Dartmouth 2 - UNH 3

Durham, N.H. -- What do you get when you pit the nation's top-ranked men's college hockey team against a 2-6-4 squad from across the state? Apparently, not what you'd expect.

Thanks to standout performances from sophomore forward Mike Maturo and freshman goalie Nick Boucher, Dartmouth nearly pulled off its biggest upset in recent memory Monday night, taking the mighty New Hampshire Wildcats all the way to overtime before bowing out, 3-2, before a rowdy, raucous crowd of 6,153 at Whittemore Center Arena.

For the Big Green, Maturo had a two-goal night, and Boucher tallied 35 saves, but it wasn't quite enough. With just over two minutes to go in the extra session, Wildcat forward Jason Shipulski fed a pass to defenseman Dan Enders in front of the net. Enders, a senior, rifled a slapshot out of Boucher's reach and between the pipes, lifting UNH, ranked No. 1 in both national polls, to victory.

The win was the eighth straight for the Wildcats (15-2-1, 7-0-1 Hockey East), who were playing for the first time since Dec. 11. The Big Green (2-7-4, 1-2-3 ECAC), playing for the third time in less than a week, saw its winless streak extend to six straight games.

"The way we're going to get better is by playing against the best," Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet said. "UNH is the best team in the country. They are the No. 1 team in the country right now. I'm disappointed for our players because...what I want more than anything is for them to get the reward for their effort. And the reward in athletics is a 'W.'"

For Dartmouth's players and coaches, the overtime defeat did not sit well in the moments following the game. Still, against a team that was the runner-up of last year's NCAA Tournament and has visions of finishing even higher this season, the close result had to be somewhat encouraging.

"We definitely deserved better than a loss," Maturo said. "We weren't afraid of them. We all knew they were the No. 1 team in the country, but we didn't show that with the way we played. We showed that we're as good as them."

The Big Green, squaring off with the Wildcats for the first time since the 1993-94 season and for the first time ever at three-year-old Whittemore Center Arena, received another steady performance from Boucher, who was named the ECAC/CCM Rookie of the Week for his 33-save effort in Dartmouth's 2-2 tie with Ohio State last Thursday.

The most intriguing story of the night, however, came from Maturo. A native of nearby Manchester, N.H., and a fan of the Wildcats growing up, Maturo chose an appropriate game in which to break out of his season-long scoring slump. Last year's team leader in points scoring, Maturo had gone nine straight games without chipping in a goal.

That dubious run came to an end in a hurry. Less than halfway through the opening period, Maturo hammered home an attempt from teammate Dory Tisdale to give Dartmouth the early 1-0 lead.

After UNH answered with a pair of man-advantage goals, one coming late in the first period and the other coming early in the second, Maturo struck again. Stationed in front of the net on a Big Green power play, the sophomore redirected a long shot from defenseman Trevor Byrne, knotting the game at two goals apiece.

"I'm not going to lie," Maturo said afterward. "I've been looking forward to this game for a while. I've come to the Whittemore Center a few times. I've always admired the atmosphere, the crowd, the coaches and players."

Gaudet said: "Our team as a whole has not been able to score as much as we'd like, so it's nice to see Mike break out with a couple goals and play so well. But Mike has played very well for us. He usually gets a lot of chances through work ethic and skill level, and he does a good job."

Dartmouth, 2-for-45 (4.4 percent) on the power play entering last week's Sheraton/Howard Bank Classic, now has scored a power play goal in three straight games. The Big Green finished the night 1-for-3 with the extra man, while the Wildcats went 2-for-5.

Dartmouth will host UNH in next season's holiday tournament in late December, and will be back on the ice this Friday and Saturday night in its first ECAC action since Dec. 17. The Big Green will welcome RPI and Union to Thompson Arena.

Big Green notes: Sophomore forward Chris Baldwin sat out with a minor injury to his right wrist. It was Baldwin's first absence of the season, and the second of his career. He should be back in the lineup for this weekend's games . . . . The Wildcats now have a 26-14-1 all-time lead in the Granite State rivalry . . . . This game capped the Big Green's difficult nonconference schedule. Dartmouth finished the season 1-5-2 against non-ECAC teams, the lone win a 4-3 decision over Western Michigan on Nov. 27 . . . . RPI, Dartmouth's opponent this Friday night, dropped eight goals on the Big Green in both meetings last season. The Engineers are currently ranked in the Top 10 in both polls.