After collecting six points in its last four games, the men’s hockey team has proven its ability on the ice at Baker Rink. The Tigers (7-10-6 overall, 5-8-3 ECAC Hockey), who are currently tied for ninth in the conference standings, now hit the road to take on ECAC foes Clarkson and St. Lawrence. With only six conference games remaining and a close race in the rankings, both games this weekend are extremely important.
“These games are huge,” head coach Bob Prier said. “We are fighting for a spot in the top four to earn a bye. Without a successful weekend, we might not be in that position. It is crucial that we win.”
Players and coach alike recognized the inherent advantage of playing at home. Sophomore forward Matt Farris noted that, without the support and enthusiasm of the home fans, the first 10 minutes are tougher because players cannot feed off of that energy. Nevertheless, they believe that if the team comes into this weekend’s games with the right mindset, they can take the opposing crowds out of the game.
“From the start, the guys need to play physical and respect the puck,” Prier said. “No unforced turnovers or errors. On the road, mistakes are magnified, which can provide momentum for the home team.”
Friday night, Princeton will face off against the Golden Knights (13-12-5, 7-6-3). Clarkson is currently four points ahead of the Tigers, coming off of a weekend with split results. In their last matchup in November, Princeton blanked its opponent 3-0, scoring early in the first period and twice in the third.
Clarkson is led by playmaker Louke Oakley, who has 15 assists, and leading scorer Nick Tremblay, with 14 goals. Goalie Paul Karpowich will pose a tough challenge for the Tigers in net. He is currently ranked first in the league in saves and second in save percentage at .928.
“[Clarkson] is a team with average defense and good forwards that love to have time and space to make plays,” Farris said. “Getting pucks deep will exploit their weak defense and keep their forwards from having the puck. Also, hitting their forwards and aggressively taking away their time and space will be key.”
Saturday afternoon, St. Lawrence will be out to extend its win streak and defeat the Tigers for the second time this season. Entering the weekend, the teams are tied with 13 points apiece. In November, the Saints (10-15-3, 6-9-1) beat Princeton 3-2 at Baker Rink, netting all their goals in the second period.
The biggest worry defensively for the Tigers will be shutting down St. Lawrence forward Kyle Flanagan, who ranks fifth in the league with 29 points. The Saints have big, physical and skilled forwards on their squad. Offensively, the Tigers will again have the tough task of slotting the puck past a skilled goalie: Matt Weninger has tallied 674 saves to date, the second most in the league behind Karpowich.
“We need to generate lots of offense, create openings away from the puck and call for it when we’re open,” Prier, who played and coached at St. Lawrence, said. “This will create a lot of traffic in front of the net. We need to get in front of their eyes, because even the best goalies can’t stop a puck they never see.”
The Tigers have worked hard this week in preparation for their conference doubleheader on the road.
“Our biggest focus this week has been on puck protection,” Farris said. “We know both teams are extremely good when they get the puck, so we have focused a lot on protecting the puck and making plays with it instead of blindly throwing it away. Neither team is really motivated defensively, so by protecting the puck, we should be able to take each team out of the game early.”
Only three more weekends of conference play remain before the postseason tournament matchups are established.
“It is crunch time and every game is a must-win, so everyone will certainly have that mindset going into each game this weekend,” Farris said.
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