Three Teams Sweep Weekend Competition
Vermont takes over top spot
ALBANY, N.Y. -- The weekend saw three ECAC Hockey League teams sweep their league opponents, and Friday was all about the road team, as all six games were won by the traveling squad. The University of Vermont was one of the teams to sweep, and in doing so moved into first place in the latest league standings. It's still early, but this year's league race is expected to come down to the wire, so every point from here on out is crucial.
Vermont earned its sweep in high style, by shutting out both Union (4-0) and Rensselaer (3-0). The back-to-back shutouts were a first for the Catamounts since joining the Division I ranks during the 1974-75 season. Vermont and the Dutchmen had entered the weekend tied for second place and the Cats were a force, scoring in each frame. Talented rookie netminder Joe Fallon earned the victory after making 15 saves in the game. Teammate Travis Russell took over against the Engineers, and stopped the 16 shots he faced. With 12 more games to go, the Catamounts have already surpassed their league point total from last year (16) and are 12-2-3 in the last 17 games. Freshman Mike Arcieri claimed Rookie of the Week honors after picking up a goal (the game winner vs. Union) and two assists in the wins.
Colgate also earned a road sweep, taking Brown and Harvard over the weekend. Goaltender of the Week, Steve Silverthorn, stopped 44 of the 46 shots he faced in the two games to help the Raiders swept the Providence-Cambridge trip for the first time since 1998-99. That was also the last time the team won at game at Meehan. Colgate is sitting pretty right now in third place, having played two fewer games than No. 1 Vermont and four fewer games than No. 2 Harvard.
The other team to claim two victories over the weekend was St. Lawrence, which did it with identical 6-4 victories over Princeton and Yale. Senior Stace page claimed Player of the Week honors after picking up seven points in the two contests -- nearly half his point total this year. The 12 goals scored by the Saints are the most for the team in a single weekend series since scoring 14 in a February 2003 sweep of Princeton and Yale. The weekend games also marked the third time this season the Saints have scored six in a game.
Teams that split their games over the weekend include Cornell, Dartmouth Harvard, Union, Clarkson and Yale. The Big Red earned its win over Brown before falling in a hard-fought defensive battle with Harvard. The Crimson snapped a five-game losing streak vs. the Big Red with the 1-0 win. Dartmouth started the weekend with a 9-1 victory over Rensselaer before Union took Saturday's game 1-0. The Dutchmen's winning goal was the first collegiate marker by rookie Jake Schwan. The Golden Knights started their weekend off with a solid 3-2 win over Princeton before Yale exacted revenge for a loss to the Knights the week before in Wisconsin. The Bulldogs fought their way to a 2-1 victory Saturday night.
This week has just six league games on tap, but they are sure to be exciting. Colgate and Cornell travel to the N.Y. Capital District to take on Union and Rensselaer, while Clarkson and St. Lawrence and Dartmouth and Vermont will square off in rival games.
Non-conference games have Yale playing host to Boston College and then traveling to New Hampshire; Brown will take on American International; and Dartmouth will also play the Wildcats.
The Dartmouth-UNH matchup is part of the Commissioners' Cup Series, and a Big Green win would give the ECACHL the cup outright (the league has already claimed at least a share), while a loss ties Hockey East for the inaugural challis. That matchup will take place in Manchester, N.H.
Follow all the action with live stats from all the games along with postgame stories and box scores from all the contests online at http://www.ecachockeyleague.com/.
