Hockey continues turnaround, takes two on road

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Jay Quenville, SY '00, is one of many Elis who has stepped up his performances in recent games.

Two days, two games, two wins—it's all in a weekend's work for the Yale men's hockey team. As the players departed for their road trip against Vermont and Dartmouth last week, they left with one objective: to score four points. After 60 minutes of hockey on consecutive nights, the Bulldog' reaction to success was the same as it always has been: mission accomplished.

The team remains cautiously optimistic despite its wins and its demonstrated talent. "It's still really early," forward Luke Earl, JE '02, said. "We have to keep focusing and take it one game at a time." Forward Peter Toomey, PC '01, added, "We are not going to get overly excited. Those were games we had to win against teams we should beat." Most hockey insiders believe that Vermont and Dartmouth will find themselves in the bottom half of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) at the season's end. The 5-2 victory over Vermont and the 2-0 win over Dartmouth raised Yale's record to 2-1-1 in the ECAC and 3-2-1 overall. These were two hard-fought victories in which every player stepped up and contributed.

M. Hockey

Record: 3-2-1,l 2-1-1 ECAC Recent Results: Won at Vermon, 5-2; won at Dartmouth 2-0. Coming up: Fri., Nov. 19 vs. Princeton, 7 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 21 at Princeton, 7 p.m.

In truth, it has been that way all year, with no player posting more than three goals or six points in the season so far. Yale is a team built on depth, and it has received contributions from all four lines. Forwards Ben Stafford, BR '01, (2-4-6) and Jeff Brow, SM '00, (3-2-5) in particular have keyed the team's attack. The squad has displayed a general commitment to team defense, the hallmark of successful Yale teams in the past. "If we can hold a team to two goals or less, we always have a chance to win," Earl said. Given the outstanding play of the team's two-headed monster between the pipes, goalies Trevor Hanger, SY '00, and Dan Lombard, SM '02, this statement has held true so far.

In addition to its balance, the team has witnessed some spectacular individual play. Different players have shown flashes of stardom in each game. On Fri., Nov. 12, against Vermont, defenseman Bryan Freeman, CC '03, posted a hat trick, his first and only points of the season. On Sat., Nov. 13, against Dartmouth, it was Hanger's turn in the spotlight, making 32 saves en route to a shutout.

Still, the team knows it has its work cut out for it. "We have to get better every game," Toomey said. "We have only given up six goals and only scored nine. We're going to have to get three or four goals a game."

In this respect, the healthy return of captain Jeff Hamilton, SM '00, injured early in the game against Dartmouth, will prove crucial. The Bulldogs, like the rest of the ECAC, know that Hamilton's veteran presence in the lineup is essential in order to find success at the end of the season. The pivot on the first line, Hamilton represents pure offense, capable of scoring a goal a game as he almost did last season. Even more importantly, his talent often forces teams to mark him, freeing up opportunities for other players on offense. "Hamilton will be another thing teams will have to worry about," Earl said. "If four lines are scoring, they can't focus on Hamilton." Whether opponents mark out the Eli captain or not, Yale's roaring offense will be very difficult to quiet.

Yet the season is still young, and the team still has a hard road ahead. After last weekend's two wins, the Bulldogs found themselves fourth in the ECAC, just three points out of first. On Fri., Nov. 19, and Sun., Nov. 21, the team will enter two important contests against No. 10 Princeton (0-2-2 ECAC, 0-3-2 overall), a club that swept the Bulldogs in two games last year. This year should be a different story, however, based on a comparison of the two teams' seasons so far. "These are games we need, but you can lose to anyone on any given night," Toomey said. "We have to play our best to beat them, but we would be disappointed if we don't get two victories."

Nevertheless, the team knows it cannot focus on records, especially in a conference where the gap that separates the top from the bottom is relatively small. Instead, it must hold onto what has taken it this far: its balanced attack on offense, on defense, and in the net. "Our goal at the beginning of the season was to have home ice for the playoffs," forward Cory Shea, BR '00, said. "Now, we might make it easy on ourselves and go out and win it." The goal is simple: to "come off this series with four points," Shea said.

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