WORCESTER, Mass. — Dartmouth men’s hockey historic season came to a close on Thursday night as the Big Green were unable to generate enough offense and fell to the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA Division I men’s hockey tournament regional semifinals, 5-1, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.
With the game tied 1-1 in the third period, it was the Badgers, after mounting chance after chance, who finally broke through to take a 2-1 lead on a backhanded goal from senior Jack Horbach that snuck past Big Green junior goaltender Emmett Croteau with 10:13 remaining in regulation.
Less than five minutes later, Badgers’ senior Simon Tassy scored his second goal of the night to put Wisconsin up 3-1.
The Badgers added two empty-netters in the contest’s waning minutes to make the final margin. Wisconsin outshot Dartmouth 26-14.
“Everything they were doing was frustrating,” said Dartmouth Head Coach Reid Cashman.
Particularly the Badgers’ ability to slow down Dartmouth offensively, as the Big Green mustered just 14 shots on goal in the contest.
“We could not get inside the dots in the offensive zone,” he added. “We needed to be better certainly, but it wasn’t a lack of desire by our group. We needed to get those second and third opportunities and did not get inside the dots nearly enough.”
Despite the loss, Cashman was proud of what his squad accomplished this year, namely its first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 1980 and the program’s first ECAC title.
On top of that, he was hopeful for what this kind of success could mean for the program going forward.
“It changes the trajectory, it raises the standard, it’ll force me to be a better coach,” he said. “I’m walking out of here proud, full of gratitude, but there’ll be a little chip on our shoulder — Wisconsin earned the win — but we’re capable of winning games in the NCAA tournament.”
It was the Big Ten’s Badgers, who advance to face conference foes Michigan State in the Regional final, who drew first blood on Thursday.
They took advantage of a too many men on the ice penalty on the Big Green and grabbed a 1-0 lead just under three minutes into the game on a goal from Tassy, who was camped out in the crease and pushed a rebound past Croteau.
Wisconsin threatened to extend its lead just a few minutes later, but the Big Green were saved by the post on a shot from junior Quinn Finley.
Seven minutes into the first period, Dartmouth had yet to get a shot on net. That would change in short order as senior Cam MacDonald had an opportunity with a wide-open net off a nice feed from sophomore Hank Cleaves. But the puck deflected off a post and the goalie’s stick, which redirected it away from the net.
But just two and a half minutes later, Cleaves took matters into his own hands and buried a shot past Badgers’ freshman goalie Daniel Hauser to tie the game at one goal apiece.
The stalemate would last through the remainder of the first period despite the Big Green having a power play opportunity of their own.
The contest remained tied through the second frame as well, but both teams certainly had their chances.
Just over two minutes into the frame, the Badgers took a hooking penalty, but the Big Green’s power play was unable to capitalize.
Wisconsin ramped up the pressure midway through the frame, hit posts again twice, including on a wide-open net after the puck took a funky bounce off the back of the cage.
The Badgers also had their own chance to take a lead on a power play with about seven minutes remaining, but they too were unable to find the back of the net.
The Big Green had another chance on special teams in the period after a Wisconsin too many men on the ice penalty, but as with their previous power play chances, Dartmouth could not break through.
“Overall, it lacked consistency, and that’s on me as a coach,” Cashman said of his team’s power play. “We have too much talent, these kids care too much for our power play not to be better — you don’t need to score every one, but you need to create momentum,” he added.
As much as the Big Green tried to hang around in the third period, it was the Badgers who finally broke through against Croteau and scored four unanswered goals, ending what had been perhaps the best season in Dartmouth hockey history.