St. Lawrence University men's hockey coach Greg Carvel went into Saturday's game at Dartmouth hoping for increased scoring from his second line of Gunnar Hughes, Brian Ward and Patrick Doherty and that is just what he got as the Saints came from behind to beat Dartmouth 8-5, finishing their ECAC season-opening four-game road trip at 2-0-2.

Hughes and Doherty scored two goals each and Ward had a pair of assists as St. Lawrence overcame the loss of two players to major penalties in the first period for the win and their best ECAC start since a 4-0-0 beginning to the 2006-07 season. It was also the most goals scored in a game by the Saints since a 8-1 win over Cornell on Jan. 30 2008.

The Saints had to battle through some adversity in the first period as they had two players receive major penalties and game misconducts. Woody Hudson was sent off on a hit from behind at 6:13 and Dartmouth came out of the major power play with a 2-1 lead, scoring two power play goals, but giving up a shorthander. Defenseman Eric Sweetman was later sent to the showers on what was ruled contact to the head.

Defenseman Andy Simpson scored the first goal for Dartmouth, which came into the game scoring at a 30.4 percent clip on the power play, deflecting a pass from the boards by Brad Schierhorn past Saint goalie Matt Weninger just seven seconds into the major power play. The Saints got that one back when Pat Doherty read a Dartmouth pass, intercepted it and went in on a shorthanded breakaway, tucking the puck past Dartmouth goalie Charles Grant at 8:06. Dartmouth scored its second power play goal of the major at 10:22 as Josh Hartley scored his first of the year on a shot from the point with Weninger screened to make it a 2-1 Dartmouth lead.

The Saints apparently tied it with 7:34 to play when Greg Carey's shot on a power play hit the crossbar and apparently went into the net, but a review ended up in a wave-off. The Saints did tie it at 17:04 when Chris Martin tipped a shot by Eric Sweetman past Grant with Greg Carey also assisting, but shortly after lost Sweetman for the night on another major penalty call.

The Saints had a strong second period to take a 5-3 lead after the first 40 minutes, outshooting Dartmouth 14-7 and outscoring the Big Green 3-1.

Matt Carey snapped the 2-2 tie 4:03 into the period when he gathered the rebound of a shot off the end boards by Gavin Bayreuther and roofed a shot from a tough angle for his sixth of the season with Greg Carey also assisting. It went to 4-2 just 16 seconds later as Doherty finished off a rush with his second of the night, taking a pass from Pat Raley and walking in on Grant with Gunnar Hughes picking up the second assist.

While Dartmouth got one back when Brett Patterson scored unassisted on a three-on-two at 11:46, the Saints made it a 5-3 game on the power play when Gunnar Hughes scored his first of the year, taking a pass from Doherty in stride and one-timing a shot over Grant's shoulder at 13:38. Brian Ward also assisted on Hughes' goal, which snapped a six-game scoring drought for the Saint junior.

The Saints opened up a cushion in the third period as Hughes scored his second of the night on a point blank shot after Ward circled the net and put the puck right on his stick at 11:47. It was the first Saint third period goal in four games, and they went on to add two more, but needed them as Dartmouth scored two of its own.

Matt Carey scored his second of the night at 14:17 on a power play, getting back up and into the play after being taken down from behind. Greg Carey made a perfect pass and Matt snapped his seventh of the season past a helpless Grant at 14:17. Dartmouth then scored two, one by Charlie Mosey at 14:48 and the other by Eric Neiley at 17:14, but Greg Carey thwarted any further comeback hopes when he picked up a drop-back pass by a Dartmouth defender and rifled the puck into the unguarded cage at 18:18 as Grant was headed to the net for an extra attacker.