Dartmouth Hockey History

Hockey earns top billing for the second day in a row after Dartmouth used a Tim Busconi goal in overtime  to earn its first-ever ECAC championship with a dramatic, 2-1, win over Princeton yesterday evening in Lake Placid. Dartmouth will now head to the NCAA's for the first time since 1980.

Here's the possession that led to the winning goal and the ensuing Big Green celebration:

Click HERE to find a story out of Dartmouth athletic communications.

The NCAA bracket will be announced at 3 p.m. on ESPNU. Per various bracketologists, Dartmouth very well may end up playing in Worcester, Mass.

From Dartmouth's social media:

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY YOUR DARTMOUTH BIG GREEN ARE @ECACHOCKEY CHAMPIONS! #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods 🌲 pic.twitter.com/SX2nhvnNKN

— Dartmouth Men's Hockey (@Dartmouth_MIH) March 22, 2026

Green Alert Take: I've been asked many times if there's another Dartmouth sport that BGA could cover and my standard answer is that only men's ice hockey has the following that could support it. For reference, the Big Green played before 86,913 fans this season, with 52,964 turning out for 19 games at Thompson Arena.

The issue, of course, is a season that begins in October and this year will stretch into April would require winter trips through snow and ice to games in distant New York state outposts like Canton, Potsdam, Ithaca and Hamilton. The travel difficulty and expenses combined with the length of the season make BGA on the ice an impossible challenge. That said, this would have been the year to do it. ;-)

#

Men's hockey wasn't the only Dartmouth team to win its first ECAC title yesterday. The equestrian team defeated New Jersey's Centenary University in Charleston, S.C., by a 7-3 score. (LINK)

#

Back to football.

Someone who covers Oregon football and no doubt would appreciate baseball's sabermetrics and basketball's KenPom numbers takes a look at former Yale offensive lineman Michael Bennett, who will play for the Ducks next fall. Trying to parse what he has written is exhausting, but here are a couple of excerpts you may find interesting.

He introduces the first video clip he uses this way:

The rushing attack was an essential part of that, and in most games was between 55% to 58% of total meaningful playcalls, but explosive rushing was relatively rare at only about 12% frequency and came about mostly because of defensive miscues - rushing was more like a hammer to dull the defense's wits and set up the real way of moving the ball, which was explosive passing on quick throws made easy by the way they'd affected the defense. The upshot is that a large part of the most productive plays, by design, didn't really involve the offensive line needing to sustain blocks, which is important context for focusing on the setup and behind-the-chains plays when they did.

Whew. 

That intro leads to an analysis of Bennett and the Yale offensive line's performance against . . . you guessed it . . . Dartmouth. (Video link) From the column:

Dartmouth's defensive front had Yale shut down both years, with broken tackles in space the only way the Bulldogs could move the ball. The defense is playing conservatively here and Yale instantly throws into the big cushion, something they'd do whenever they had the opportunity. Note the ball is out before the line is even engaged.

The column also includes this, which Yale's performance in the FCS playoffs kind of puts the lie to, but which is still kind of funny:

The final complicating factor is this: I've done season reviews on three years' worth of Notre Dame tape, four years of Auburn, five years of Florida State, and more of Washington than ought to be permitted under the 8th Amendment... and this Yale football team might be the luckiest program that I have ever seen. I was amazed at some of the stuff that the Bulldogs got away with, most of which if Oregon tried I'm certain would not only fail but would somehow result in injuries and NCAA sanctions.

If you have the time, the interest and the patience, check out the column HERE.

#

EXTRA POINT
It snowed enough overnight Friday that our road had to be plowed yesterday morning, and we're in the midst of a winter weather advisory that could bring us 3-6 inches of snow and ice today before things finally settle down Monday morning. Enough is enough.

Big Day On Ice

A little football to come, but we start today with hockey.

From a story in the Manchester Union Leader:

For the second time in its hockey history, Dartmouth will play for the ECAC tournament title.

The Big Green, known for their scoring all season, tallied two goals in the first period and junior goalie Emmett Croteau stood tall, backstopping a 4-0 victory over Clarkson in the league semifinals on Friday at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York.

Dartmouth's only other trip to the ECAC championship came in 1980, a 5-1 loss to Cornell. On Saturday (5 p.m.), the Big Green will face Princeton, a 3-2 winner over Cornell in the other semifinal.

Find the full story HERE.

Dartmouth, which set a school record for wins in a season, is 22-7-4. Princeton is 18-12-3.

The teams met twice this year with the Tigers winning in Princeton on Jan. 2 by a 5-4 score, and the Feb. 28 game at Thompson Arena finishing 2-2. After a scoreless overtime, Princeton registered the only goal in the shootout to earn the extra ECAC point.

#

Dartmouth Pro Day
March 26 | Hanover, N.H.#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/AW11Zko0sJ

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) March 20, 2026

#

EXTRA POINT
I suppose I could understand if the temperature was 10 below zero, but it was about 30 degrees yesterday when I stopped at our little post office and noticed two fellows had left their pickup trucks running while they were inside. The trucks were still idling – and the drivers were still inside the post office chewing the fat – when I left.

Good thing they live where they do because if they left their trucks unlocked and running like that in much of the country they'd be walking home.

Score A Big One For Williams

Over a 41-year period, Dartmouth had just two people directing its athletic communications efforts, but with the assistant who had been overseeing the office moving on last month, the department will now have its second new director in just over two years.

The perfect candidate for the role is was out there, but per this release out of Williams College he'll instead soon be running the show for the "Little Ivy" powerhouse in Massachusetts:

That, of course, is Rick Bender, who succeeded longtime Dartmouth SID Kathy Slattery Phillips in 2008 and was highly regarded around the Ivy League for his professionalism and steady leadership guiding the office into the digital era. After 17 years at Dartmouth he served as the first full-time athletic communications director at Knox College in his home state of Illinois before the position was eliminated.

Said Williams Athletic Director Lisa Melendy in announcing the school's new SID director of athletic communications: 

"I am pleased to welcome Rick Bender to our department, and excited for him to begin his work with our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. With a proven track record of excellence and a specialized focus on the student-athlete experience within a liberal arts context, Rick is uniquely positioned to lead our communications department as we enter the next chapter. We are incredibly fortunate to have Rick's expertise at the helm."

Green Alert Take: As a former assistant SID who knows and respects Rick, I couldn't have said it any better.

#

Ranking the Top 15 FCS Transfer Portal Safeties for the 2026 Season might be a fool's mission before a single game has been played, but when one of your former players is among those who are ranked and his photograph leads the story, why not?

The photo is of Tyson Grimm, who will be a grad transfer this fall at Rhode Island. From the story (LINK):

Grimm is a super-experienced defensive back who played in nearly every game for Dartmouth over the past two years. He has posted over 100 career tackles with 2 INTs and 6 pass breakups. He's expected to play an important role for the Rams in 2026, who need to replace some major pieces in the secondary.

#

EXTRA POINT
When I was in sixth grade my grandfather sent me a "glow engine"  model airplane. This was back in the days before remote control, and so the plane was tethered to the operator by a control line. I never once got the engine to start and out of frustration took to swinging it around like it was the hammer throw until it broke into pieces on re-entry. ;-(

That, my friends, was the beginning of my lifelong issue with internal combustion engines and the like. I had a grass trimmer that worked for a while, but after a bit I could never get it to start. Whenever my lawn mower wouldn't start, I'd stare at it for a while and then load it into the car to take it to someone who could fix it.

Now maybe you understand why I have a Ryobi string trimmer, a small electric chainsaw, and an electric tractor. The two EVs are a different deal, but I promise you when something goes wrong with our '84 VW camper it's immediately on its way to the shop.

All of that is by way of saying it won't be me cleaning up the mess after the wind storm a few days ago that twice took our power down. Unfortunately, it also took down half a tree that is now splayed across the bottom of our field. I'm not happy about what it's going to cost, but someone with facility for a chainsaw that I clearly don't have will be getting a call in the next few days to take care of that tree and a couple others that have seen better days.

Before The Games Begin

The third video introduction of new Dartmouth coaches from the football program's social media channel:

Success is built in the trenches.@QuentinJones_ on the mindset behind the Big Green defensive line.#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/gkHUCktGDc

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) March 18, 2026

#

This is kind of harsh. The Pats Pulpit grades the New England Patriots signing former Dartmouth defensive end Niko Lalos to compete as long snapper and they don't grade on a curve. (LINK) 

Green Alert Take: Two points. First, you have to raise a cheer for Lalos getting a $1.01 million deal. Let's hope he gets to cash in on it. And second, might I suggest waiting until training camp and you get a look at what Lalos can do before grading him? As a good friend would say, "Sheesh."

#

With Penn making its long-awaited return to the NCAA's today, what remains of the legendary Sporting News has a piece headlined, What is a Quaker? Explaining the origin of Penn's nickname, mascot history. The story notes that (LINK):

According to The Penn Gazette, the first sighting of the Penn Quaker mascot appeared in 1949. A student named Jack Melnick, in costume known as William Quaker, came to a Penn-Dartmouth football game dressed in Quaker attire.

#

An outlet with the hugely unfortunate name brobible has a piece headlined The 13 Teams With The Longest Active March Madness Droughts and it is the rare time that Dartmouth men's basketball has the opportunity to chant, "We're Number One." From the story (LINK):

There are only eight teams in the Ivy League, but that hasn’t prevented a few of its members from becoming responsible for three of the longest active March Madness droughts.

The first is Dartmouth, which has the dubious distinction of being left on the outside looking in for longer than any other program in the country.

The Big Green did earn a spot in the national championship game in 1942 and 1944 (it’s worth noting the NIT was viewed as the most prestigious postseason tournament until the 1950s), but they have not gotten an invite since losing in the first round in 1959.

#

EXTRA POINT
I sent a Happy New Year email this morning to a friend who lives and breathes the NCAA Tournament. In honor of the NCAA's, I'm reposting a column I wrote back in 1998 that I hope you'll enjoy.

A Tough Ticket To The NCAA's

So, you're thinking about zipping on down to the Hartford Civic Center today to catch the NCAA East regional doubleheader featuring the nation's number one team and the nation's number one darling.

Have fun, but don't look for me there.

As much as I'd love to see North Carolina's skywalkers in the first game and Princeton's precision attack in the nightcap, I'm not sure if I can handle any more excitement – basketball or otherwise.

And I know I can't afford a ticket.

That I know because I happened to be in Hartford Thursday night to see Princeton whip UNLV, 79-67.

The seeds of the trip down I-91 were sewn when a friend – he shall remain nameless to protect the not-so-innocent – and I made a pact that we were going to see the Tigers in the NCAA's wherever they ended up playing. He's a Princeton grad and diehard fan. I grew up in New Jersey and have followed Princeton basketball for as long as I can remember.

Our pledge to go anywhere in the country to watch the Tigers this year was a game of chicken, of course. I'll admit now that if they were penciled into the West Region, I would have found a legitimate reason to beg out.

Uh, sorry, but the dog is scheduled for his rabies shot Friday and I just can't miss it.

But the NCAA did us a favor and kept the Tigers in the East. At least we thought it was a favor until The Great Ticket Search began.

First, a little history lesson. When I saw Princeton lose a one-point game to Final Four-bound Rutgers in 1976, I was given the ticket. The phone rang, a friend said he had a couple of freebies and asked if I was up for a road trip. He gave the other one away to a stranger on the sidewalk outside the arena.

Things had started to change by the mid-'80s when several of us drove down to catch an opening-round NCAA doubleheader in Hartford. We weren't happy with how much we had to spend for seats, but we were definitely feeling good about ourselves just for getting into the building. At least we were until the Sherpas led us to the rafters. And there, seated next to us, we found a very large, very uninterested group of kids from the local Boys Club throwing candy at each other.

Now don't get me wrong; I think it's great the kids had a chance to see the games. But it was a pretty fair indication that the demand for tickets wasn't what we thought. That sure has changed.

Take it from me, there were no large blocks of tickets set aside for the Hartford Boys Club this year. The Billionaire Boys Club, maybe.

Once the bracket was drawn and we knew Princeton was headed for Hartford, we set about finding a way through the door. With no tickets available at the Civic Center, the first call was to a broker in Manchester. For a strip that included two sessions Thursday and one Saturday, the asking price was $300. The face value for the Thursday doubleheader featuring Princeton: $30. No thanks, we'll keep looking.

Time to start working the phones and firing out e-mail. I've been in and around sports for a couple of decades now and know a lot of people at a lot of colleges and conferences, but it soon became apparent that this was going to be harder than I thought. My friend's Princeton alumni pipeline was no more promising.

Undaunted, we decided we would drive down anyway and take our chances with scalpers. I've done it before at big-time events with some success. It's a gamble, but it can pay off smartly if you are willing to work at it.

Then the phone rang. Kismet. An old friend had two extra ducats waiting for him at a ticket bureau in Hartford. Was I interested?

My Princeton buddy and I somewhat reluctantly agreed to fork over $110 apiece for two $30 tickets. (Please don't tell my wife.) The plan was to meet the old friend when he signed for the cardboard at Tickets 'R' Us in Hartford at 7 p.m. (That is not the obnoxious business's real name; if they want free advertising, they can damn well pay for it.)

My friend and I arrived at the address we were given at 6:45 and stood there freezing. At 7:10 we started to get nervous. At 7:15 my friend was ready to kill me. At 7:20 I was ready to kill myself. 

We were both thinking murderous thoughts as the 7:40 tip-off approached and we watched sleazy guys who were buying tickets on the street carry them into the bureau to be re-sold at upwards of several hundred dollars a shot.

At 7:25, my friend stuck his head through the door asked a guy behind the counter if our contact had picked up his tickets yet. Sure, the man said, and he left a couple others for two guys who haven't shown up yet. We look at each other in disbelief – and relief. I signed my name. We grabbed the tickets and ran.

Although they weren't our old boys club seats, we were sitting pretty high and on the corner. Still, the view was surprisingly good and the Princeton- UNLV game was fun to watch, so we weren't complaining.

With a couple minutes to go and the outcome decided, my friend headed over to the UNLV section to scarf up a couple of cheap resales for today's game.

I had done the same thing in 1986, buying tickets to see Duke and Navy play for less-than-face value from fans whose team had lost a round before. But times have changed. Fans traveling with the teams now only get vouchers for Saturday's games. Vouchers redeemable if their team won.

And so, while the UNLV fans were disappointed about their loss, they were only a little more disappointed than those of us hoping to capitalize on their misfortune.

At halftime of the nightcap, we trolled the concessions area in search of tickets. We were hardly alone in our quest. A hand•written sign drew notice, but just one potential seller. My friend offered $100 a ticket.

I coughed.

The seller scoffed.

Disappointed, we headed into the bitter cold night only to find our parking garage locked tight. A sign said it closed at 7 p.m.

With no way to get the car, no hotel rooms available for miles and – most painful of all, no tickets – we could only laugh.

As we started to wander aimlessly through the windy streets of Hartford, an attendant at another parking facility told us there was a security guard at our garage and he might – the emphasis being on the word might – be able to help us.

We never did get the tickets. But at least we got the car back.

Anyone got two?

Buddy Teevens Award

BYU coach Kalani Sitake was named the winner of the Buddy Teevens Award in December and formally accepted it Saturday at the 89th annual Maxwell Football Club National Awards Gala. The Teevens Award recognizes "outstanding achievement on the field and exceptional leadership that leaves a lasting impact on players, coaches and the game of football at large."

In accepting the award, Sitake said:

"Coach Buddy Teevens stood for everything great in our profession. Buddy's commitment to innovation, combined with his love for his players and care for their safety and the mentoring he gave them, he gave young people the lessons and principles that will expand and extend beyond the football field. It's an honor for me to be connected to his legacy. This is truly special for me."

Peyton Manning, whose family established the Teevens Award, congratulated Sitake in a short video, saying:

"Coach Sitake is the perfect steward of Buddy's legacy. I know Buddy would be very proud of all the work Coach does on and, especially, off the field." 

#

OptaAnalyst has a posting under the headline, Six Key FCS QB Battles Before 2026 Season and Dartmouth will face one of the six schools breaking in a new quarterback this fall. From the story (LINK):

Harvard Crimson

QBs to Watch: Dante Torres (6-3, 205, Jr.), Ty Fein (6-1, 205, So.), Sam Kaiser (6-5, 210, So.)

The Skinny: Here’s another quarterback battle with little proven college experience, but keep an eye on Torres, the projected favorite. He’s a former New York Gatorade Player of the Year who possesses the skills to be extremely successful in Harvard’s offense. He completed 4-of-5 passes for 68 yards and one TD versus Holy Cross last season. Kaiser and Fein are two younger players who are expected to push Torres and will get a real shot at the starting job.

Jaden Craig, who caused Dartmouth all kinds of problems as Harvard's all-time passing leader before using up his Ivy League eligibility, will be a grad transfer next fall at TCU. 

#

One team (other than Dartmouth) not looking for a new quarterback is the Big Green's Week One opponent, Lehigh, which kicked off spring football yesterday morning. The Mountain Hawks, under first-year head coach Rich Nagy, are coming off an undefeated regular season and are ranked No. 8 in a "way-too-early" preseason poll pulled together for the NCAA. From that poll (LINK):

Lehigh | Last year's finish: 12-1 (FCS second round)

Lehigh returns Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year (running back) Luke Yoder, plus first team all-conference quarterback Hayden Johnson in 2026. All-Patriot League tight end Joseph Marranca and defensive back Aidan Singleton are also back.

For all the talk of Patriot League newcomers, we can’t forget about the Mountain Hawks. Lehigh went undefeated with a 12-0 finish in the regular season last year and have two straight years of playoff experience. 

Lehigh has the makings of a top-10 team next year, even after an early playoff exit.

Find Lehigh's spring roster featuring four fifth-year seniors HERE. 

#

And finally, back to Harvard. This from OptaAnalyst has to stick in the craw of a lot of Big Green fans:

#

EXTRA POINT
It was 8.5 degrees when Griff the Wonder Dog and I headed downstairs this morning, and it's not expected to get above freezing all day.

Last week we had back-to-back days when it topped 60 degrees. That had me doubting Punxsutawney Phil, but maybe he got it right after all. Unfortunately.

Return To The NFL A Snap For Lalos

Niko Lalos '20 is back in the NFL. The former Dartmouth defensive end who made a brief splash with the New York Giants, has been signed by the New England Patriots as a long snapper. He will be bidding for his first appearance in an NFL game since playing in five games in 2020. Find an Avanda Times story HERE, and a What signing Niko Lalos means for the Patriots story HERE.

#

Jordan Belfiori, Dartmouth's new defensive coordinator/linebackers coach, introduces himself in the Big Green's latest social media video:

Setting the tone for the Big Green defense.@CoachBelfiori on what drives him and what he expects from his players.#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/hL5ivSCY5S

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) March 16, 2026

#

EXTRA POINT
Surprise, surprise, our power is out as I write this. I don't know what time it went out but we have a clock radio that shines the time on the ceiling and when I rolled over at some point in the wee hours to check what the red numbers said, there were none. ;-)

Per the the VT Outages site, there are 271 residences in Newbury that are down, and we are one of the lucky ones. We've been waiting to try the setup that allows us to power the house with our car, but Mrs. BGA just happens to be away so I'm managing with a laser printer-sized lithium-ion batter than can run a handful of small appliances at once.

Eureka. The power just came on as I finished this!

More On The New Coaches

Dartmouth athletic communications has a story about the first three additions to the Big Green football coaching staff with comments from head coach Sammy McCorkle HERE. Expect several more additions to be announced in advance of the start of spring football early next month.

#

Callie Brownson, who first made headlines after joining Buddy Teevens' staff at Dartmouth and later coached with the Cleveland Browns, is helping the ECAC start of a women's collegiate flag football league. Here she talks about her journey and her hopes for women in football:

In case you are wondering here is a list of schools expecting to compete in the inaugural 7-on-7 ECAC college football league per a SportsJam story (LINK):

Allegheny College

Caldwell University

Eastern University

Fairleigh Dickinson (Teaneck)

Franciscan University

Kean University

Long Island University

Mercy University 

Mercyhurst University

Montclair State University

Mount St. Mary’s University

Union College

Penn State Schuylkill

Sweet Briar College

# 

EXTRA POINT
The wind is howling here on our Vermont hillside this morning, and rain is falling sideways. Should the power go out, the newer of our two EVs is more than capable of running most of our house for a few days. 

Unfortunately, Mrs. BGA is out-of-state helping out her sister – and she drove off with that car.

Fortunately, I have a lithium-ion battery power station that can keep things going if the lights go out. I even have a solar panel that can recharge it, although by the looks of it, that won't be much help today. ;-)

On A Quiet Sunday

From Dartmouth social media:

No more info from Dartmouth yet. Here's what BGA wrote last week:

Jones arrives from Wesleyan University. His coaching resume includes stops at Brown, several other schools, and as head coach of the Prague Lions in Europe. He began his playing career at UTEP before playing at Youngstown State and the University of Charleston in West Virginia, where he earned his degree.

#

2026 Dartmouth Opponent Records

	OA	Conf
At Lehigh	12-1	6-0
Monmouth	9-3	6-2
Penn	6-4	4-3
At Yale	9-3	6-1
Merrimack	4-8	0-0
At Columbia	2-8	1-6
Harvard	9-2	6-1
At Princeton	3-7	2-5
At Cornell	4-6	3-4
Brown	5-5	2-5

2025 Sagarin Ratings

114	Yale
116	Lehigh
142	Harvard
152	Monmouth
183	Penn
199	Princeton
200	Brown
217	Cornell
219	Columbia
232	Monmouth

Dartmouth finished the year at No. 172 in the Sagarin Ratings.

#

EXTRA POINT
After taking a day off from my regular hike because having my boots sink 18 inches into melting snow made the trip up the mountain exhausting, I took advantage of an overnight freeze to strap on cleats and hit the hardened trail yesterday. 

I learned cleats are a great help on steep uphill stretches that resemble frozen waterfalls. I also learned the hard way they are not much help heading down those frozen stretches. Ouch.