A bid by the Clarkson University Hockey team to take over first place in the ECAC Hockey League was halted by Dartmouth College on Saturday night as the Big Green handed the Golden Knights a 4-0 loss before 2,002 fans at Cheel Arena.
Clarkson, which saw its four-game winning streak come to an end, lost for just the second time since mid-October to fall to 9-4-1 overall and to 5-2-1 in the conference, good for third place in the standings, one point shy of first.
Dartmouth, which has won four of its last five games after starting the season 0-4, handed Clarkson, the ECACHL’s top scoring overall offense, its first shutout at home since last February behind the steady play of goaltender Sean Samuel, who recorded his first career whitewash with 23 saves. The Big Green, who won for only the second time in the 15-year-old Cheel Arena, improved to 4-5 both overall and in the ECACHL.
Connor Shields gave Dartmouth the only goal it would need early in the first when he stuffed in a wrap-around shot just 3:03 after the opening faceoff. The Big Green struck again early in the second when Tanner Glass ’s slapshot from the top of the left circle trickled through the pads of Clarkson junior netminder Kyle McNulty (Wakefield, RI) for a 2-0 lead at 3:22 of the middle stanza. Dartmouth opened the third with another early goal to start a period as Mike Ouellette knocked in rebound during a scramble in front at 4:30. Ouellette closed out the scoring with an empty-net tally with 1:29 remaining.
The Big Green out shot Clarkson 28-23. McNulty finished with 24 saves. The Knights were 0-of-5 on the power play, while Dartmouth was 0-of-2 with the man advantage.
Clarkson takes next weekend off before returning to action with non-league games on the road at Bowling Green and Miami University on December 9-10.
