Sophomore goalie Trevor Clay showed the poise of a veteran in the goal crease Saturday night.
With his team up, 4-2, late in the third period against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Clay made the save of the night to cement the Tigers' first Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference victory of the season and the first victory of his young career.
The Engineers' Kevin Croxton stood unguarded on the doorstep of Clay's crease, with his team up a man on the power play. Croxton received a pass from his wing and, with the top right corner of the goal open, tried to roof the puck just under where the post meets the crossbar.
But Clay, who had already made some 35 saves, would steal the shot from the top corner of the net. The save came with two minutes, 30 seconds left in the third period, with the Tigers up two goals in a game they had dominated from the start but saw slipping as the minutes ticked away.
Princeton (1-5-0 overall, 1-3-0 ECAC) grabbed its first substantial lead of the season against the Engineers (5-7-0, 1-3-0) 10 minutes into the first period off junior forward Dan Hursh's deflection of junior defenseman Matt Maglione's wrist-shot from the point. Minutes later, the team then tallied another on the power play when sophomore forward Neil Stevenson-Moore registered his second goal of the season on a rebound.
"Stevenson-Moore was playing at his best," head coach Len Quesnelle '88 said about his sophomore right-winger, who also netted Princeton's game-winner off a one-timer. "He was getting in there, finishing off all night."
The two goal-lead would be the first of three two-goal leads that the Tigers would earn in the game. Princeton went up 3-1 in the third before letting RPI sneak back in when Hursh made a bad giveaway deep in his defensive zone. Croxton, who Clay would better minutes later, successfully roofed the puck this time to pull his team within one goal.
After a disciplined 5-on-3 kill, the giveaway and subsequent goal was a sour way to put the Engineers back in the game. But the Tigers did not hold their heads down, instead pulling to another two goal lead with four minutes to play after Stevenson-Moore scored his second off a pass from sophomore line mate Mike Patton, less than a minute after Croxton's roofer.
The evening's penalties could have killed the Tigers. RPI's three goals each came during one of their nine powerplay situations — of which junior defenseman Steve Slaton alone caused five.
But it could have been worse for the Tigers.
The emphasis in the post-game interviews was how badly the Tigers wanted a win. Clay's save at the end of the game was that desire being acted out. Clay snatched Croxton's shot out of midair and sent his teammates on the bench and fans in the stands shouting with enthusiasm, because, with Clay's stretching save, the win was now in reach.
"I knew he had a lot of net open and all I could really do was reach as far as I could with my glove," Clay said. "He happened to put it in the right spot."
RPI was forced to play the kind of comeback hockey that Princeton played a night earlier against Union (4-4-3, 2-1-1). The Tigers found themselves in a 3-goal hole after the first 40 minutes as they were unable to score a goal until the third period, when Hursh slid one past Union's Kris Mayotte.
Freshman Eric Leroux started in goal, and while he made some key saves to keep the Tigers in the game — including a breakaway save late in the third — he wasn't met with the kind of offensive support which the young goaltender needed.
"I don't think we came out and competed," Quesnelle said in reference to the team's 4-1 loss. "We ran around at times as if we've never been coached. We sat around, and we had goals scored on and us, and I didn't see anybody with action who looked to pick it up."
Needless to say, Quesnelle was a happier man following his team's 4-3 win Saturday night.
"I thought the effort tonight was great from the start. We're a team that's going to make our share of mistakes with some youth in our lineup, but within 24 hours, guys in that locker room were able to turn it around and compete the way they needed to compete to get the 'W.'"
Read More
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse plays No. 5 Syracuse in NCAA quarterfinals
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Should the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Six for six: men’s and women’s track and field both complete triple crown
Luke StocklessMen’s and women’s track and field each won the Ivy League title this past weekend, capping off a dominant season in which both teams won the triple crown — a feat not seen in 14 years.
Men’s and women’s track and field each won the Ivy League title this past weekend, capping off a dominant season in which both teams won the triple crown — a feat not seen in 14 years.
Nation’s No. 2 miler Mena Scatchard ’25 to transfer to Stanford for graduate year
Luke StocklessThe Tigers’ most decorated distance runner ever has decided to use her final year of eligibility at Stanford after graduating from Princeton this May.
The Tigers’ most decorated distance runner ever has decided to use her final year of eligibility at Stanford after graduating from Princeton this May.