A champion is crowned

Saturday’s win marked the final step in the Tigers’ revenge against the Big Green (9-12-4, 4-11-3) for knocking them out in the second round of last year’s ECAC Hockey playoffs. The Tigers also defeated Dartmouth 5-2 at home on Jan. 4.

“We were talking about how they knocked us out in the locker room before [Saturday’s] game,” sophomore forward Kevin Kaiser said. “We needed some redemption, so it added a little incentive for us.”

Having clinched the Ivy League title, Princeton will return its focus to the ECAC title race. Still, there remains a little disappointment with the perfection that eluded the Orange and Black.

“It’s always disappointing to lose,” Kaiser said, “but it made Saturday’s game more important and made us more determined.”

After battling through a scoreless first period in which the Tigers outshot Harvard 10-5, the Crimson broke the tie early in the second when Doug Rogers cracked sophomore goalie Zane Kalemba.

Princeton answered quickly as junior forward Lee Jubinville scored during a five-on-three power play to knot the score. Though Princeton generated only eight shots over five power plays in the second period, Jubinville’s goal was the only one the team managed in the period.

“We had a lot of good chances, so it was frustrating not to score,” Kaiser said. “But you have to give credit to the Harvard penalty kill and their goaltender.”

The Tigers’ lack of success on the man-advantage would come back to haunt them, as Rogers added his second and third goals of the game less than four minutes into the third period. Rogers’ hat trick would ultimately prove enough for Crimson goaltender Kyle Richter, who recorded 33 saves.

Senior defenseman and captain Mike Moore narrowed the gap to 3-2 when he scored from the point 12 minutes, 28 seconds into the final frame. Princeton ultimately tallied 13 shots but only one goal in the final period, as Harvard held on for the victory.

Determined to avenge the loss, the Tigers came out of the gate firing against Dartmouth. Freshman forward Matt Arhontas and Kaiser scored at 10:11 and 14:42, respectively, in the first period.

With a 2-1 lead heading into the second frame, Princeton continued to pressure the Dartmouth defense, taking 15 shots to the Big Green’s 12. With less than four minutes remaining in the period, freshman forward Mike Kramer got past Dartmouth goalie Mike Devine for his seventh goal of the season.

Even up by two goals, Princeton gave Dartmouth little opportunity to come back. Facing a Big Green power play midway through the final period, senior forward Landis Stankievech scored a short-handed goal to give the Tigers a 4-1 lead. Kaiser and Moore both assisted on the goal — their second point of the night.

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After Dartmouth narrowed the gap with a goal just over a minute later, Arhontas slammed the door with his second goal of the night with less than three minutes remaining in the third. Princeton outshot Dartmouth 39-26 on the night, while Kalemba made 24 saves against the Big Green.

The Tigers managed seven goals and 74 shots despite playing without their third-leading scorer, sophomore forward Cam MacIntyre, who sat out with a concussion sustained on Feb. 8 against Brown.

“He’s been great this year,” Kaiser said. “Not having him was a big loss, but we have a deep team so other guys were able to step up.”

Next weekend, the Tigers will return home to take on Colgate and Cornell. While Princeton swept the pair to open its ECAC schedule, the games should not be easy ones for the Tigers. Cornell is currently fourth in the ECAC, trailing Princeton by only three points, while Colgate blew out Union 8-0 on Saturday night and has not lost in two weeks.