Tigers lose heartbreaker when goal taken off board

The men's hockey team played nearly mistake free hockey for at least 59 minutes, 50 seconds Tuesday night. But it was the other 10 seconds that buried the Tigers.

Hosting Quinnipiac (8-6-0 overall, 3-4-0 ECACHL) in Baker Rink for their first home game in over two weeks, the Tigers were looking to get their second win of the year in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League. They almost pulled it off, but two short lapses held them back.

Princeton jumped out to the early lead just six minutes, 51 seconds into the contest on freshman forward Brett Wilson's goal from just outside of the crease. It was his third of the season.

But Quinnipiac responded less than four minutes later on a Brian Leitch goal. Both teams failed to take advantage of their lone power plays in the period.

Princeton regained the lead with 8:20 left in the second period. Sophomore forward Kyle Hagel took the puck from inside the Tiger zone and skated up right ice. Junior forward Kevin Westgarth was even with Hagel up the middle for a 2-1 fast break. When the defender committed to Hagel, he dumped the puck off to Westgarth who one-timed it cleanly under Fisher, putting the Tigers up 2-1.

But with just seven seconds remaining in the period, and the Tiger defense already mentally heading toward the locker room, the Bobcats' Reid Cashman was able to sneak into the Tiger zone and send a shot just over junior goalie B.J. Sklapsky's shoulder. The goal retied the game at two, negating the lead the Tigers were almost able to carry into the third period.

Both teams were efficient in the second, running very deliberate offenses that saw only 14 total shots on goal. Sklapsky and Fisher made six saves apiece.

The third period was played almost entirely between the blue lines. But as the clock passed through eight minutes remaining, both teams began to pick up the pace. The Tiger offense grew noticeably more aggressive and Quinnipiac started taking more shots on goal. But despite placing relentless pressure on the Bobcat zone for nearly four continuous minutes, Princeton was unable to convert.

When the Bobcats were finally able to get the puck out of their zone, they too showed some boosted aggression. With three minutes to go Sklapsky made a save at point blank range to preserve the tie. But even with Sklapsky's efforts, the scoreless streak dating back to the end of the second period was about to be snapped.

The Tigers won a faceoff with just over a minute remaining when a brief lapse in communication in the ensuing attempt to control the puck spelled disaster for Princeton. Westgarth controlled the puck in the middle of the Tiger zone but, in a moment of confusion, seemed unsure who would be taking it out.

Quinnipiac's Joe Dumais took advantage of the Princeton lapse and grabbed the puck, feeding it to teammate David Marshall. Marshall then found Chris Walsh at the top with an open view of the goal. Chris handled the puck and fired a rocket at Sklapsky. Sklapsky got a body on the shot, but it still got through.

There were still 66 seconds remaining, though, and with 29 seconds remaining, it looked as though Princeton might miraculously send the game to overtime. The Tigers, with the pressure of desperation on their side, forced the puck within inches of the net. After a short fracas, all five Tigers' sticks shot up into the air and the red siren behind the Quinnipiac net erupted. In melee surrounding the crease that left three Bobcats laying helplessly on the ice, a Tiger was able to force the puck into the net. The score was tied at three.

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But then the referees started to conference opposite the two teams' benches, and moments later one skated back to the scorekeeper waving his hands, signaling no goal. The final Princeton goal was taken back down, and the Tigers were left with 29 seconds to pull off the comeback. Quinnipiac survived the last 29-second Princeton onslaught and pulled away with the win.

Just as time ran out, two separate brawls erupted between the teams. It was that kind of game for the Tigers, a night that left them wanting to punch someone out of aggravation.