Men's hockey relying on Stathos' play in net for berth in ECAC playoffs

Goalies are the great levelers in hockey. When a netminder is hot, his team is competitive in every game — but when the quality of goalkeeping is low, it is tough to get a win no matter how the offense performs.

Luckily for the men's hockey team, junior goalie Dave Stathos has improved his play for the drive to the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament.

In the last four games, the junior has given up just five goals, and Princeton (9-14-4 overall, 8-9-3 ECAC) has earned five crucial points and now stands at eighth in a league where the top 10 teams advance to the posteseason. Last weekend, the Tigers tied Dartmouth, 1-1, and beat Vermont in overtime, 2-1, with Stathos' saves giving them a chance to win until the end.

"[Stathos'] play of late has been exceptional," head coach Len Quesnelle '88 said. "Based on where he was at the beginning or halfway through the year, he's really picked up his game for the end of the season."

"It was a bad season, compared to last year, but you have to make up for it in the end," Stathos said regarding his play after the Tigers tied Dartmouth. "I have so much to make up for if the season is going to be satisfactory."

Earlier in the year, the Tigers' struggles on defense and in goal were a key factor in sending them to an eight-game losing streak before exams that was capped by a 5-3 loss at home Jan. 13 to lowly Brown (4-20-3, 2-15-3). The Bears — the only team in the ECAC without a mathematical chance at making the tournament — play Princeton tonight in Providence, R.I.

Tomorrow night, in Cambridge, Mass., the Tigers battle Harvard (12-14-1, 11-8-1) in the regular season finale for both teams.

The Crimson beat Princeton at Baker Rink, 4-3, Jan. 12, after the Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Late in the game, after Harvard had capitalized on a number of Princeton mistakes, senior forward Chris Corrinet had a chance to tie the score on a breakaway but was stopped by Crimson goalie Oliver Jonas. Harvard is currently tied for third in the conference with Cornell and is fighting for home ice in the tournament.

If the Tigers win or tie either game, they advance to the playoffs. If Princeton manages to win both games, it has a shot at getting home-ice advantage for the ECAC tournament — but if it loses both, it may be shut out of the postseason altogether.

The Tigers need strong goaltending and solid play on defense this weekend if they are to have a shot getting a playoff series at Baker Rink. Harvard and Brown are the only two ECAC teams that have kept Princeton from picking up any points during a weekend series.

"We need to excel at [defense] if we're to be successful against Harvard and Brown," Quesnelle said.

Although the last line of defense is Stathos, who has saved 111 of the 116 shots on goal during the last four games — good for a .957 save percentage — the rest of the team is involved with keeping opponents from scoring. Other players have also stepped up their effort on the defensive end during Princeton's recent success.

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"At the same time, we've needed defensemen and forwards to play better team defense," Quesnelle said.

The Tiger defense is also closely involved with putting the puck in the net. Freshman defender Matt Maglione scored two of Princeton's three goals last weekend, doubling his season total. The freshman scored the game winner against Vermont in overtime Saturday night and was named ECAC Rookie of the Week for his efforts. Maglione also boasts the best plus/minus ratio on the team, at +15 — in second place is another defenseman, junior David Schneider at +10.

Not to be outdone, Princeton's seniors have played crucial roles during the final games of their regular-season careers. Corrinet scored and assisted Maglione against Vermont, giving him at least a point in five of the last six games. Two other senior forwards — captain Kirk Lamb and assistant captain Shane Campbell — have played well recently, as Lamb continues to notch up assists. He has 31 on the season, ranking among the nation's leaders in assists per game.

For Princeton to win both games this weekend, it must combine scoring and defending, but it knows that it can depend on Stathos to hold down the fort in goal.