Dartmouth scores eight times to upset No. 6 Harvard

HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth scored eight times in a win against No. 6 Harvard inside Thompson Arena on Tuesday night.

The Big Green (7-8-3, 4-5-2 ECAC Hockey) won their fifth game at home this season, taking down the Crimson (11-5-1, 7-4-1) in Hanover for the first time since 2013 with an overpowering 8-4 victory.

“The pucks were flying in tonight,” head coach Bob Gaudet said. “We hung in there when we got down and found a way. I thought we got better as the game progressed. I actually thought we played a really good first period, but a couple of squirrily things happened that we had to rebound from.”

FINAL: Dartmouth 8, No. 6 Harvard 4

WOW. pic.twitter.com/zQlJN1RWUe

— Dartmouth Hockey (@Dartmouth_MIH) January 18, 2017

Harvard actually jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Ryan Donato and Devin Tringale just two minutes apart near the end of the opening frame. But Troy Crema’s third in the last two games and his first of two on the night closed the gap to just one at the end of the first.

A wild middle period ensued as the two teams combined for six goals with Kevan Kilistoff, Shane Sellar, Ryan Blankemeier and Grant Opperman all finding the back of the net for the home side. For Sellar and Blankemeier, the markers were the first tallies of their respective careers.

Opperman’s goal with 51.5 seconds to go on a great feed from Cam Strong was his third in the last two games and proved to be the game winner.

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Connor Yau’s blast from the point early in the third was followed by a pair of late empty-net goals from Crema and Charley Michalowski to seal the victory. The eighth and final goal of the night was the first for the rookie Michalowski, who took a stick to the ear earlier in the game and needed medical attention on the bench.

Devin Buffalo started in net for the Green and White but was relieved nearly seven minutes into the second period, giving way to Adrian Clark. The freshman stepped into the crease, stopped 14 shots and earned his first career win without allowing the Crimson to score.  

Likewise for the visitors, Harvard pulled starter Merrick Madsen after the sixth Dartmouth goal before backup Cameron Gornet stopped four and didn’t allow a goal in his 15:33 of action in the third.

Harvard had won the last 2 games in Hanover, 2-0 and 7-0. Slightly different outcome tonight.

— Dartmouth Hockey (@Dartmouth_MIH) January 18, 2017

Despite the high number of goals, the Green only had two power-play opportunities with Kilistoff’s second-period score giving them a man-advantage score in eight straight games. The Crimson power play was 1-for-3.

The visitors actually outshot the home team 26-24, but despite holding the Big Green to their lowest shot total of the season, Harvard allowed Dartmouth its highest goal total since Dec. 14, 2014 — an 8-3 win against Sacred Heart.

Sellar not only scored his first goal but also added two assists for a career-high three points, one more than he had in his first 13 games. Fellow freshman Will Graber also had a trio of points, dishing out three helpers in the game to give him a team-high nine this year. John Ernsting had a pair of assists for both a career high in helpers and points in a game.

Playing in his 100th career game, senior defensemen Josh Hartley had his second two-assist game of January.