Dartmouth 2 - Rensselaer 7

Troy, N.Y. - Nothing in trainer Jeff Frechette's medicine bag could cure what the Dartmouth men's hockey team had Friday night at Houston Field House, and that was a major case of the postseason jitters.

Competing in the ECAC Postseason Tournament for the first time since 1996, the eighth-seeded Big Green fell victim to Rensselaer's fiery offense and stellar goaltending, losing 7-2 to the Engineers and moving one defeat from elimination in the best-of-three first-round series.

The explosive Engineers out-scored the Big Green in every period, including 2-0 in the first, 2-0 in the second, and 3-2 in the third. On the other end of the ice, netminder Joel Laing - the nation's leader in save percentage - was his usual dependable self, stopping 33 of 35 shots to pick up the win.

The Engineers (20-12-2, 12-9-1) now sit one victory away from advancing to the ECAC Semifinals in Lake Placid, N.Y., next weekend, while the Big Green (9-16-4, 8-11-3) must rebound Saturday night to force a third and deciding game on Sunday.

"RPI was better than us, obviously. They finished off their opportunities," said head coach Bob Gaudet.

"We looked nervous, we looked young, and RPI's been to the playoffs before. In preparation, you try not to factor that stuff in, but we played tenatively. It's no reflection on any individuals on our team, it's just a fact. We had some things go against us, and they converted."

A 7-2 loss might be tough to stomach - especially on the road in the playoffs - but rout or not, RPI's lead is still just one game to none entering tonight's rematch.

"That's what we try to stress," team captain Ryan Burkart said. "A loss is a loss. 7-2 or 2-1, it's still a loss. It's a three-game series and we're not out of it. If we win tomorrow night, it's anybody's series. It's just a matter of taking it one shift at a time, and doing the best we can.

"It's not like we have an insurmountable task here. It's very winnable here still."

For much of the regular season, Dartmouth was a defense-oriented team that played in a lot of close games despite getting outshot, on some nights, by a considerable margin.

Friday night, it was just the opposite. The Big Green took 35 shots to RPI's 26, but the Engineers' veteran-laden offense - which made good on 1-of-4 power plays - exploited any hole it could find.

And, on more than occasion, the Engineers created holes.

"They make nothing into something," Gaudet said of the Engineers. "They're a good team. I give them credit. They deserved to win, but hopefully we'll come back, regroup and be better tomorrow night. It's good experience for our guys."

Dartmouth outshot the home team, 12-6, in the opening 20 minutes, but RPI emerged from the period with a 2-0 lead.

Less than five minues into the game, junior Brad Tapper dished the puck to linemate Andrew McPherson in the slot. McPherson, a sophomore, found an opening and punched his 10th of the season past goaltender Nick Boucher (17 saves).

After the teams traded unsuccessful power plays, the Engineers connected on their second man-advantage opportunity when senior Brian Pothier sent a slow dribbler between the pipes from the blueline.

In the middle frame, RPI picked up right where it left off, first lighting the lamp when Rookie of the Year candidate Marc Cavosie beat Boucher with a slapshot, and then adding to the lead when Keith Dupee one-timed a Tapper pass into the net.

Trailing, 4-0, after two periods of play, the Big Green finally beat Laing in the third, as Frank Nardella and Dan Casella found the back of the net with slapshots. The visitors outshot RPI, 19-6, in the final period, laying a foundation on which the Big Green hopes to build in Game 2 Saturday night.

"I'm hoping we're quick learners," Gaudet said. "Hopefully, we'll come out tomorrow night, play a good solid game, and eek one out. We've shown over the course of the season that we're a team that does bounce back.

"Now, we don't have any option. We have to bounce back."

Big Green playoff notes: Sophomore Chris Baldwin, who missed four games in February, was out of action Friday night and will not be available throughout the series with RPI. Baldwin is suffering from the effects of a concussion he suffered in Dartmouth's 2-1 loss to Brown on Feb. 11, and did not make the trip with the team . . . . This year's All-Ivy selections are out. Sophomore Mike Maturo, the Big Green's leading scorer in Ivy play, was named to the second team. Rookies Trevor Byrne and Nick Boucher were awarded All-Ivy honorable mention . . . . Defenseman Pete Summerfelt was the ECAC's last regular season pick for Rookie of the Week. He chipped in four points (1g, 3a) in the road trip to Clarkson and St. Lawrence . . . . Friday night marked the first ECAC postseason game for every member of the Dartmouth Big Green, with the exception of head coach Bob Gaudet and Brendan Whittet, who visited the playoffs while with Brown. Captain Ryan Burkart, a fifth-year senior, was enrolled at Dartmouth the last time the Big Green made the playoffs, but he red-shirted that year with a broken leg . . . . In other ECAC action, the higher seeds - St. Lawrence, Colgate, Cornell and Clarkson - all won.