a minor injury this week in practice.
Yale’s Patrick Spano made 22 saves to earn the shutout. Mitchell Smith, John Hayden, Billy Sweezey, Andrew Gaus and John Baiocco also scored for the Bulldogs.
“It will be good to learn from this in the long term,” Gaudet said. “It’s about learning and growth.”
Last-place Brown (3-14-1, 2-9) arrives at Thompson tonight. Dartmouth has scored six or more goals against the Bears during each of the teams’ last four meetings.
Notes: Yale, which hit three posts, played without junior Ryan Hitchcock, who had 16 assists and 19 points when a recent broken leg sidelined him. … Dartmouth’s only lineup change from Tuesday’s defeat of Harvard was the return of defenseman Tim Shoup, who played for the first time in nine games after overcoming a lower-body injury. Karan Toor sat out to make room. … Yale leads the teams’ series 111-92-15. … The Big Green’s eight goals vs. Harvard are the most in an ECAC game this season.