While four points would have been ideal this weekend, it is safe to say the Big Green men's hockey squad will settle for one impressive win over Rensselaer and one huge load lifted off their backs.
The four-game losing streak was snapped in the grandest of fashions in the 7-3 victory, as the offense that had been sleeping for several games awoke with a start and exploded for seven goals.
The confidence problem that had plagued the squad in the last few weeks was not visible last night. Handed a setback in the second period when they let RPI tie up the game, the Big Green responded well in the third with five goals. This response showed a sense of urgency and resilience that had recently been sorely lacking.
Coming off a disappointing 2-0 loss to Union on Friday night in which the offense failed to click, coach Bob Gaudet shook up the lineup a bit, hoping to jumpstart his offense. His moves were successful, as the newly minted Sampson-Gillings-Jessiman line put on a show for the crowd at Thompson Arena.
The line scored five of the seven Dartmouth goals, with Hugh Jessiman '06 netting a hat trick. Fellow frosh Jarrett Sampson responded well to his new surrounding cast, getting his name on the score sheet with four assists in his best game of the year. The senior member of the trio, Kent Gillings '03, regained some of the flash that had been missing for a few games, potting two goals.
The energy displayed by the guns a-blazing offense was paralleled in the physical nature of play, especially in the second period. The most obvious example of this was the scrum that occurred behind the Dartmouth net after Conrad Barnes knocked over goalie Nick Boucher '03 after the whistle.
The ensuing melee filled up the penalty box on both sides, and the Big Green played with a chip on their shoulder throughout the rest of the game.
This feistiness proved to be a bit problematic, as discipline went out the window and Dartmouth took a few too many penalties. Both RPI second-period goals came on the power play, which at the time looked to be a big problem. While the third-period offense more than made up for this failing, against a better team this sort of undisciplined play could cost the Big Green dearly.
With the win, the Big Green shook a huge monkey off its back. The same goes for perhaps the biggest story of the game, which was Boucher breaking the all-time wins record for Dartmouth. The holder of that record: current coach Bob Gaudet '81, who played between the pipes on some great Dartmouth teams in his time.
Boucher tied the record with his win over Boston College back on Nov. 26, but then fell upon some tough times, whereupon Gaudet went with Darren Gastrock '04 and Dan Yacey '05 in net. With his 41st victory in the books, Boucher and everybody else can concentrate on winning.
With a new burst of confidence on offense and between the pipes the Big Green now take to the road for the next two weekends and hope to accomplish on the road what they have done at home.
