Dartmouth 1 - Princeton 1

By Dave Sherzer

PRINCETON, N.J. - Late in the third period, Princeton's Ethan Doyle skated all alone with the puck across the blueline. Hockey Baker Rink fell silent as the senior forward dashed toward the net. Doyle wristed a shot at Dartmouth's Nick Boucher, but the sophomore netminder made one of his best saves of the year, preserving a 1-1 tie Friday night before a gathering of 2,207 fans.

Boucher's acrobatic save was typical of the night, as both goaltenders - who have combined to win the last two ECAC Goaltender of the Week awards - played well. Boucher made 25 saves to extend Dartmouth's unbeaten streak to five straight games. For Princeton, junior Dave Stathos turned aside 34 shots, helping Princeton win its second in a row.

"I thought both goaltenders played excellent," said Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet. "It was a very hard-fought game between two fundamentally strong teams. This is a difficult building to play in, so I'm pleased with the tie on the road."

With the tie, the Big Green (12-10-4, 9-6-4 ECAC) clinched a spot in the postseason while slipping into fifth place in the ECAC standings, one point behind third-place Cornell and Harvard, and five behind league-leading St. Lawrence.

In the race for the Ivy League title, the tie keeps the Big Green in the hunt. Dartmouth will need a win Saturday night against Yale to move into a tie with Cornell for first place, and have a shot at the title.

"I thought we played great. The difference between now and the beginning of the season is night and day," said Gaudet, alluding to Princeton’s 6-0 win against Dartmouth earlier in the season. "I thought we played well in terms of smart defensive plays, especially on the road."

The Big Green claimed a 1-0 advantage after controlling much of the first period.

Skating on the power play six minutes into the game, junior Chris Baldwin centered the puck to classmate Chris Taliercio, who one-timed it between the legs of Stathos for his seventh goal of the season. Taliercio, a native of nearby Farmingdale, N.J., recorded his first collegiate point in his home state.

The Tigers (8-14-4, 7-9-3 ECAC) controlled much of the play in the middle frame, receiving two early power plays before knotting the score at one.

Soon after its second unsuccessful chance with the extra man, Princeton netted the equalizer when freshman Matt Maglione collected a rebound and slapped it past Boucher. Maglione's goal, his third of the season, was assisted by seniors Kirk Lamb and Chris Corrinet.

The Big Green outshot the Tigers, 9-4, in the third period, but Stathos was perfect to preserve the tie. Doyle's breakaway came with three minutes left, but Boucher's spectacular save set the stage for overtime.

Neither team had a significant chance in overtime. The shots were 3-2 in favor of Dartmouth.

The Big Green returns to action Saturday night with a visit to Yale.

Big Green Notes: Dartmouth hockey alumni in attendance included Bob Cancelli '98, Brian Fleming '98, Zach Hafer '99, Ryan Burkart '99, Ryan Poulton '00 and Owen Hughes '97. Former strength and conditioning coach Jay Butler, now at Rutgers, also was in the crowd. Junior Jamie Herrington played junior hockey with Princeton netminder Dave Stathos. The pair played together on the Cornwall (Ont.) Colts. Chris Baldwin's assist on Chris Taliercio's goal gave him nine points in the last nine games. This week was a busy one for Big Green birthdays. Chris Hontvet celebrated his 22nd on the 21st, P.J. Martin had his 20th on the 22nd, and Carl Desjardins turned 22 on Friday.