Men’s Hockey: Playoffs on display at Baker

Last year, Princeton (20-9-0 overall, 14-8-0 ECAC Hockey) lost its final regular-season series of the year before storming through the ECAC playoffs to win the conference tournament. After dropping games at Dartmouth and Harvard to end the regular season this year, the Tigers are looking to replicate the magic of last year’s playoff run.

“The same thing happened to us last year, unfortunately,” senior forward Brett Wilson, who was recently named Second Team All-Ivy, said. “It was kind of the same deal. We were playing for first place the first night and ended up losing and then lost the second game. We’ve been in that situation before where we’ve had to refocus. I think guys have already forgotten about that and are just focused on going forward.”

Princeton split its season series with Union (18-15-3, 9-11-2) this year. In November, the Tigers stormed into upstate New York and took home a 4-1 win against the Dutchmen. Two months later, Princeton fell at home to Union 3-2. With those games now a distant memory, it is certain the Tigers will focus on the present task of playing solid hockey this weekend.

“I think our preparation will be the same [as it was in the regular season],” Wilson said. “Our regular season is so short, and all our regular season games are so important, so I think our practice schedule will be the same. I think that’s good for the team, so they don’t have any added pressure going into the weekend — especially for the younger guys, since it will be their first playoff game.”

The Tigers are anchored by junior goalkeeper Zane Kalemba, who was recently named Ivy League Player of the Year. Kalemba led the nation in goals-against average and save percentage this season and kept Princeton in a number of games by making remarkable saves appear routine.

“Our goaltending has been key for us all year. Hopefully we can expect the same out of Zane as we did in the regular season,” Wilson said. “That gives us a lot of confidence. Goaltending is going to be huge in the playoffs.”

One advantage for Princeton is that, having won the conference title last year, the team has the confidence and experience necessary for a repeat performance. Though the Tigers only have three seniors, many underclassmen have been playing key roles on the team since freshman year.

“It’s kind of funny,” Wilson said. “Last year when we ended up going to Albany, they were asking us if we thought experience would be a factor. Last year we said it wasn’t. But I think that having been there before and knowing what to expect definitely helps. Hopefully, we’ll be able to [win] this weekend.”

Helping Kalemba will be a defensive unit that has shown marked improvement from last year. Despite having no seniors and having lost senior captain Mike Moore ’08, an all-American last season, Princeton’s young defense has come into its own.

In a 2-0 win against conference champion Yale three weeks ago, multiple Tiger defensemen laid out to block Yale shots and help Kalemba earn the shut out. Junior defenseman Jody Pederson was recently named First Team All-Ivy in honor of his efforts.

“Last year, our defense was really young. We only had one defenseman that was older than a sophomore,” head coach Guy Gadowsky said. “The defensemen that we have are very experienced because they were forced to be. I think our defense is a very veteran defense even though we don’t have any seniors. I think our forwards are helping a lot. The biggest improvement on our team has been the play of our defensemen.”

The Tigers’ performance on the power play could be the key to the weekend. Throughout the year, Princeton has struggled to achieve consistency on the power play, recording a .148 conversion percentage. If the Tigers can get their special teams units rolling against Union, it could be the edge Princeton needs to return to Albany.

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“One big key for us is that our power play has been struggling throughout the year. I think if we can get that going during the playoffs, it could be the difference,” Wilson said. “Playoff games are usually pretty close and special-teams can be key.”

Despite the added pressure of defending its conference title and trying to clinch a berth to the NCAA tournament, Princeton is simply focused on playing the same brand of competitive hockey that has been its trademark all season.

“From day one, we’ve tried to play the same game that would help us be successful in playoffs and the NCAA [tournament],” Gadowsky said. “The one thing with ECAC is that every game is so tight. We are used to playing very tight hockey where the smallest plays can make the biggest difference. We’ve had a season of playing playoff hockey, and it’s just a matter of playing the same game during the playoffs.”