Here are some notes from the weekend in ECAC Hockey:
Cornell struggles offensively
The Big Red managed only two goals this weekend, both of which came in a 6-2 loss to No. 9 Harvard on Saturday. Cornell is 0-3-1 in its last four since Jan. 15, a midseason skid that is in stark contrast to its strong first half. The team is 11-5-3 overall, 6-4-2 within the conference, with a chance next weekend against surging Clarkson and sliding St. Lawrence to stop the bleeding. One thing is for sure: Mitch Gillam and the Big Red defense need to be better.
Dartmouth extends winning streak
Don’t look now, but Dartmouth is in the midst of a five-game winning streak, including a 3-0 shutout win over No. 10 Cornell on Friday. For a team that struggled through the first half, this second-half resurgence is particularly impressive. The Big Green have outscored opponents 20-8 through the five-game stretch, led by seniors Jack Barre and Brett Patterson with seven goals each. On Friday, Dartmouth will host Quinnipiac, the No. 1 team that continued to tread water through another week with ties to Maine and Rensselaer. If there’s any time to face the Bobcats, it’s now.
RPI wins the Mayor’s Cup
The Engineers swept the season series against Union with a 5-2 victory on Saturday, getting help from five different goal scorers to do so. RPI is third behind Quinnipiac and Harvard in the ECAC standings, dropping a spot after the Crimson swept their weekend games against Colgate and Cornell. It is also ranked No. 16 nationally. But consistency hasn’t been the Engineers’ friend as of late — they’ve gone 2-2-2 in their last six games. Ties to Colgate and Quinnipiac have sent mixed signals. But if RPI will have a chance to make some noise down the stretch, it’ll be behind the play of goaltender Jason Kasdorf. RPI will play Brown and No. 12 Yale next weekend.
