Dartmouth 4 - Colgate 1

By Dave Sherzer

HAMILTON, N.Y. - A note of caution to the rest of the ECAC - Dartmouth is finally figuring out how to earn points on the road.

Colgate found that out Saturday night, as the Big Green stormed into Starr Rink and left with a 4-1 win, ending the Red Raiders' four-game winning streak and completing a successful three-point weekend for the visitors from the Granite State.

Right winger Chris Baldwin scored the game-winner, netting what might have been Dartmouth's prettiest goal of the season when he danced across the blueline and flipped the puck over rookie goalie David Cann's glove early in the second period.

The goal gave Baldwin eight points in the last eight games, and the win gave Dartmouth (12-10-3, 9-6-3 ECAC) some confidence heading into a crucial date with Princeton and Yale next weekend.

"Tonight's game was huge for us," said Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet. "This is traditionally a very tough place for us to play, so it does give us a little confidence as far as being a good team on the road."

After an even first period, the turning point was a stretch early in the middle frame when the Big Green netted two goals in a two-minute, 12-second span.

From there, Dartmouth displayed its characteristic strong defense and goaltending as it completed a sweep of the season series with Colgate (9-17-4, 7-10-1 ECAC).

In net, sophomore Nick Boucher made 29 saves, and has now permitted just three goals in the last four games.

"I thought we did a really good job defensively," said Gaudet, whose team is unbeaten in its last four games. "Our penalty kill was outstanding, [Boucher] was great and I thought our defensemen were fantastic all night. They really forced the issue."

Near the end of the first period, senior tri-captain Michael Byrne continued his recent hot streak to give the Big Green the early advantage.

From the left circle, the left winger lofted a high shot on net that caromed off Cann's blocker and bounced between the pipes, good for Byrne's fourth goal of the season and his fifth point in the last six games.

Early in the second period, the Big Green boosted its lead to 3-0 in a hurry.

After Baldwin netted the game-winner, rookie defenseman P.J. Martin got into the act on the power play, one-timing a Frank Nardella pass past Cann (11 saves) for his first of the season.

Colgate coach Don Vaughn thought Dartmouth's two-goal outburst was a turning point.

"We'd like to have a couple of those back, for sure," he said. "I thought we actually worked pretty hard after that, but we just didn't capitalize on our chances."

Late in the period, with Boucher (29 saves) on his back after making a tough save, Colgate snapped the shutout, as Ben Bryce took a pass in front of the net and dumped it in for his first of the season. Kevin Johns earned an assist on the play.

The Big Green regained its three-goal advantage early in the third stanza when right winger Halsey Coughlin - a recent insert into the Dartmouth lineup - backhanded in his first of the season, spelling an end to Cann's night.

Junior Jason LeFevre stopped a perfect two of two shots after coming in, but it was too little, too late for a beaten Colgate squad.

"Our backs are to the wall," said Vaughn, whose team finished the night 0-for-7 on the power play. "We're the team that's on the outside looking in. We've got to continue to play desperate hockey for 60 minutes.

"They're a good team, though. I give them credit. They're one of the best teams we've played in a long time."

The Big Green will face Princeton in New Jersey next Friday night, while Colgate heads to the North Country to battle Clarkson.

Big Green Notes: Senior Michael Byrne has caught fire since snapping an 11-game scoreless streak on Feb. 2. He has five points in the last six games, and now has two straight two-point weekends.