Princeton 5 - Dartmouth 5

Hanover, N.H. -- The Dartmouth men's hockey team entered its home opener looking for a win over a traditionally-strong opponent after downing one of the ECAC's weakest teams, Brown, last Saturday night.

Princeton had other things in mind. An ECAC Tournament participant for ten years running, the Tigers traveled to Hanover looking to snap a season-opening three-game winless slide.

Neither team was fully granted its wish. In an exciting game filled with dramatic shifts of momentum, Dartmouth and Princeton played to a 5-5 tie Friday night before 3,261 fans at Thompson Arena.

After the Tigers built a 3-1 lead in the first period, Dartmouth stormed back with four straight netters to craft a two-goal advantage of its own. Pinned against the ropes, Princeton awoke in the third period, lighting the lamp twice to set the final score and escape with a point.

With the tie, Dartmouth moves to 1-1-1 (1-1-1 ECAC) on the young season while Princeton leaves Hanover at 0-2-2 (0-1-2).

"I'm not happy with the tie, by any stretch," said Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet. "But what I'm pleased with is that we're mature enough not to go in the tank when it's 5-5 and say 'Well, we've blown the game.' We didn't blow the game. We played hard at the end, and I'm proud of my guys."

Dartmouth came into the night looking to continue its winning ways.

For the most part, the signs were encouraging. The Big Green hit hard, skated with authority, and managed to battle back from the early deficit, a feat all too rare in the recent past.

But Dartmouth could not completely quell the inexperienced Tigers.

After the teams traded goals early in the first period -- sophomore forward Dan Casella knocked in his second of the season to induce the waterfall of tennis balls (per tradition) -- Princeton lit the lamp twice after the 12-minute mark, mounting the early two-goal lead when Ethan Doyle split the pipes with under 10 seconds to go.

"I wasn't happy with the way we played in the first period," Princeton head coach Don Cahoon said. "We were very lucky to come off the ice with a 3-1 lead."

If the Tigers were lucky in the first period, then fortune caught up with them after the intermission. Much to the delight of the rowdy home crowd, the Big Green came alive in the middle frame for three exciting goals.

The first two came from Trevor Byrne. Byrne, a freshman defenseman and Dartmouth's first NHL draft pick in five years, scored a pair of goals less than two minutes apart early in the second period. A major key to the Big Green's success this season, he followed up his first collegiate goal with a 55-foot line drive that somehow slipped through the Princeton defense.

Then, late in the period, sophomore Mike Maturo one-timed a pass from teammate Chris Baldwin for his third lamp-lighter of the season and a 4-3 Dartmouth lead.

"It feels good to get those first college goals, but it's not enough. We wanted the win." said Byrne.

After Dartmouth sophomore Ryan Sinclair rifled in his first career netter early in the third frame, Princeton finally came back to life.

Left winger Kirk Lamb began the comeback, sending in his second goal of the game during a Tiger power play. Then, less five minutes later, senior defenseman Chris Barber nailed the back-breaker, beating netminder Nick Boucher from 15 feet out to even the score at five.

All told, Princeton goalie Craig Bradley, a senior, tallied 35 saves on the night. Boucher, a freshman, flagged down 31. "I thought we played very good hockey tonight, from start to finish," said Gaudet. "People that come to our rink and watch us play are going to see some outstanding hockey players playing for Dartmouth. We'll have our off days, but we could have easily lost this one. I think we're growing as a team."

Dartmouth will continue its five-game homestand Saturday night when it hosts Yale (2-2-1, 1-1-1). Princeton will head north to take on Vermont (2-5-0, 1-2-0).

Both games will begin at 7 p.m.

Big Green notes: Rumor has it that professional scouts were on hand for the game, at least in part to keep tabs on Trevor Byrne. Byrne, a fifth round pick of the St. Louis Blues, left yet another positive impression, tallying four points on two goals and two assists . . . . The game was delayed roughly 10 minutes after Casella's goal. As is recent tradition in Dartmouth-Princeton games, several members of the Dartmouth student contingent pelted Bradley with tennis balls, requiring the Thompson Arena crew to rush onto the ice and rake the surface clean . . . . Sinclair's first career goal came in his eighth career game . . . . The Big Green will next face the Tigers on February 19. That game will be played in New Jersey.