Dartmouth College snapped a 2-2 tie with 5:52 to play in regulation time and tacked on an empty net goal in the final minute of play to take a 4-2 decision from St. Lawrence University in a ECAC Hockey game at Dartmouth's Thompson Arena Friday night, ending any Saint hopes for a possible home ice berth in the opening round of the playoffs.

St. Lawrence 10-18-5 overall and 6-14-1 in league play can finish no higher than its current 10th place standing and could drop to 11th as it faces a Harvard team which beat Clarkson 3-1 on Friday and has won four of its last five. Dartmouth improves to 16-9-3 overall, 12-7-2 in league play and clinched a first-round bye with its victory.

"Dartmouth did a tremendous job defensively," said Saint coach Joe Marsh. "They have an excellent hockey team, and I thought we played them tough, but it was another one of those nights where a couple of mistakes were costly."

Dartmouth was credited with 20 blocked shots in the game and goaltender James Mello stopped 17 of 19 shots which were on net. The Saints also had a couple clang off the post in key situations late in the game.

Dartmouth cam e out strong against the Saints to open Friday's game peppering Saint goalie Robby Moss with three shots in the first minute of play and scoring the game's opening goal on the fourth shot on goal of the game just 1:25 in. Eric Robinson scored the goal from Doug Jones and Nick Walsh, his third of the season.

The Big Green dominated the first period, outshooting the Saints 14-2 with a ton of blocked shots, but Moss kept them in the game with 13 saves.

The Saints tied it 5:09 into the second period as Nick Pitsikoulis scored his tenth of the year and sixth in his last ten starts from Jared Keller and Jacob Drewiske, but Dartmouth went back in front just under four minutes later when Doug Jones scored his seventh of the year from Evan Stephens and Adam Estoclet on a power play at 9:08.

The Saints tied it again at 2-2 just 2:37 into the final period when Aaron Bogosian scored his second shorthanded goal of the season from Kyle Flanagan. It was Bogosian's 12th of the year and came just 13 seconds into the penalty kill as Bogosian won the draw in the Saint end, took the puck back from Flanagan and beat Dartmouth goalie James Mello for the goal.

Dartmouth regained the lead with 5:52 to play when Scott Fleming scored from Estoclet and Matt Reber to make it a 3-2 game, although the Saints nearly had an immediate answer when Jeremy Wick hit the pipe after the faceoff following the Dartmouth goal. Greg Carey also rattled one off the pipes later in the period as the Saints lost to Dartmouth for the fourth straight time.