Dartmouth Shows How Far It’s Come, and How Far It Has to Go
by Joshua Seguin/Staff Writer (@JoshSeguin24)
Finishing with just five wins last year, 62nd out of 62 teams in the Pairwise, Dartmouth looked poised in preseason to have another tough year after being picked to place 11th in the ECAC preseason coaches poll.
Sometimes teams grow faster than expected and for Reid Cashman, who received a contract extension in the offseason, the Big Green just grew and didn’t give up all year.
That rapid evolution, especially over the last six weeks, was on full display Friday at 1980 Arena. The Big Green led mighty Cornell 3-1 heading into the third period, and were clicking.
But hockey can be a cruel game. Cornell, starting the period with a power play, caught fire in the third, scoring five unanswered (two empty netters) and defeated the Big Green, 6-3. It abruptly ended what could have been an even more magical season in Hanover.
“I am incredibly proud of this team and the 25 young men on my team,” said a visibly distraught Cashman after the game. “We hadn’t lost since February 3rd, we secured a first-round bye, a second-round sweep at Thompson Arena and we came to Lake Placid and fought to the very end.”
It may be just another year where Dartmouth fails to win an ECAC Tournament championship, something the program has never done despite coming close many times. But in perspective, the year cannot be viewed as anything but a success. Last season, the Big Green languished at the bottom. Cashman, who took over from Bob Gaudet during the 2020 COVID pause, had a tough start to life at Dartmouth.
But when it clicked, it really clicked.
“We, as coaches, say cliche things and you put things on the wall, but this group just got it,” Cashman said. “They went all in. They allowed us to challenge them, they responded, they grew and they took a step forward. It was special and it is why we get into coaching. We have to continue to invest in culture and the group.”
They improved by eight wins, improved eight positions in the standings and hadn’t lost a game in regulation since Feb. 3. All of that was great, but a win on this night would’ve been ultra-special, and that’s why it stings anyway — to get so close.
“It started last spring,” said junior Sean Chisholm, who scored the opening…
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