A goal in the first and third was the difference, as the Dartmouth Big Green defeated the seventh-ranked St. Lawrence University women's hockey team 2-0 on Friday evening in Hanover, N.H.

Dartmouth struck first, as Mia Buonarosa intercepted the puck below the goal line, allowing Lauren Messier to sneak one past Saints' goaltender Emma-Sofie Nordström for the 1-0 lead. The goal was reviewed as the net came loose, but the goal stood.

After the first period, SLU led 11-2 in shots on goal.

The Big Green held onto their 1-0 lead through the second, but the Saints continued to find opportunities, leading 28-9 in shots on goal after 40 minutes of play.

Shae Messner added an insurance goal for Dartmouth, as she took a shot from the top of the left circle that trickled through the legs of Nordström.

Head coach Chris Wells pulled Nordström 4:07 to play in the third, but despite some good chances, Dartmouth goaltender Michaela Hesová was up to the task holding SLU scoreless.

"We played hard and had all kinds of chances, but it wasn't our night," said Wells. "Hesová was excellent in the net tonight and stopped a number of point blank chances." 

"Dartmouth played with good pace and played hard. They blocked a lot of shots and found a way to win. We had good jump and effort from our team tonight. It's just another example of how hard it is to win this time of year and in our league."

Nordström finished with nine saves for the Saints, while Hesová recorded 36 for the Big Green.

Neither team capitalized on the power play, as St. Lawrence went 0-for-1 and Dartmouth was 0-for-2. SLU finsihed with a 36-11 advantage in shots on goal. 

St. Lawrence moved to 18-10-5 on the season and 12-6-3 in ECAC play, while Dartmouth improved to 5-19-3 and 3-15-3.

The Saints head to Cambridge, Mass. to wrap up the regular season vs. Harvard tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.