Dutchmen not looking past Dartmouth

by Ryan Fay

It would be easy to see why Union might overlook Wednesday's home game against Dartmouth.

Union had little trouble dismissing Dartmouth earlier this season, beating the Big Green, 7-2, at Thompson Arena on November 1. Besides that, the Dutchmen will be boarding a plane at dawn Thursday for a two-game series at top-ranked St. Cloud State December 13-14.

But the 10th-ranked Dutchmen didn't look past a decimated Princeton team last Friday ahead of a matchup against then fifth-ranked Quinnipiac the next night. They're not getting too far ahead of themselves this time, either.

"It's going to be a good game," said junior defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who had three assists in the earlier win at Dartmouth. "It's an ECAC game and they are always close. We're definitely not looking past them to St. Cloud State. We know we have a big one [Wednesday] and we're looking to take care of business."

Taking care of business might not be as easy this time around. Since starting the season 0-8-0 (0-6-0 ECAC), the Big Green have started to resemble the team picked to finish in fifth place in the preseason ECAC media poll.

They have won two of their past three games, including a convincing 4-1 win at then eighth-ranked Yale last Friday.

After allowing five or more goals in five of their first seven games, Dartmouth has been more stingy of late, surrendering three goals or less in four straight contests.

Goaltender Charles Grant, who permitted five goals before being pulled against Union, has a 1.65 goals against average in his last three outings. He was named ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week on December 3.

"It's a Dartmouth team that was supposed to be a top team, which I think is coming over the past few games," said Union head coach Rick Bennett. "We're not going to take Dartmouth lightly. They have a lot of extremely skilled forwards. They have some skilled defenseman, and the goaltending is getting much, much better."

Bennett knows Union has to come out strong.

"We're going to be facing a team that's very hungry," he said. "We have to be ready to go. [Dartmouth] is a prideful bunch. If we're not ready to go, it's not going to be pretty."

Aside from extending their winning streak to eight games, a win would give the Dutchmen (10-3-2, 7-1-0 ECAC) sole possession of first place in the ECAC standings. Union tied Quinnipiac for first-place after a 6-4 win over the Bobcats on Saturday at Messa Rink.

"It's definitely a big motivation," Gostisbehere said of taking control of first-place. "Getting that many wins early in the season helps a lot and it makes our job easier for later in the year."

Gametime is 7 p.m.

Ikkala day-to-day

Assistant captain Cole Ikkala, who missed last weekend's tilts with Princeton and Quinnipiac, remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He didn't practice on Tuesday, but Bennett said "that doesn't mean a thing."

Bennett said everyone else is good to go.

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