Tigers go two and out

There's always next year. After bowing out of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League playoffs by losing consecutive games to Dartmouth, hopes for next season are all that remain for the Tigers.

Though the Tigers traveled to Hanover, N.H., with aspirations of continuing their league championship run, they returned to Princeton disappointed. The speedy Big Green (18-10-3 overall, 12-7-3 ECACHL) proved to be too much for the Tigers, taking the series two games to none. Still, Princeton (15-16-3, 10-10-2) made the 2006-07 season its best since winning the ECACHL championship nine years ago.

In spite of the momentum they had gained by taking two consecutive games from Brown a week earlier in their opening-round playoff series, the Tigers appeared overmatched Friday night, dropping the series opener 6-2.

Led by a group of forwards that Princeton head coach Guy Gadowsky calls the best in the league, Dartmouth pressured the Tigers and freshman netminder Zane Kalemba from the start of the game.

"We just came out flat in the first game," sophomore forward Lee Jubinville said. "We didn't drive to the net as hard as we wanted to and didn't take advantage of their [defense]."

After getting a one-goal lead off J.T. Wyman's shot from the high slot in the first period, Dartmouth began the real fireworks in the second period, scoring four goals in less than 10 minutes. The firestorm of scoring chased Kalemba from net midway through the period. The Tigers were outshot 15-7 in the middle frame, a rarity for their normally aggressive offense.

"We should have enforced the play a little bit more," senior forward and captain Darroll Powe said. "We might have been better off if we got on them more than we did."

Already trailing 5-0, Princeton started down the long comeback road, adding two goals before the second intermission. The first of the two goals was scored by freshman defender Jody Pederson, who flicked in a shot off the right pad of Dartmouth goalie Mike Devine. The goal was the first of Peterson's season and collegiate career. On a power play with just over a minute remaining in the period, Powe added his 13th goal of the season off a redirect from senior defenseman Daryl Marcoux.

The Tigers, though, were unable to carry their momentum over to the third period, as they failed to add a goal in the final frame despite numerous opportunities. Sophomore goaltender Tommy Sychterz, who replaced Kalemba midway through the second period, shut out the Big Green during his time in net, finishing the game with eight saves. Dartmouth, however, managed an empty-net goal with under five minutes remaining, moving the score to 6-2 and securing its victory.

"Our game plan has been the same all year," Marcoux said. "We just try to go out there and play our game, and we just happened to catch a few bad bounces."

Saturday night's Game Two began much the same way that the series opener did, with Dartmouth dominating Princeton on the attack in the first period and ultimately coming away with a 3-2 win. Despite out-shooting the Tigers 14-7 in the opening frame, Dartmouth only managed one goal against senior netminder B.J. Sklapsky. The score came six minutes, 38 seconds into the period, when Ivy League Player of the Year David Jones took a shot that barely trickled past the Tigers' veteran goalie.

Princeton tied the game midway through the second when Jubinville backhanded a shot past Devine for his 11th goal of the season and team-leading 29th point of the year. Jubinville's score was assisted by brothers Brett and Kevin Westgarth.

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"I was sitting out in front and got the pass from [Kevin] Westgarth," Jubinville explained. "I just deked around the far side and was able to put it past [Devine]."

The score remained knotted at one until Jones broke the tie with a shorthanded breakaway goal midway through the third period. Jones' shorthanded score was only the second goal of that variety that the Tigers had allowed all season. The Big Green were not finished, as less than two minutes later, Wyman added his third goal of the weekend off a one-timer to make the score 3-1 in Dartmouth's favor.

Princeton was quick to respond, as freshman forward Mark Magnowski put a rebound past Devine just 34 seconds later. Showing a sense of urgency in the final period, the Tigers out-shot Dartmouth, 16-9, but were unable to crack Devine for a third time.

Still, the Tigers recognize that the season, on the whole, was an impressive one.

"We're proud of the way the season played out," Powe said. "We did a lot of good things, and there's a very solid foundation here for the younger guys to build on."

With the season over, the Tigers will have an opportunity to spend some time away from the ice, though it is unlikely that they will get very far.

"I know most of the seniors will be spending time with their theses," Marcoux said. "But it's coming down to playoff time for a bunch of the [professional] leagues, and a bunch of guys are looking to get picked up for the stretch run."