The last time the Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team faced off against the Dartmouth Big Green, the Bobcats won their fourth game of what would become eight-game winning streak. On Friday night, Dartmouth was involved in another Quinnipiac streak.
But this time Dartmouth got revenge in the form of a 4-3 win over Quinnipiac, continuing the team’s nine-game winless streak.
“We need to play better defensively,” Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold said. “Dartmouth was doing the same thing and giving us opportunities and we’re not finishing.
“We just have some kids not playing well right now. There’s nothing we can do.”
Pecknold also said Dartmouth made an “aggressive move” to switch goalies for the third period. Big Green goaltender James Mello stopped 20 shots in the first two periods, but head coach Bob Gaudet brought in Jody O’Neill to hold on to the lead and it paid off.
Dartmouth and Quinnipiac alternated goals all night long, as Dartmouth was either leading by one or the game was tied.
Three minutes into the first period, Dartmouth took advantage of a Bobcat turnover deep in their own zone, and Dustin Walsh easily slipped a rebound into Quinnipiac’s net.
Forty seconds later Quinnipiac answered when Scott Zurevinski brought the puck behind Dartmouth’s net and centered the puck to Jean-Marc Beaudoin, whose shot was blocked. But the puck conveniently directed to senior forward Eric Lampe, who effortlessly tied the game.
Walsh scored his second goal of the period at the 13:05 mark when he fired a shot past Quinnipiac goaltender Dan Clarke. Quinnipiac’s Spencer Heichman tied the game a little more than five minutes into the second period. Heichman tipped the puck into the net after Loren Barron’s shot.
Two minutes later, Dartmouth’s Evan Stephens placed a one-timer from the point during a power play past Clarke. But Quinnipiac tied it up later in the second period when Russell Goodman scored his second goal of the season.
With 4:27 remaining in regulation, Dartmouth’s Adam Estoclet fired a shot past Clarke and gave Dartmouth a 4-3 lead, the eventual final score.
The Bobcats play their next two games at home. Quinnipiac will square off against Cornell on Friday before hosting Colgate on Saturday. Both games will start at 8 p.m.
