CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On Friday night in the first battle of color teams this season for the Dartmouth men's hockey team, freshman Eric Robinson had a huge day to help the Big Green defeat the Harvard Crimson, 8-2. The rookie made his collegiate debut in front of a Dartmouth-friendly crowd at Harvard's Bright Hockey Center and he showed he had clearly been missed so far this season by tallying three points on the night.

Back-to-back goals for Dartmouth in the early minutes of the contest had the Big Green setting the tone for the evening. Doug Jones (Marietta, Ga.) tallied his first of the season at 16:58 before Scott Fleming (Plainfield, Ont.) added the second less than ten seconds later. Robinson (Foxboro, Mass.) recorded his first career point with an assist on Jones' goal while Matt Reber (Edina, Minn.) assisted on the second.

While coming out of the box, Robinson set things up for Jones after picking up the puck just outside the box. He skated quickly down, passing across the ice to Jones who put the puck past Kyle Richter through traffic. The second score was almost the same thing as a breakdown by the Crimson allowed Reber to steal the puck and shoot it quickly to Fleming who found a hole and put it past Richter, stick side.

Dartmouth, the third least penalized team in the nation unforunately got whistled for five infractions in the period as the Crimson was able to get one through at 5:24 on a power play strike as the third time proved to be the charm. The home team had had two power play opportunities with the extra skater prior to the goal and Marshall Everson was finally able to make the Big Green pay.

James Mello (Rehoboth, Mass.) came up huge several times as the nation's leading goalie made 14 saves in the opening frame, including four late in the period when Harvard was putting tremendous pressure on net with the extra skater.

Robinson gave the Big Green a two-goal lead at 16:11 when he took a shot from between the far left circle and the boards. The puck was shot on an angle as it sailed over Richter's shoulder and chased the senior netminder from the net. Classmate Ryan Carroll came on in relief for the Crimson as Nick Walsh (Shannonville, Ont.) picked up the assist.

Robinson and Walsh teamed up again for another goal at 4:45 of the second. Robinson came down the left side and shot on Carroll as the puck was rebounded out to Walsh at the right side of the net. Walsh shot quickly on the netminder, never giving him time to react as the puck sailed over his shoulder to put the Big Green back up by two. Jim Gaudet (Etna, N.H.) got the second assist on the play for his first point of the season.

Dartmouth took its biggest lead of the night early in the third period after Evan Stephens' (Bessemer, Mich.) shot bounced out to Walsh as the junior had the put-back for his second of the night. Matt Lindblad (Winnetka, Ill.) gave the Big Green its first power play goal of the night when he scored his team-leading third of the season at 8:45. Adam Estoclet (Orono, Minn.) took a shot that was saved to Jones. Jones put a shot on Carroll, that was tipped up and over by Lindblad as the team's leading scorer had his second point of the evening.

Dustin Walsh (Shannonville, Ont.) gave the Big Green another goal of the night at 4:56 with assists going to Lindblad and Kyle Reeds (St. Louis, Mo.). The final tally went to Nick Walsh on the power play giving Dartmouth its most goals in a game this season.

Harvard, who had tallied just one power play goal six games into the season, recorded two on the night and was 2-for-8 on the night while Dartmouth also went 2-for-8. The Big Green finished with 45 shots to the Crimson's 27 as Mello recorded 25 saves. Richter and Caroll combined for 37 saves Harvard.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow night in Hanover for a 7 p.m. tilt.