Back to Class: A big start for the Big Green

We’re taking you “Back To Class” for our roundup of the weekend’s action in college hockey. Look for more college hockey on NBCSN this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET as Cornell takes on Harvard. 

Did you know there’s only one unbeaten team left in the NCAA? Did you know they’re in the ECAC? Did you know it’s neither Union nor Cornell who were in the last season’s NCAA tournament? Let’s meet Dartmouth College.

The Big Green are off to a great start going 5-0-1 to start the year. Their lone blemish came thanks to a 2-2 tie against Yale in the Ivy Shootout. Since then they’ve won five straight games including a big win over Union on Saturday. How are they doing it? They’re getting huge performances in scoring and in goal from a pair of juniors.

Forward Eric Robinson already has seven goals to lead the team and tying him for first in the conference. Goaltender Cab Morris is putting up some huge numbers to start going 3-0-1 with a 1.22 goals against and a .946 save percentage and one shutout.

Add in great play from sophomore Tyler Sikura (four goals, 11 points) and Dartmouth is the early-season darling in college hockey. Coach Bob Gaudet has his team thinking big.

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Games of the weekend: Leave it to Boston College to keep plowing right ahead no matter who they’re playing. They handled Notre Dame in a classic battle on Friday night beating the Fighting Irish 3-1 and followed that on Sunday with a 4-2 win over archrival Boston University.

Gaudreaubey Baker?: BC’s Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary) continues his red hot start scoring twice against Notre Dame and adding another against BU. Expect him in the mix for the Hobey Baker Award this year and expect to keep hearing more about Boston College all year. Haters are definitely going to hate.

Butters bolts Badgers: There’s never a dull moment in Wisconsin as assistant coach Bill Butters stepped down from his job to possibly rejoin his ministry in Minnesota. Mike Eaves will be looking to fill that position as soon as possible.

UConn’s Marshall takes leave: Connecticut coach Bruce Marshall took an indefinite medical leave of absence from the team. Best of luck to him on getting better. Assistant coach David Berard takes over for him on the interim.

Grosenick hurting: Union College’s win over Harvard on Friday came at a price as last season’s Hobey Baker finalist Troy Grosenick departed with a lower-body injury. Coach Rick Bennett hinted that it was an injured ankle, but Ken Schott of the Schenectady Gazette says he’ll be out three to four weeks with a leg injury.

(Photo: Dartmouth Hockey/Mark Washburn)