For one game, Princeton hangs with Irish

For its final home series of 2007, the men's hockey team (5-7-0 overall, 4-4 ECAC Hockey) welcomed No. 6 Notre Dame (16-4) to Baker Rink for a two-game series this weekend. On both Friday and Saturday nights, against the toughest team on its schedule this season, Princeton showcased moments of brilliance, but ultimately failed to record a win against a superior Fighting Irish team.

After jumping out to a 1-0 lead Friday before falling 4-2, the Tigers were crushed 7-0 in the weekend finale.

"We treat every weekend the same, regardless of the opponent," senior forward Kyle Hagel, who did not play last weekend due to a knee injury, said. "Our goal in every game is to keep improving, and keep establishing our identity as a fast team that goes hard to the net and backchecks effectively."

The Tigers opened Friday night's game with an intensity that showed just how excited they were to take on a high-profile team like Notre Dame. Sticking to the game plan, the Princeton skaters flew around the ice, finishing hits and backchecking with confidence, before eventually scoring the first goal of the game on a power play. With eight minutes, 32 seconds remaining in the opening period, senior forward Erik Pridham received a pass from sophomore forward Kevin Kaiser at the left circle and slid a shot past the Notre Dame goalie.

Princeton's lead, however, did not last long. Less than four minutes after Pridham's goal, Notre Dame tied the score on a rebound from in front of the net. The Irish continued to apply pressure at the end of the first period, but steady defense from the Tigers and stellar goaltending from sophomore Zane Kalemba kept the score knotted at one at the end of the first.

Notre Dame scored the only goal of the second frame with just 1:31 left in the period. Beautiful passing from behind the net set up the goal, a rifle from the left circle that beat Kalemba, who was as good in the second frame as he was in the first.

The Irish opened the scoring in the third period as well, this time scoring on a two-on-one shorthanded break to go up 3-1 with under 16 minutes remaining in the game. Faced with a two-goal deficit, Princeton began pressing. The Tiger defenders stepped up in the offensive third, and with 7:24 left in the game, the strategy paid off. From behind the net, junior forward Lee Jubinville found freshman defenseman Taylor Fedun streaking from the point and fed him with a perfect pass, which Fedun put away to pull his team to within one.

Fedun's goal capped the Tigers' best stretch of offensive hockey during the game, but Princeton was unable to net the equalizer needed to force the match into overtime.

A late penalty to freshman forward Kevin Lohry forced the Tigers to play a man down for two of the game's final four minutes, and Notre Dame sealed the 4-2 victory with a goal when there was just 1:43 left to play.

In all, it was a loss typical of the Tigers this season. They outplayed their opponents to start the game, but inconsistency eventually caught up to them. Defenders Fedun and senior Mike Moore had outstanding games, and Kalemba was solid as well, stopping a season-high 28 shots.

"We definitely came out hard to start the game," Hagel said, "but unfortunately that intensity lagged in the later periods. A few tough defensive mistakes also hurt us."

That lack of intensity carried into Saturday night's game, when the Tigers looked outmatched from the opening face-off. Notre Dame scored twice in the opening period, once on the power play and once at even strength.

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Princeton looked sluggish in the second period as well, and the Fighting Irish — sensing an opportunity to break the game open — took full advantage. Notre Dame outshot the Tigers 15-4 in the second frame, and its lead stretched from 2-0 to 6-0 as Notre Dame recorded four goals in less than seven minutes. The third goal of the game was Notre Dame's second shorthanded goal of the weekend, a stat that demonstrates the discipline and skill of one of the best teams in the nation.

After giving up six goals on 23 shots, freshman goalie Alan Reynolds was replaced by junior Thomas Sychterz to start the third period, but the change did little to rattle the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame added a goal with 3:30 left in the game and coasted to a 7-0 victory.

The loss was the worst defeat in over three seasons for the Tigers, but Hagel asserts that Princeton's morale has not been damaged.

"Before this weekend started, we knew that when we are on our game, we can play with any team in the country," Hagel said. "That being said, we also knew that we cannot play mediocre hockey and still expect to stay with a team like Notre Dame. These games did nothing to change that belief."

As the Tigers look ahead past their lengthy layoff to their games against Minnesota State and Nebraska-Omaha on Dec. 28 and 30, respectively, they will undoubtedly be focusing on playing more consistent hockey.