The Dartmouth men's hockey team was looking to pull to an even .500 on the season this past weekend in a non-conference tilt against Denver, but as has been the story for much of this season, the Green came up just a goal short.

Joe Ritson's 45-foot goal early in the third period broke a 2-2 tie, and the Pioneers withstood a 13-shot barrage in the third period as Denver topped the Big Green 3-2 on Saturday night before a crowd of 1,698 in Thompson Arena.

The loss does not hurt the Green (6-8-3 overall, 3-7-1 ECAC, 10th place) in the conference standings, but the fact that the squad suffered yet another one-goal loss, and to the last-place team in the WCHA at that, has to be a bit frustrating. Four out of the Green's last five losses have been by just one goal, and all of these tough defeats have come in the month of January.

Bryce Wallnutt put Denver on top just 32 seconds into the game, but the Green kept their composure and by the end of the first stanza, Dartmouth held a 2-1 edge.

Defenseman Scott Peach '99 continued his sizzling play of late, tying the game at 1-1 at 8:48 of the first with a shot soaring above the glove of Pioneer netminder Stephen Wagner. Ryan Chaytors '99 made it 2-1 at 14:41 of the first with an even-strength goal of his own.

But Mark Rycroft, who had assisted on Wallnutt's first period goal, evened the game at 2-2 at 13:48 of the second period. Rycroft's goal came on the powerplay, the only time all night either team capitalized on a man-advantage.

Statistically the Green outplayed the Pioneers in the third period, outshooting Denver 13-5. But Denver made their few shots count, as Ritson’s goal at 4:37 of the final stanza put the Pioneers on top for good.

Jason Wong '00, again played well in goal with the exception of allowing the final score for the Pioneers, a soft one from 45 feet away. Wong was pulled for an extra attacker with just over a minute left in regulation, but the Green were unable to get the equalizer. Wagner made 30 saves in the win for Denver.

With the win, Denver improves to 7-17-0 on the season, while the Green drop to 6-8-3. The loss is also Dartmouth's first non-conference defeat of the 1997-98 campaign. The Green's out-of-league record now stands at 3-1-2.

Dartmouth finishes up the non-conference schedule tomorrow night in a rare midweek matchup on the road against UMass-Lowell. The game will be the first played in Lowell's new Tsongas Center, named after Massachusetts Senator and Dartmouth alumnus Paul Tsongas '62, who lost his battle with cancer last year.

The Green then travel to Burlington, Vt. this Saturday night to face their archrivals, the Vermont Catamounts.