Men's Hockey: Tigers win in North Country

With narrow victories over St. Lawrence (4-6-1 overall, 1-4-1 ECAC Hockey) and Clarkson (2-6-2, 1-5-0), Princeton (7-1-0, 6-1-0) extended its winning streak to six games and gained sole possession of first place in the ECAC.

The Tigers edged out St. Lawrence 2-1 on Friday night before defeating Clarkson 4-2 Saturday afternoon, pushing Princeton’s record to a perfect 6-0-0 on the road this season.

Senior forward and captain Brandan Kushniruk led the way for Princeton, scoring a pair of game-winning goals, his first goals of the season.

Princeton started solidly against St. Lawrence, outshooting the Saints 8-5 and gaining two power-play opportunities in the first period. Despite the shot advantage, the Tigers could not crack St. Lawrence goalie Alex Petizian.

That changed four minutes, 10 seconds into the second period, when a shot from sophomore forward Mike Kramer found its way through a screen and into the back of the net.

Junior netminder Zane Kalemba held the 1-0 Princeton lead through the second frame though St. Lawrence outshot the Tigers 12-6. The Saints finally found the equalizer at 5:51 in the third period when forward Casey Parenteau beat Kalemba with a wrist shot.

The tie, however, did not last long.

Less than a minute later, sophomore forward Kevin Lohry centered the puck into the St. Lawrence crease. With the puck loose, Kushniruk banged home a backhander through the scrum in front of the net to give Princeton the 2-1 lead.

“There was a scramble in front, and we just did a good job of forechecking,” Kushniruk said. “The puck fell out, and I was able to backhand it in.”

Kalemba made sure the Tigers’ one-goal lead stood up, recording 26 saves — including nine in the third period — to preserve the victory.

“Zaner is really the backbone of our team, and he’s so intense about not letting in goals that it adds to our own motivation,” Kushniruk said.

Though outshot for the first time this season by the Saints, Princeton came out firing the next day against Clarkson. The Tigers held a 19-4 shot advantage in the first period. One of Princeton’s 19 shots found the back of the Golden Knights’ net when junior forward Mark Magnowski faked a shot before putting the puck over Clarkson goalie Paul Karpowich.

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Magnowski beat Karpowich again in the second period after the Clarkson goalie failed to control the rebound off a shot from junior defenseman Jody Pederson. Sophomore forward Matt Arhontas assisted on both goals.

Minutes later, Kushniruk put home the eventual game-winner on another backhanded shot. Pederson and junior forward Kevin Kaiser were credited with assists on the goal.

Princeton ended the third period with a 3-0 lead and a 34-12 shot advantage, well on its way to its fourth-ever victory in Clarkson’s Cheel Arena.

The Knights, however, were not prepared to concede the game.

Midway through the second period, Clarkson tallied a pair of goals in quick succession. The first came off a one-timer, while the second was tapped in just past Kalemba, though it was not immediately recognized as a goal.

After the referees reviewed the instant replay, they determined that the puck had crossed the Princeton goal line. Cheel is one of two arenas in the ECAC equipped with instant replay.

The second Clarkson score marked the first time this season that Kalemba, third in the nation in save percentage, allowed more than one goal in a game.

The two goals would be all the Knights would get, as the Princeton defense buckled down for the rest of the period, allowing Clarkson just four shots in the final frame.

“After we let up for a bit in the third and allowed those odd-man rushes, we really battled back,” Kushniruk said. “We knew we had to play better, and we were able to turn it around quick.”

Sophomore defenseman Matt Godlewski added to the Princeton lead with an empty-net power-play goal in the game’s final minute.

The Tigers’ 4-2 victory was not as close as the score indicates, as the Orange and Black outshot Clarkson 47-16.

Princeton’s pair of wins came without junior forward Cam MacIntyre, once again absent due to injury. The Tigers also overcame limited production from senior forwards Lee Jubinville and Brett Wilson, who were their top two scorers a year ago.

“Obviously, Mac is a huge part of that line, so they’re going to be greatly helped when he’s back,” Kushniruk said. “But Jubs and Willy bring an unparalleled presence and work ethic to the team, so even when they’re not scoring, they still have a big impact … The goals will come.”

Princeton hosts Quinnipiac on Wednesday at Baker Rink.