Dartmouth Drops Game at Yale

Photo by DSPics.com

NEW HAVEN, Conn. ­ Despite taking an early two-goal lead the Dartmouth men's  
hockey team dropped a close league game to Yale on Friday night at Ingalls Rink.  
James Mello (Rehoboth, Mass.) recorded a career-high 47 saves in the loss. The  
4-2 score was the same the Bulldogs had in a victory over Dartmouth earlier this  
season.

Despite intense pressure form Yale in the early goings of the first period it  
was Dartmouth that struck first at 14:16. Adam Estoclet (Orono, Minn.) streaked  
down ice with the puck taking a shot on netminder Nick Maricic that was saved  
out to the right side of the cage. Scott Fleming (Plainfield, Ont.) was there  
to put a turnaround shot on net that snuck between Maricic and the post. Danny  
Markowitz (Jericho, N.Y.) picked up his third assist of the season on the goal.

The Big Green added another one at 7:16 as the two sides were skating four-on-four  
hockey. Andrew Owsiak (Moose Jaw, Sask.) brought the puck down, skating stride  
for stride with linemate Kyle Reeds (St. Louis, Mo.). Owsiak passed over to Reeds  
at Maricic followed Owsiak on the play and Reeds was able to put the puck past  
the freshman goaltender for the score.

Despite having only nine shots to Yale's 19 at the end of the first period, it  
was the Big Green that carried a lead into the first break. Dartmouth is 5-1 on  
the season when leading after the first period.

Billy Blase began the second stanza for the Bulldogs in net. Mello, between the  
pipes for the Big Green was huge to start the second as the sophomore prevented  
two sure Yale goals with incredible athleticism as Yale was buzzing all over the  
Dartmouth end.

The Bulldogs finally got on the board at 13:44 when Mark Arcobello stripped Matt  
Reber (Edina, Minn.) of the puck and skated in alone on Mello for a shorthanded  
goal.

Things got interesting at 10:35 when Yale was awarded a penalty shot after Jim  
Gaudet (Etna, N.H.) tripped up Broc Little as he skated in on Mello. Little tied  
the contest at 2-2 with that penalty shot as he faked Mello out and put the puck  
behind him.

Yale took the lead for the first time in the game at 2:24 of the second as Dartmouth  
had a player in the box serving a 5:00 penalty. Little converted a Denny Kearney  
pass for the go-ahead strike.

The two teams played fairly evenly throughout the third period. The Big Green  
had several chances but couldn't seem to get the puck past Blase as easily as  
it got past Maricic.

Mello continued to come up huge for Dartmouth as he made three saves in a row  
midway through the final stanza in the waning minutes of two penalties that had  
the teams skating four-on-four.

Yale recorded its second power play goal at 2:53 when Sean Backman roofed the  
puck up and over Mello. The goal was reviewed and determined that the goal crossed  
over just enough to give the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead.

Mello finished the contest with a career-high 47 saves as Blase finished with  
18 and Maricic had seven.

The loss drops the Big Green to 6-16 overall, 4-11 in the ECAC while Yale improves  
to 14-10-2, 8-6 in the league. Dartmouth will be back in action Saturday afternoon  
at Brown. Game time is slated for 4:00 pm.