ECAC Hockey

January 9, 2009

Yale Comeback Falls Short

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Last year in Hanover, No. 8 Dartmouth let a two-goal lead vs. Yale slip away and had to settle for a 3-3 tie. The Big Green did not let history repeat itself Friday night at Ingalls Rink After Yale rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game, Dartmouth went back ahead on a goal by forward Kelly Foley midway through the second. The Big Green then tacked on two goals late in the third for a 5-2 win.

Foley had a goal and two assists for Dartmouth, which also got 28 saves from Carli Clemis. Sophomore forward Bray Ketchum had a goal and an assist for the Bulldogs, while sophomore goalie Jackee Snikeris made 39 saves.

The first goal by Dartmouth (10-5-2, 8-3-2 ECAC Hockey) involved an extensive discussion amongst the officials. Defenseman Moira Scanlon's high shot from the point was deflected by forward Reagan Fischer in front and fluttered past Snikeris, but the question was whether Fischer had high-sticked on the play. After several anxious moments for both teams the officials decided to allow the goal.

Dartmouth extended the lead three minutes later. After a save by Clemis, Scanlon quickly got the puck out of the Dartmouth zone and fed forward Amanda Trunzo, who carried it low in the right circle. Trunzo got the puck across to forward Maggie Kennedy, whose shot was stopped, but forward Sarah Parsons was able to push the rebound past a sprawled-out Snikeris to make it 2-0.

Yale (7-8-0, 3-5-0 ECAC Hockey) crept closer at 13:01 thanks to a great pass from its own zone. Ketchum got the puck in the corner from senior defenseman Helen Resor behind the Yale net. Ketchum then fired the puck across the ice and into the neutral zone, hitting forward Maggie Westfal in stride behind the Dartmouth defense. Westfal calmly skated in a beat Clemis high on her glove side.

After Snikeris denied a breakway attempt for Trunzo five minutes into the second, the Bulldogs tied the game when senior forward Danielle Kozlowski got the puck out of the Yale zone and across the ice to freshman forward Aleca Hughes, who skated around one Dartmouth player en route to the net. Clemis denied Hughes' wrister but Ketchum was there to put in the rebound at 7:09 of the second.

Foley put the Big Green back in front at 10:43 of the second, backhanding in a pass from behind the net by forward Sarah Toupal. Clemis kept the Bulldogs at bay 90 seconds later by gloving a hard shot from Ketchum with freshman forward Becky Mantell camped out waiting for the rebound.

Dartmouth had a golden chance to extend its lead a minute into the third when a blocked Yale shot wound up on the stick of forward Marley McMillan for a breakaway. But Snikeris stayed with her to make the save, and also gloved a tough shot by forward Shannon Bowman 15 seconds later.

A wrister by Westfal with 17:30 to play hit the post, and after that the Bulldogs had their offensive momentum stymied by having to kill off two penalties in a span of four minutes. A penalty on the Big Green with 5:36 left gave Yale a crucial power play, but a nice save by Clemis on a shot in front by senior forward Danielle Kozlowski kept the Bulldogs from getting the equalizer.

Dartmouth pulled away with two goals in the final 2:28, as Fischer stuffed in a rebound and Bowman took advantage of a 2-on-1. That snapped a streak of seven straight third periods in which Yale had held its opponent scoreless.

With the win, Dartmouth remains in first place in the ECAC Hockey standings. Yale slips into ninth, as Quinnipiac's tie at Union moved the Bobcats a point ahead of the Bulldogs and Colgate.

Yale hosts Harvard Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Alumnae Weekend festivities have been postponed due to potentially inclement weather.