The men’s hockey team faced off against Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn., on Tuesday night. Despite a stalemate in the first period, the Tigers broke through Bobcat goalie Eric Hartzell’s defense to shut out Quinnipiac 3-0.
On paper, No. 40 Princeton (5-4 overall, 5-2 ECAC Hockey) entered the night as an underdog to No. 33 Quinnipiac (7-5-1). The Tigers, however, put constant pressure on the Bobcats, proving themselves better than their ranking. Quinnipiac put up solid defense, but in the end Princeton’s proactive attacks proved too much for the Bobcats to handle.
Princeton's goals came from senior forward Kevin Lohry and senior defensemen Cam Ritchie and Taylor Fedun. Junior defenseman Derrick Pallis and sophomore forward Will MacDonald led the team in blocks, with three each. Macdonald, along with freshman forward Andrew Calof, led the team in successful faceoffs. Freshman goalie Sean Bonar made 23 saves in the game.
Although play on the ice was active, neither team managed to light up the scoreboard in the first period. Princeton held a slight edge in faceoffs, however, winning 11 of the 20 opportunities. The Tigers were also more prolific with their shots, shooting 15 to Quinnipiac’s 13 in the first period.
Both teams had power-play scoring opportunities in the opening period but failed to capitalize. The Bobcats had their first opportunity 14 minutes into the period, but Bonar effectively parried the power play with two saves. Princeton earned a power play shortly afterward, but Quinnipiac’s Hartzell blocked Ritchie’s shot from entering the net.
Both teams sparred well in the first 20 minutes, but the Tigers turned up their game in the second period. In the first three minutes, Princeton took five shots and won three faceoffs. Hartzell’s goaltending kept the puck out of the back of the net, but the Ritchie managed to break the Bobcats’ defense eight minutes in on a power play.
The slim lead didn’t make Princeton any less aggressive. MacDonald relentlessly swung shots at Quinnipiac, leaving the Bobcat offense little opportunity to retaliate.
Princeton’s active attacks did not distract from its defense. Quinnipiac earned power plays throughout the period, but the Tigers kept the Bobcats’ advantage from turning into an actual lead.
The third and final period began with a man-up opportunity for Quinnipiac, but Pallis put an end to of the Bobcats' scoring ambitions. Successful faceoffs from sophomore forward Eric Meland kept Quinnipiac from controlling the ice and allowed the Tigers to hammer the Bobcats with shots.
Five minutes into the last period, a power play afforded Quinnipiac a golden opportunity to tie the game. In the five-minute time span, the Bobcats took eight shots at Princeton’s net. Despite five saves from Bonar, Quinnipiac appeared to be gaining energy. A goal from Fedun 12 minutes in, however, switched the momentum back in Princeton's favor.
A cross check from the Bobcats’ Scott Zurevinski granted the Tigers a game-closing power play. Although Princeton did not score another point during this opportunity, it robbed the Bobcats of valuable time to recuperate. By the time the play ended, Quinnipiac had less than four minutes to make up a two-goal deficit.
Even with a comfortable lead, the Tigers took no chances. With one minute left on the clock, senior forward Kevin Lohry clinched Princeton’s victory with an empty-net goal.
The Tigers will return to the ice Dec. 3 to take on league rival Clarkson at Baker Rink.
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