Princeton finishes in fifth

From their unpredictable 2-1 win against No. 1 New Hampshire to their disappointing game three loss during a best-of-three series against Clarkson during the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals, the Tigers (14-12-6 overall, 11-8-3 ECAC Hockey) experienced a rollercoaster of emotions during their season. Princeton finished fifth in the ECAC regular season behind Harvard, St. Lawrence, Dartmouth and Clarkson, but only a few crucial moments kept the team from a higher seed.

The Tigers won just two of their first seven games, and even tied Quinnipiac — against whom they had been 5-0-0 — but made a remarkable turnaround against No. 1 New Hampshire. The Wildcats had won seven straight and accumulated a 37-4-2 all-time record against Princeton, but the visiting Tigers marred New Hampshire’s then-perfect season behind senior forward and captain Lizzie Keady’s game-winning goal three minutes, five seconds into the third period. Princeton held on for the 2-1 win.

“We definitely came out really strong during the third period,” junior goaltender Kristen Young said. “We were playing the No. 1 team, and we knew we had a chance to knock them down. There was no way we were losing.”

The euphoria of the game, however, was short-lived. The Tigers won just four of their next 10 matches and suffered two-straight losses to No. 7 Mercyhurst in which Princeton’s offense was simply incapable of finding the back of the net.

Against Yale, the Tigers received a hat trick from junior defenseman Katherine Dineen, including a goal that tied the game at three in the third period, but the Bulldogs pulled out a 5-3 win. Though Princeton outshot Yale 32-26 and had three more power plays than Yale, the Bulldogs converted their opportunities better. Just 3:47 into the third period, Yale’s Caroline Murphy found the back of the net and later ensured the win with an empty-net tally in the last minute.

Despite their offensive struggles, the Tigers once again made a turnaround, completing a six-game undefeated streak, including a 2-1 revenge win over Yale. Junior forward Annie Greenwood scored twice during the match, including the game-winning shot at 7:06 in the third, while Young held down the defensive end, making 26 saves to ensure the win.

The Tigers’ final matchup was against No. 4 Clarkson during the ECAC quarterfinals. Though Princeton succeeded in taking the playoff opener 1-0 in its three-game series, the Golden Knights toppled the Tigers in the next two matches, including a 2-1 loss during Sunday’s final game, ending Princeton’s season.

“[Sunday’s] game was very close,” Keady said. “We gave up two goals in the first period, which hurt us. We weren’t able to capitalize on our chances, but it was by no means due to lack of effort.”