Dartmouth at New Hampshire: Pregame Notes and Line Combinations

DURHAM, N.H. -- Good evening and welcome inside Whittemore Center on the campus of the University of New Hampshire where the Wildcats close the first semester by hosting Dartmouth in the 57th meeting between the Granite State's only two Division 1 hockey programs.

Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on WBIN and Fox College Sports with Dan Parkhurst and Pete Webster on the call.

The Wildcats are coming off a three-point weekend against archrival Maine which concluded with a 5-2 win on Saturday here in Durham. Senior Maxim Gaudreault's second goal of the night turned out to be the game-winner while classmate Kyle Smith handed out three assists.

Sophomore Andrew Poturalski earned his second consecutive Warrior Hockey Player of the Week honor for his performance on the weekend, scoring three goals and two assists. No player in college hockey has more goals (14), points (30), and power play points (14) than Poturalski over 15 games.

Second-year goaltender Danny Tirone made a career-high 50 saves in a 3-3 tie a week ago in Maine, including 19 in the first period. The Connecticut native made 28 in Saturday's win and totaled 78 in the set.

Dartmouth closes its seven-game road trip this evening, a week after opening a ECAC split in New York's Capital District with a 2-1 win at RPI. The Big Green was held goalless for the third time this season in a 3-0 loss at Union the following night.

Sophomore Devin Buffalo turned in a 28-save performance for his first collegiate win last Friday. Buffalo took over the starting job on Nov. 28 at Michigan and allowed just one goal in each of his first two starts and two, both in the first period, at Union.

Offensively, senior Jack Barre and junior Troy Crema are tied for the Dartmouth team lead with six points apiece. Barre and classmate Nick Bligh have each scored four goals. Carl Hesler has scored in three of the Big Green's last five games, as many goals as he contributed in his entire freshman season.

Here are tonight's lines:

BIG GREEN (3-6-1, 3-5-0 ECAC)

Brad Schierhorn - Brett Patterson - Grant Opperman
Alex Jasiek - Nick Bligh - Tim O'Brien
Kevan Kilistoff - Carl Hesler - Kevin Neiley
Kyle Nickerson - Troy Crema - Corey Kalk

Josh Hartley - Ryan Bullock
Geoff Ferguson - Cameron Roth
Connor Yau - Tim Shoup

Devin Buffalo
Charles Grant
James Kruger

WILDCATS (5-6-4, 2-1-4 Hockey East)

Dan Correale - Andrew Poturalski - Tyler Kelleher
Maxim Gaudreault - Kyle Smith - Jamie Hill
Shane Eiserman - Ara Nazarian - Marcus Vela
Jason Salvaggio - Chris Miller - Frankie Cefalu

Matias Cleland - John Furgele
Dylan Maller - Matt Dawson
Harry Quast - Richard Boyd

Daniel Tirone
Jamie Regan