Team tops Brown, shuts out Harvard

A Hollywood screenwriter couldn't have written a more perfect ending to the men's hockey team's season Saturday night. Almost everything went right for the team in its 3-0 victory over Harvard in which, fittingly, seniors shined and team records half a century old were destroyed.

Senior goaltender Dave Stathos, playing his final game at Baker Rink, was perfect in net, earning the first shutout of his career. The senior made 36 saves in net — including 15 in the first period alone — against a team that ranks third in the ECAC in offense. The shutout was the Tigers' first over Harvard in 50 years.

"Stathos was tremendous tonight," head coach Len Quesnelle '88 said.

"We got outshot, but he was there to make the big saves. I'm really happy for him."

On this night, designated as Seniors' Night, more than just one veteran shined. Senior David Del Monte, the team's points leader, scored the game's opening — and deciding — goal at three minutes, 49 seconds of the second period when he slid a backhand from just outside the crease past Harvard's freshman goalie Dov Grumet-Morris. Del Monte finishes the regular season with nine goals and 26 points, seventh in the conference in scoring, having registered more points this season than he did the previous three years combined.

Ryan Kraliz, another senior forward, had quite possibly his most memorable game as a Tiger, scoring on a breakaway at 7:50 of the third period. For Kraliz, who was sidelined as a freshman and then started just four games last season, the goal was extra-special, as it was his first of the season — and ended a goal-drought dating back to his sophomore year.

"I skated as hard as I possibly could, and from there I went on autopilot," Kraliz said, talking about the breakaway goal which started when he picked up a loose puck at center ice after poking it away from a Crimson defenseman and then beat Harvard's goaltender glove-side, hitting the top right corner of the net with fatal precision.

The Tigers' win was the second over the Crimson this season, marking the first time Princeton has swept Harvard in a season series since the 1996-97 season.

"I couldn't explain how good it feels beating Harvard at home and sweeping them this year," senior captain David Schneider said. "It's the proudest I've ever been to wear the jersey."

Princeton dominated Harvard physically in the game, and showed its edge in a second period scuffle in front of the Princeton net in which the Tigers held their own and earned a power play. The team finished checks and skated hard.

"Harvard's soft," Schneider said. "They're not the most physical and if you play physical it throws them off their game."

The win over Harvard also solidified the Tigers' first weekend sweep and back-to-back wins of the season. A night earlier Princeton beat Brown, 3-2, in a gritty performance in which the Tigers were forced to come back from a 1-0 deficit, and early sluggishness, eventually pulling away with two third period goals.

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In the final weekend at home for the team's seniors, it was again fitting that a pair of seniors teamed up for the game winner while Stathos, again strong in net, secured the win.

Senior forward Brad Parsons scored the eventual game winner at 12:17 of the third period when, standing at the doorstep, he knocked home a cross-ice, tape-to-tape pass from fellow senior Josh Roberts. Parsons, who battled injury earlier in the season, has since come back strong, finishing third on the team in points with 17.

The last time Princeton won both its games in a single weekend was Feb. 11 and 12 of 2000.

The four points earned on the weekend put Princeton at sixth in the league, posting a final record of 10-10-2 with 22 total points. Having come into Friday's game at eighth in the league — and with their playoff prospects questionable — this weekend's results were the best-case scenario for the Tigers. Not only does Princeton make the ECAC tournament, and not only does it not have to square off against league-leader and top-ten Cornell, but the Tigers will play fifth-seed Rensselaer, with whom tthey split the season series. The best 2-out-of-3 series will be played next weekend, March 8-10, in Troy, N.Y.