A long day's journey through the ECACs

Non-conference upsets put Elis in the national spotlight, but ECACs say not so fast.

Given their amazing regular season start—two impressive upsets against number-three New Hamp- shire and number-two Boston College—the Yale men's hockey team might have naturally expected future victories to come more easily. Against these two teams from the formidable Hockey East conference, Yale's offense thrived, able to play the faster, open-ice style best suited to their talents.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Goalie Dan Lombard's, SM '02, stellar play has been crucial to the Bulldogs in their early upsets of top-ranked Boston College and number-three New Hampshire.

But nothing ever comes easy in the ECAC. Victories in the backyard of the seemingly more talented Hockey East do not necessarily translate into victories on ECAC ice.

"Playing those Hockey East teams, it's a totally different style," forward Spencer Rodgers, CC '02, said. "We matched up well against them; they're great skating teams. In the ECAC, it's a tighter and more physical game. You have to scratch and scrounge for every goal you get."

ECAC teams will not play New Hampshire's and Boston College's style of hockey. "The ECAC is a little more physical," forward Luke Earl, JE '02, said. "While the teams might not be as skilled, they work hard. You're not going to catch any team off guard."

And, ECAC teams will not make the mistake of underestimating the Bulldogs. "New Hampshire and Boston College, quite frankly, took us lightly," Yale Head Coach Tim Taylor said. "Those days are probably over. Our league is extremely tough; there is an added intensity in every game we play."

The East is a beast

On Fri., Nov. 10, St. Lawrence knocked the Bulldogs off their lofty perch by handing them their first loss of the season, a devastating 4-3 defeat in overtime. St. Lawrence forward Russ Bartlett netted the final goal with only 13 seconds left in overtime, and in one sudden moment, Yale's Cinderella season looked a little less rosy.

The loss might have easily sapped some life out of the team, but Yale showed resolve on Saturday night, rebounding with a 5-4 overtime victory over Clarkson. In this game, the final bounce went the way of the Bulldogs: with 2:26 left in over-time, forward Nick Deschenes, MC '03, took a feed from star forward and Captain Ben Stafford, BR '01, buried it in the net, and sent the Golden Knights packing.

Of the turn of events Taylor said, "[St. Lawrence] was a devastating way to lose. But the big factor of the weekend was that we rebounded."

While we're partying...

Dartmouth plays a style of hockey similar to that of St. Lawrence and Clarkson—gritty and physical. "They have a very talented defensive core and a hardworking group of forwards," Taylor said. "It should be competitive and intense in play." Saturday's Vermont game, however, promises to offer another style of hockey, more similar to that seen in both the UNH and BC games. "The game should be played more on the open ice. They are more of a speed team," Taylor added.

M. Hockey

Record: 3-1. 1-1 ECAC Recent Results: Lost at St. Lawrence, 3-2 OT; won vs. Clarkson, 5-4 OT Coming Up: Fri., Nov. 17 vs. Dartmouth, 7 p.m. Sat., Nov. 18 vs. Vermont, 7 p.m.

Spurred on by last year's lost season—when the team was disqualified from ECAC competition for its hazing practices—Vermont seems hungrier than ever, sitting at second in the conference after wins over Harvard and Brown. "They're on a hot streak," Earl said. "You know they're going to be competitive."

Faced with a difficult ECAC schedule, the Bulldogs know that now is the time to fix problems, particularly on the blue line and on special teams. "There is definitely room for improvement. Our special teams need to get going," forward Adam Sauve, BR '01, said.

Meanwhile, Yale's team defense, normally among the best in the conference, has allowed opponents to score at a higher rate than years past. While hardly cause for too much alarm, the team understands that it must address the problem before it grows more serious. "We're scoring goals at a greater clip," Taylor said. "But on the flip side, we're giving up goals at a greater clip. That means tightening up the defense and becoming more stingy, without subtracting from the offense." If the team fails to do so, it could be up against a very long season in the always-competitive ECAC, a conference in which untimely defensive lapses have sealed many a team's fate.

Taming the wild?

"The season is a work in progress," Taylor said. "There are a lot of ebbs and flows in a season. Right now, we're playing with a very high level of confidence. We had an attitude adjustment after last season. We looked right in the mirror and saw what had to be done. Now, we're restoring Yale hockey to certain principles that have always worked for us in the past."

First among those principles is, as it has always been, hard work. Indeed, it is arguably the very thing that defines this hockey team, epitomized particularly by the club's two best players: Stafford and center Jeff Hamilton, SM '01, who redshirted last year after a season-ending injury. "They are two of the best players in the league," Rodgers said.

Both Hamilton and Stafford, as their teammates are quick to point out, know exactly how to win, and are always among the last to leave the ice in practice. "They know each other, they are confident in each other." Added Sauve, "They are very vocal and supportive of each other." Stafford has picked up where he left off last year, proving himself one of the best all-around players in college hockey. And unlike last year, he now skates on the first line alongside Hamilton, who has not lost a step in spite of his yearlong hiatus from college hockey.

And what is more, the two standouts have made life a great deal easier for the rest of their teammates. As Earl explained, "It helps to have two star players on one line. That's two guys the other team has to really watch. And with Deschenes, that's another great compliment. The other team always focuses on them, which opens it up a little for other lines."

Heads held high

Despite its 1-1 conference record, the Yale men's hockey team has every reason to be optimistic. Like their fans, the players know that this season poses an important test, and the pressure to pass is intense. They believe they are better than last year's team, which jumped off to a quick start and fizzled near season's end. And they are out to prove it. Their first hurdle: Dartmouth and Vermont this weekend. Remarked Dart, "It's going to be one hell of a road trip."

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