Dartmouth 2 - Clarkson 3

By Dave Sherzer

Potsdam, N.Y. - The Dartmouth men's hockey team's regular season sputtered to a close Saturday night, as the Big Green completed its least-productive weekend of the year with a 3-2 loss against Clarkson at Cheel Arena.

As it turns out, the Dartmouth men - who also lost Friday night and now have a four-game winless skid - will not be punished for their late-season struggles.

The Big Green still finished in fourth place in the ECAC standings and will enjoy home-ice advantage when seventh-place Colgate comes to Thompson Arena next weekend for a best-of-three first-round series.

Dartmouth split the regular-season series with Colgate, losing 3-2 on Jan. 11 in Hamilton, N.Y., before beating the Raiders, 4-3, on Feb. 16 in Hanover.

The playoffs will begin Friday night at 7 p.m.

"We're not happy about losing," Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet said, "but when the final buzzer sounds, it's a new day. It's a new season. We can put the season behind us and get ready to win in the playoffs."

Dartmouth returns to the playoffs for the third straight year and will play a postseason series at home for the second straight season.

Last year, the fifth-seeded Big Green swept Rensselaer and advanced all the way to the ECAC semifinals in Lake Placid, N.Y.

"Our goal from Day One has been to win the ECAC championship," Gaudet said. "Now we're in the show. We've been there before, so I think that experience will help us. We've got a good team."

The teams emerged from an exciting first period in a 1-1 tie.

Dartmouth took the early lead at 11:23. Linemates Chris Taliercio, Frank Nardella and Jason Costa were cycling the puck down low before Costa threw it on net. His shot deflected off a Clarkson player and between the pipes, spelling Costa's first goal of the season.

The Knights got even with 1:59 to go in the period. With a power play just completed and the Big Green looking to get a third forward on the ice, Clarkson's Dave Reid broke free, taking a high shot undefended from the slot that found its way past Darren Gastrock (30 saves). The goal was Reid's first of the year.

Clarkson outshot Dartmouth, 12-8, in a middle frame in which both teams got their best chances on the power play.

The Knights had two opportunities with the extra man in the period, barely missing on several tip-in chances. Dartmouth had one power play and came even closer to taking the lead, as P.J. Martin hit the post on an attempt in the closing seconds.

The Knights grabbed control of the game with two goals in the first 11 minutes of the final stanza. Sophomore center Tristan Lush gave the home team its first lead of the game, stealing the puck from Trevor Byrne before skating into the slot and beating Gastrock with a wrister at 3:25. Lush's goal was his seventh.

At 10:50, freshman Jay Latulippe gave Clarkson some insurance, one-timing a Rob McFeeters pass for his seventh of the year.

As it turns out, the Knights would need Latulippe's marker. On a Big Green power play, junior Kent Gillings cut the deficit to one, collecting a rebound off a Byrne blast before slapping his 10th of the year past a fallen Mike Walsh (29 saves).

But that would close the scoring, as the Big Green scored no more than two goals for the sixth time in the last seven games.

"I like the way our team is playing," Gaudet said. "I wish we could score. I wish we had won the game. But we didn't. I don't think it's night and day between us and any other team in the league. We'll find a way."