Princeton men’s hockey fall to an impressive Quinnipiac squad 4–1, twice

An unsatisfactory weekend began for Princeton men’s hockey (14–11–1 overall, 10–8–0 ECAC) as the No. 5/5 Quinnipiac Bobcats (24–5–3, 15–2–1) defeated Princeton 4–1 Saturday night at M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn. The second game of the series was played at home on Sunday, where Princeton lost to the Bobcats 4–1 for the second time in a weekend.

During Saturday’s game, an opening score in the first period from Quinnipiac foreshadowed a tough path through, though junior goaltender Arthur Smith fought hard with 26 saves on the night. The Tigers broke through to tie the game at 1–1 on a power-play rebound from senior forward David Jacobs after a slapshot from senior defenseman Tyler Rubin was redirected by senior forward Jaxson Ezman in front of the goal.

The Bobcats regained the lead just 22 seconds into the second period when forward Elliott Groenewald slipped behind the defense to tap in a cross-ice pass. Princeton stayed within one thanks to Smith’s steady presence in net, setting up what felt like a pivotal stretch early in the third period.

The Tigers appeared to tie the game less than a minute into the period when sophomore forward Julin Facchinelli forced the puck across the line, but the goal was waved off for goaltender interference and upheld after review. Moments later, the Bobcats capitalized on a Tiger turnover for a breakaway goal to extend Quinnipiac’s lead to 3–1. Quinnipiac added an insurance goal later in the period as well, while their goaltender held firm in goal with 21 saves.

Despite the final scoreline, Princeton showed competitive stretches against a top-ranked opponent.

“Both games this weekend were really close, they were one-goal games heading into the third period,” Jacobs told The Daily Princetonian. “We weren’t able to turn either of them in our favor, but there’s good lessons to be learned about what it takes to close out games against top-ranked teams as we head down the stretch and into the playoffs.”

The Tigers’ power-play unit generated effective puck movement and net-front presence on the tying goal, but sustaining offensive pressure at even strength proved more difficult against Quinnipiac’s defensive structure. Several of the Bobcats’ scoring opportunities came off transition moments and defensive breakdowns, including the early second-period strike and the pivotal third-period breakaway, underscoring how quickly mistakes can be punished against a top-five team.

A disallowed Princeton goal early in the third period marked a clear momentum swing. A tying score on the road could have shifted energy toward Princeton, but Quinnipiac’s response minutes later created a two-goal cushion that forced the Tigers into a more aggressive posture. Smith’s performance in net ultimately kept the game closer than it might have been otherwise, with multiple high-danger saves giving Princeton chances to remain within reach.

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The very next day, Princeton once again lost to Quinnipiac 4–1. Smith continued to play well in goal, saving 21 shots, but it wasn’t enough. While senior defenseman David Ma was able to score on a power play thanks to assists from sophomore forwards Luc Pelletier and Jack Manfre to tie the game at one apiece, the Bobcats pulled away entirely. While it wasn’t the rerun that Princeton was hoping for, the Orange and Black will have a chance to get back on track against Colgate (11–16–3, 8–8–2) on Friday in Hobey Baker Rink.

“Games against an opponent like Quinnipiac allow you to really see where you are as a team and what details we need to lock in,” Jacobs added. “Our goals are still there in front of us in terms of having a chance to earn more home games at Baker Rink and taking the next step as a group with our performance in March.”

Chloe Lydia Li is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’

Please send any corrections to sports[at]dailyprincetonian.com.