Box Score Blue Moves Into 3rd Place
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Stu Wilson stepped it up a level when his team really needed another player to have a prolific night. The senior forward had a career-high two goals and one assist while leading the No. 11 Yale hockey team to a 5-1 victory over No. 20 Dartmouth before a full house at Ingalls Rink.
The Bulldogs needed the production from Wilson and his linemates because injuries had shortened the bench more than any time anyone could recall, and goals had been hard to come by.
Wilson's line accounted for four of the five goals to help the Elis (13-5-4, 8-4-3 ECAC) move into third place in ECAC Hockey. Joe Snively, the conference rookie of the month for January, had a goal and three points and John Hayden hit the net once and had a helper as their team outshot the Big Green 36-22.
The second-highest offensive output of the season combined with another outstanding night for senior All-America netminder Alex Lyon (21 saves) - the conference goalie of the month for January who blanked the visitors on five advantages - was too much for a hot Dartmouth team to overcome.
"You gotta just keep at it," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach, when asked about finding the net more in this contest than they've done most of the season. "Tonight was one of those nights when we did a good job of finishing those chances."
The Big Green entered the contest with an 8-2 mark over their last 10, but the Bulldogs scored early in each period to prevent any visitor momentum.
The latest goal in a period tonight came in the first. Snively took a pass from defenseman Charlie Curti and sent a lead pass from the left corner for Wilson, who was going from the dot to the crease. Wilson re-directed the short feed as he left the circle through the legs of Charles Grant at 4:41.
"We used to struggle starting games," said Wilson. "It takes the wind out of their [Dartmouth] sails a little bit. I hope we can keep that going."
Wilson now has five goals and a team-high 19 points (tied with Snively). His second of the night gave the Blue a 2-0 lead. Wilson, who had four of Yale's first six shots on target and finished with six in the frame, passed the puck to Hayden who fired a snapshot from the right circle. Wilson, after passing the puck, zipped into position between the crease and the same circle before he used the back side of his stick to take the hard, low shot and re-direct it over Grant's shoulder on the far side at 5:28.
"That line of Wilson, Snively and Hayden really had a big impact on the game," said Allain, whose squad is currently 12th in the Pairwise.
That three-some had more to do in this game, and a Big Green goal was not going to stop their momentum.
The visitors cut the lead in half almost two minutes later, but Snively got the Blue another two-goal lead before the break with a nifty backhander from the right circle. The third Yale tally came after the puck pin-balled around the dot after a face-off that Wilson had taken, He ended up with it and tried to send a shot on net. The Dartmouth goalie went to grab the slow-moving shot, but Snively swooped in to steal it away. Going laterally across the slot he flicked a rising backhander barely under the cross bar at 13:32.
Yale's special teams have been great this season and its penalty-kill has allowed the fewest goals in Division I. However, that unit had yet to notch a goal down a man… until tonight. Forty-one seconds into the middle frame, Learned followed up a rebound from a Carson Cooper shot for his third goal of the year to make it 4-1. That tally sent Grant (8 saves) to the bench for James Kruger.
The Blue put some distance between the numbers with another early goal, this one 2:22 into the third. Snively was at it again, grabbing a free puck behind the net and peeking out from behind to find Hayden for a one-timer from the slot. You could tell the Bulldog junior knew the perfect feed was coming, as he raised his stick in anticipation of his team-best 11th goal.
"It's really important to be ready when we get out of the room," said Allain about the early goals. "We played on our toes tonight, and you usually get good results when that happens."
BULLDOG BITES
Yale limited Dartmouth to five shots on net on five power plays… The total game was two hours and one minute, one of the fastest of the year… The annual Yale Hockey Alumni Game is tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Whale (no tickets required).
Filed by Steve Conn, Yale Associate AD & Sports Publicity Director – steven.conn@yale.edu
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