Friday evening at Bright the Big Green of Dartmouth outchecked the
Harvard Crimson 1-2.  Dartmouth played with intensity and showed some
very good speed in a fine win.  I was very disappointed in the Crimson
who played perhaps the worse game I have seen them play.  I for one blame
the coach who has obviously lost confidence in his players.
 
In the opening period Harvard looked confused.  Big Green was stacking up
its blue line and preventing any sort of attack.  For a while Bright
again resembled test pattern hockey with both teams more interested in
their checking schemes than anything else.  Dartmouth was skating fast
which eventually sprung Brent Retter (Owen Hughes).  He burned up his
left wing and ended up in on goal all alone.  Retter then deked Harvard
goalie Tripp Tracy out of his crease, leaving himself with an easy empty
net goal.  Great goal!  In the second, Harvard showed repeatedly that
they had tunnel vision, always not finding their open mate.  Big Green
kept up their check, check, check game and seemed in control.  Finally
Jason Karmanos (Kirk Nielsen, Jeremiah McCarthy) tied the game at one
with a power play goal.  A Crimson pass from the point had resulted in a
shot, a rebound, and another shot that went in off a Dartmouth defender.
Before the period was over, Big Green scored the game-winner on a power
play.  Dion Del Monte (Mike Stacchi, Owen Hughes) carried the puck in on
net, slowed, held the puck, waited a little longer, and then drilled his
shot through the goalies pads.  It was a good goal as Del Monte was cool
enough to assess his options and wait for the right moment to shoot.
There was no scoring in the third period.  Dartmouth almost got in
trouble as they started to box themselves into their own zone.
Fortunately Harvard was busy juggling lines and shortening the bench and
were left with a mix that couldn't get the job done.
 
Dartmouth played an extremely good checking game.  They controlled the
game pretty much all the way.  Coach Demment has his players all on the
same page.  I thought the line of Bill Kelleher, David Whitworth and
Stacchi along with the line of Shaun Peet, Del Monte and Patrick Turcotte
could really motor.  Turcotte and Del Monte hit the jets in style.  Dax
Burkhart showed some super smooth skills on defense and was a major force
in his own zone.  Hughes also impressed me with his blue line
leadership.  In goal Scott Baker had excellent anticipation as he always
seemed to have the play figured out way ahead of time.  The man of the
match had to be Dion Del Monte whose presence, speed and finishing were
top level stuff.  Overall Dartmouth seems to have its act together.
 
Harvard suffered a classic coaching loss.  The Harvard coach clearly does
not belief in his players.  I like switching up the lines as much as the
next guy, but its not going anywhere.  The new power play unit had to hit
an all time low.  Henry Higdon showed some good composure, but ...  The
players are down.  For example, Cory Gustafson, the second leading scorer
on the time saw very limited action.  When he did get on, Gustafson got a
couple of shots on goal.  What's the point?  I have news for the coaching
staff: a) your concept of "Harvard Hockey" as grinder hockey doesn't cut
it for the simple fact that you don't do it nearly as well as the other
teams, b) you have assembled a group of very talented players - use
them.  Right now a number of players have clearly been told not to risk
being out of position by trying to attack.  Then we wonder why Harvard
doesn't have an attack.  Yes you will give up goals, but you can't win
games if you can't score.  Geordie Hyland finally showed some of his
earlier promise back on defense.  I would suggest that he spend less time
trying to prove that he's a tough guy, and more time using his obviously
excellent skills.  Peter McLaughlin and Ashlin Halfnight both had fairly
good games on the blue line.  Stu Swenson played with tons of hustle.
Michel Breistroff was back on defense and made some nice break out
passes.  In the third Breistroff was put up on the attack in yet another
act of desperation.  Nielsen at times showed some great activity, but
overall still lacked the whatever to really turn it on.  Overall, its
hard to watch these fine players do so little on the ice.
 
I noticed last night that many of the Harvard Women's team were attending
the game.  I had to think what a nice tribute it would have been to have
all the team and their newly won Beanpot at the match.  They could have
introduced them during a stoppage in play.  I am sure the Bright
population would have been thrilled to acknowledge their achievement, and
it might have help boost the Harvard Men.
 
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 good shooting
 rhun-hungerf
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