Giffin's Goal Beats Dartmouth in OT

 

HANOVER, NH: Junior forward Charlie Giffin snapped a shot over the shoulder of Dartmouth College goaltender Mike Devine with just 24.5 seconds to go in overtime to lift St. Lawrence to a 2-1 ECAC Hockey League win over the Big Green in the Saints’ 2006-07 ECACHL opener.

 

SLU improved to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in the league, handing Dartmouth, 2-1, 1-1 its first loss of the year in a game which featured outstanding goaltending and some great scoring chances for both teams despite the tight final score.

 

“That was as well as we have played all year,” said Saint coach Joe Marsh. “There was a lot of energy expended out there tonight and I am very glad we were able to come away with the win to reward our efforts. It was a great shot by Charlie and a big play by Kevin DeVergilio to set him up.”

 

DeVergilio nearly ended the game on the first rush of the overtime period, but his pass to a wide open Matt Generous just missed. Saint rookie goalie Alex Petizian then stuffed Dartmouth’s J.T. Wyman with two minutes to go in the overtime to deny Dartmouth’s lone bid of the extra period. DeVergilio then took the puck from Shawn Fensel and broke into the Dartmouth zone in the final minute of the overtime, and drew the defense to him. DeVergilio snapped a pass to Giffin at the left faceoff dot and Giffin snapped the shot to the far upper corner for his third of the year and the Saint win.

 

The Saints won their ECACHL opener for the 15th time since the league went to travel partners in 1984-85 and are now 3-0 against Dartmouth in league openers. It was the first Saint win in Hanover since January of 2002.

 

Petizian won his second straight start with 21 saves and ran his shutout streak to 106:18 before Dartmouth’s T.J. Gagliardi scored from point blank range 2:08 into the third period.

 

“Alex is playing with a lot of confidence and making the big saves,” said Marsh. “He didn’t see a lot of action early, but made the right play at the right time, and then he came up huge in the third period and overtime when Dartmouth turned the pressure up a couple of notches.”

 

The Saints had the upper hand in play, but neither team could score in a fast-paced first period. SLU outshot Dartmouth 10-3 with the help of a trio of full power play opportunities.

 

Big Green goalie Mike Devine came up big several times during the period including point blank saves on DeVergilio and Giffin in the final two minutes of the period. Petizian came up with a big save on Nick Johnson early in the first period, but the Saints limited Dartmouth’s offensive chances the rest of the way.

 

The second period was more of the same with the Saints continuing to dominate in the offensive end and Devine continuing to turn them away. The Saints had a 14-5 edge in shots on goal in the second period.

 

Petizian again had to come up big early in the period as he twice stopped Rob Pritchard from point blank range three minutes into the period. He also had to come up with a big stick save on David Jones midway through the period after a Saint defensive turnover.

 

Galiardi broke the scoring ice with his second of the year after Dan Schribman worked the puck free behind the Saint net and sent it out in front at 2:08, but the Saints came back to tie it on a power play with 8:23 gone in the third. DeVergilio took the first shot after a setup by Matt Generous, and while Devine kicked that one out, Fensel shoved a second rebound under the goalie and into the back of the net for his first of the year and the tie.