Men's Hockey: Tigers look to rebound against Quinnipiac

Princeton (9-2-0 overall, 7-1-0 ECAC Hockey) defeated the Bobcats (6-5-1, 4-3-1) in their last two meetings, outscoring Quinnipiac 4-1 in those games.

The game is important for Princeton after suffering its second loss of the season Saturday, breaking a streak of eight consecutive wins, including two against Quinnipiac. Despite the 6-4 defeat, the Tigers don’t feel as though they’ve lost the momentum they’ve built over the last month.

“We felt like we got our momentum back with the four goals in the third [period against Mercyhurst],” senior forward Brett Wilson said. “Even though we lost the game, we feel confident going forward.”

Princeton will also need to return to the tough defense that characterized the season before last weekend’s games: The Tigers limited their opponents to fewer than two goals in every game but one prior to this weekend, when the Tigers surrendered nine in just two games.

That effort will begin with junior goalie Zane Kalemba, who allowed four goals in the first period of the Mercyhurst game before being pulled by head coach Guy Gadowsky.

In spite of his shaky effort on Saturday, Kalemba still ranks sixth in the nation in goals-allowed average, giving up just 1.55 per game.

Kalemba must replicate his strong early-season performance if Princeton is to contain Quinnipiac, the most prolific goal-scoring team in the ECAC.

“Zane’s going to be fine,” Gadowsky said. “He’s been spectacular all year, and you really can’t blame him for those [Mercyhurst] goals. Anyone who knows Zane knows his mental strength. He’ll bounce back from this.”

The Bobcats’ offensive attack will be led by fourth-year forwards Bryan Leitch, David Marshall and Brandon Wong. Leitch and Marshall are both ranked in the top three in ECAC scoring, with 12 and eight in-conference points, respectively. Wong has tallied 45 goals in his career, including the lone Bobcat goal against Kalemba on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

“It was good that we held them to one goal [last time],” Wilson said. “We have to continue to do a good job of limiting their chances.”

As for the Princeton offense, the Tigers are still waiting for major contributions from senior forwards and linemates Lee Jubinville and Wilson. The pair led the team in scoring a year ago, and Jubinville was named a first-team All-American and a finalist for the Hobey Baker award.

This year, however, the duo has combined for just 12 points in 11 games. They tallied 75 points in 34 games last season.

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“They’ll get their points,” Gadowsky said. “They’re such good hockey players and have such good energy together that you won’t be able to keep them off the score sheet too long.”

The Tigers’ top line’s problems have been compounded by a series of injuries to junior forward Cam MacIntyre, the team’s third-leading scorer in the 2007-08 season. The six-foot, one-inch, 215-pound forward has played in only three games because of back and groin problems.

“[Losing MacIntyre] is huge, and it has very little to do with the points he puts up,” Gadowsky said. “He’s a tremendous leader and has a tremendous physical presence — he is truly a feared player in our league. When he does come back, and I’m not sure when that’s going to be, it’ll bring a lot of confidence to this team.”

Despite the front line’s struggles, the Tigers have not lacked for scoring, demonstrating a balanced attack that has netted them 33 goals in 11 games.

“Last year, it took every line but one until after Christmas to get going,” Gadowsky said. “This year, we’re at a place where we are capable of putting four solid offensive lines out there.”

This balanced attack, led by junior forward Mark Magnowski and sophomore defenseman Matt Godlewski, has enabled Princeton to outshoot its opponents 437-258, including a 41-25 advantage over Quinnipiac in the pair’s most recent meeting.

If the Tigers can replicate that advantage tonight at Baker Rink, they’ll be in a good position to demonstrate how to beat a team three times in a season and sweep their series with the Bobcats.