Polacek's Hat Trick Not Enough at Dartmouth

Photo by Sara Melikian

HANOVER, N.H. - Junior Chase Polacek had a natural hat trick in the second period but it wasn't enough as the Dartmouth men's hockey team stormed back with three goals in the third period, including the final two in less than a minute, for a 4-3 victory.  Freshman Bryce Merriam, who entered the game in the second period for an injured Allen York, suffered the loss for the Engineers, who remain in fourth place in the league standings. 

Troy Mattila and Joe Gaudet  provided the heroics with the tying and winning goals for the Big Green.

A pressure-filled first period had both sides testing each goalie early. Dartmouth was able to find an answer for York with 00:48 left in the first period to take a 1-0 lead. Kyle Reeds won the faceoff and passed back to linemate Andrew Owsiak. Owsiak drew York to the left side of the cage before quickly passing across to Reeds. The junior forward went top-shelf for his fifth goal of the season. Somehow on that play, York was injured and had to be helped from the ice as Merriam came on in relief.

The Big Green came out in the second period and kept the puck in the RPI end for almost 10:00 but the Engineers were able to get the puck out at 16:09, tying the game. Polacek secured a Jerry D'Amigo rebound to put back behind Jody O'Neill (Nepean, Ont.) for the equalizer.

Skating 5-on-3, Polacek roofed the puck over O'Neill for the go-ahead goal at 11:29. With Dartmouth just back to full strength the Engineers struck again to take a 3-1 lead as Polacek recorded a hat trick. O'Neill made the initial save and got the puck out front with several of his teammates teaming up with a save but it wasn't enough as the net was left open for the Rensselaer junior.

The Big Green got one back early in the third when Paul Lee and Nick Walsh teamed up for the strike. Lee and Walsh fought for the puck along the boards with Lee finally coming up with it. He skated down, dangling back to Walsh as the sophomore lifted it over Merriam on his stick side.

Dartmouth got a huge break midway through the frame when Jerry D'Amigo was issued a game misconduct and left the ice, putting the Big Green on a five-minute power play. Dartmouth was able to produce several shots on net with Doug Jones and Estoclet both trying for the tying goal. Even with almost seven shots on net, the Big Green was unable to get the goal needed during the extended extra-man chance.

At 17:22, Dartmouth finally got the goal it needed when Mattila got the puck and lifted it over Merriam's head for his first goal of the season and the goal that tied the contest at 3-3.  Less than a minute later Gaudet gave his team its first lead since the opening frame. He passed across ice to Owsiak in the bottom corner. Owsiak passed quickly back to the senior as Gaudet slammed it home.

O'Neill got the win for the Big Green and finished with 27 saves while Merriam and York combined for 35. The victory gives Dartmouth a 7-17-1 overall record, 5-12-1 in ECAC Hockey while Rensselaer falls to 16-13-3, 9-7-2 in the ECAC.