Icecats 4, Dartmouth 2

UNH snapped a two-all tie with a pair of scores in the final six minutes, retaining the rights to the RiverStone Cup with a 4-2 win over Dartmouth at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Josh Ciocco and Jacob Micflikier each had a goal and two assists for New Hampshire, which could move to No. 1 in the country with the win. 

Welcome to the Verizon Wireless Arena, where in the sixth annual Battle for the RiverStone Cup the University of New Hampshire hockey is even with Dartmouth, 4-2, midway through the third period. UNH is looking to retain the Cup after taking a 5-4 triumph in last year's Granite State grudge match.

UNH got on the board first, when Jacob Micflikier took a pass from Shawn Vinz and chipped it over the shoulder of Mike Devine from low in the left faceoff circle. That came just 3:24 into the second stanza, and only four minutes later the Green got the goal back.

After a turnover near the top of the UNH zone, T.J. Galliardi walked in with Kevin Swallow in a two on one, making a short but effective feed that Swallow needed only stuff through Kevin Regan's five hole.

UNH regained its edge when Josh Ciocco scored on a two-on-one 6:12 into the third, but again Dartmouth had an answer. This once came from Tanner Glass, who with 12:02 to play took advantage of Regan;s anticipation of a centering pass and flung the rubber from a few feet in front of the left wall just inside the near post.

Kevin Kapstad gave UNH the game-winner when he rifled a rocket from the point with 6:00 to go, then Brett Hemingway added the insurance slightly more than two minutes later, when he took Ciocco's feed from behind the net and stuffed it short side.

We'll have more in a couple hours...

• Dartmouth outshot UNH 17-2 in the opening period, holding the Wildcats without a shot for the first 10 minutes. The Green had an 18-4 edge in shots when Micflikier scored.
• UNH went scoreless on three power-play chances in the opening period.
• Kevin Regan is in the cage for New Hampshire, while Mike Devine -- who has played every minute this season for the Big Green -- is in goal for Dartmouth.
• Two of the 'Cats three losses this season have been to ECAC teams (Yale and Cornell). Dartmouth is second in that conference's standings.