The men's hockey team has just two games left in its regular season and its opponents this weekend, Rensselaer and Union, are ranked one below and above Princeton in the league, respectively.
Needless to say, these are big games for the Tigers.
Relatively big, at least, considering that every team in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League will make the playoffs. But the ECACHL playoffs boast one of the more convoluted systems imaginable, leaving plenty of room for continued interest even after other sports' playoffs have long been decided. Since there are 12 teams, the top four receive first round byes while the bottom eight duke it out to see who gets a shot at the seeds.
As it stands now, the Tigers, tied for ninth, would travel to St. Lawrence for the first round. That, however, could quickly change after this weekend. They can still finish eighth with two wins and a little bit of help, and no lower than eleventh, barring some remarkable turnaround from last-place Yale.
At this juncture, the two likely candidates for first round opponent are St. Lawrence and Brown. Princeton split its two games with Brown this year, and managed a tie and a loss to St. Lawrence.
To maintain their current standing, the Tigers will need to pick up at least total three points in their games against Rensselaer (13-19-2 overall, 5-14-1 ECACHL) and Union (11-20-1, 7-13-0). But Princeton's opponents will have as much to play for as it does.
The Tigers' opponent Friday will be Rensselaer, a team they squeaked by earlier in the season, 3-2, on a late goal by junior forward Patrick Neundorfer, who notched an assist in the game as well.
The Engineers have been outscored by their opponents 100-90 on the season. Though led offensively by two juniors and a senior who have put up 28 or more points on the season, they suffer from a lackluster defensive unit that gives up 2. 93 goals per game. Their top goaltender, senior Andrew Martin, has an .894 save percentage.
A win over Rensselaer would secure the ninth spot for Princeton, assuring it a first round contest against the sixth ranked ECACHL team. It would also ease the pressure on the Tigers the following night against Union, a team that beat Princeton in a 6-4 shootout in mid-November.
Statistically, the Dutchmen are the weaker of the two opponents, but they sit three points ahead of both Rensselaer and Princeton in the standings. The Tigers would need to win both nights and get some help from other teams around the league to take over the eighth spot, currently held by Union.
Union has put only 71 goals on the year, while its opponents have burned them for 103. The Engineers' top goalie, Kris Mayotte, gives up 3.41 goals a game, with an .891 save percentage. Princeton's array of offensive weapons should have ample opportunities to get any final kinks out of its systems before heading into the playoffs.
This weekend should be an interesting one for the Tigers. Though it is not door-die, it would certainly do Princeton well to have a small winning streak heading into the playoffs. The ECACHL is about as tight as can be right now, leaving plenty of chances for the standings to be thoroughly shaken.
Princeton has had mixed success against all of its potential opponents. As mentioned, the Tigers have tied St. Lawrence and beaten Brown. But Princeton has played the seventh seed, Clarkson, tough in its two regular season games. A win over the Raiders would not be a stretch.
Interestingly enough the Tigers might actually benefit from losing both weekend games, in terms of the playoff picture. In that scenario, Princeton would likely play against fifth-place Dartmouth, the only team the Tigers have swept all year.
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