HANOVER — Thompson Arena looked a little like its old days Saturday.
The fourth-seeded Dartmouth College men's hockey team dominated the Garnet Chargers in an ECAC best-of-three quarterfinal series, defeating sixth-seeded Union 4-2. It was the first time since 2020 that the Big Green hosted a playoff game.
Dartmouth advanced to play No. 2 seed Cornell in the semifinals Friday in Lake Placid, New York. The 7:30 p.m. game will be played in the same arena where the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team won its historic gold medal.
“I'm very proud and I just got emotional just now in the locker room remembering the growth our players have made over the past year,” said fourth-year Dartmouth coach Reed Cashman. he said. “They took control and achieved success.”
Luke Haymes, who scored Saturday's winning goal, pounced on a high turnover, raced to goaltender Kyle Chauvet and beat him with six minutes left in the third period. An announced crowd of 2,007 also turned out to cheer Cam McDonald's empty-net goal with 40 seconds left.
Haymes, who led the conference in goals with 16 during the regular season, has scored 15 goals in his last 14 games to lead Dartmouth to a 7-0-2 record. The Big Green won only five of 30 games last winter and is now 13-9-9.
“It's definitely exciting, especially after last season and what we showed on the ice,” said Cooper Black, the 6-foot-8 Dartmouth goaltender who stopped a combined 47 shots against Union over the weekend. We knew we had a better team than anything else.” “Seeing how hard we worked last spring and how we came so close as a team makes it even more special.”
Union took the lead on a five-minute power play in the first period. The advantage was created when Dartmouth's Alex Kraus was whistled for a hit from behind. Brayden Dorfman tied the score just before the intermission, but the Garnet Chargers (16-18-3) regained the lead shortly after the intermission.
Dartmouth tied the score at 2-2 midway through the second period on Matt Fusco's shot from the blue line, the second time in the game. Despite that marker, the Big Green was outplayed through two periods and the game became unstable.
“We talked about it a lot (between periods),” Cashman said. His players frequently got into scuffles when play stopped. “(Friday) night, it didn’t show up on any of the BS.”
“(Union) had a really good first period with a lot of intensity, but they used up a lot of energy after the whistle.”
Dartmouth's approach set the stage for Heim's heroics after a Union mop-up attempt was deflected by the Big Green's Cooper Frinton.
“Luke Haymes is one of the best players in the country and he's the wrong guy to give the puck to in the scoring area,” Cashman said, his voice hoarse as if he were gargling with steel shavings. So said. “He's very intelligent, thinks about the game at a high level, and is proactive about scoring opportunities. And he has the release and shooting accuracy to beat the goalie.”
Dartmouth tied Cornell twice during the regular season (19-6-6), so the Big Green shouldn't be intimidated by one of the conference's marquee programs.
“There was a lot of trust in the locker room,” Black said, noting his team is unbeaten in its past nine games. “We are confident that we can do business no matter what.”
Both Cashman and assistant Jason Tapp have experience coaching Lake Placid's ECAC teams, but this will be the first time the players have been in a situation like this. This week's challenge is to help you soak up the atmosphere without getting distracted by it.
“It's a great town and they do a great job with events and there's a lot of history there so enjoy it,” Cashman said. “But we have a chance to win a few games and win a championship.”
Note: The postgame handshake line, usually a quiet and formal affair, was interrupted when Union forward Josh Nixon was ejected and was quickly removed from the ice by officials. Nixon got into an altercation with several Big Green players. …Most hockey teams now award some type of headgear to players in the game. Construction hats are popular. Dartmouth uses one of his school football helmets, which features his four stripes and a block D on the front. Typically, the receiver takes the three-point stance while receiving applause in the locker room. …Jamie Herrington, a former Dartmouth player and 2002 graduate, attended the game. He currently serves as the NCAA Scouting Director for the New York Rangers. …Alex Dodds, a former Hanover High School player and previously the director of video operations for his Big Green football team, recorded the game and provided highlights for organizers. He currently owns and runs his own video company. …Bruce McDowell, a longtime goal judge on Thompson's East End, has deep ties to ECAC hockey. While spending a year with his family in Ithaca, New York, the then-elementary school student watched future Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden backstop the Big Red. …Union's nickname until last fall was Dutch. The Chargers later became the Garnet Chargers, named after Schenectady, New York, known as the “Electric City.” The school has also decided on a dog mascot. Currently, costumed versions and live dogs can be seen at various home games.
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.
