Princeton Takes One Game Lead on Union

Jake Manfre scored two goals as Princeton University raced out to a four-goal lead en route to a 5-2 win over No. 20 Union College tonight at Hobey Baker Rink. The Tigers now lead the best-of three ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series, one game to none. It was Princeton's first home playoff game since 2018, and fifth consecutive home playoff victory dating back to 2017.

Despite being outshot, 31-24, overall and only winning 32 of 75 total faceoffs. Princeton nevertheless dominated a Union team that had shutout its opposition for over 66 minutes entering the game, and which had also been connecting at nearly 25 percent with a man advantage. The Tigers killed off all six Union power plays on the night, and also limited a Garnet Chargers team that had been averaging over five goals per game since Feb. 1 to just two late scores after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

"They're a tremendous team, with a ton of firepower," said Princeton head coach Ben Syer about Union. "I thought we did a really nice job tonight–but they force you to play honest, and I wasn't comfortable until the final buzzer."

Joshua Karnish opened the scoring for Princeton just over six minutes into the first period, his fourth goal of the season and fourth in as many games. Tyler Rubin and Manfre then scored four minutes apart in the second stanza to put the Tigers up by three, before Manfre notched his second goal of the night and 14th of the season just 23 seconds into the final frame. Princeton captain David Jacobs finished with a game-high two assists.

"It helps to get production from our depth, and they played well," said Syer.

Union's Ethan Benz and Parker Lindauer then sandwiched goals around an empty-net tally by Princeton's Jaxson Ezman over the final five minutes for the final margin.

Princeton goaltender Arthur Smith stopped 29 shots, earning his ninth win of the campaign and the 21st of his college career.

"He was solid, and we needed him to be solid," said Syer.

The Tigers also blocked 20 shots on the night, with Rubin recording a team-high four blocks. 

"We all trust each other," said Smith. "We have lot of seniors on the back end, and when you trust each other to do the job, you do well."

Cameron Korpi had 14 saves on 18 shots for the Garnet Chargers before being relieved early in the third period by Brayden Gillespie (five saves). Union skaters blocked just eight shots in all.

Game Two is Saturday at Baker Rink at 7 p.m. A win would send the Tigers on to the ECAC Hockey semifinals in Lake Placid, while a Union victory would force a deciding Game Three on Sunday at 4 p.m.

"It's a long series, and tomorrow will be a grind," said Syer.

"I think we'll be ready," said Smith. "I don't think we'll carry the win into tomorrow, and we'll approach it the same way." 

ADDENDUM: Manfre continued his scoring streak with another goal, Smith made 32 saves, and Kai Daniells notched a hat trick as Princeton ousted Union with a 5-2 triumph in Game Two. Princeton (17-12-3 overall) moves on to the ECAC semifinals against Cornell, while Union (22-12-3) saw its season come to end.

Princeton Ties with Colgate

Princeton and Colgate skated to a 1-1 deadlock on Friday night at Hobey Baker Rink in ECAC Hockey men's play. The game will officially go into the NCAA's books as a tie, although visiting Colgate won the ensuing shootout, two to one, to earn an extra point in the conference standings.

Following a scoreless first period, Max Nagel put Colgate on top, 1-0, midway through the second period with his 10th goal of the season. The score remained unchanged until more than 11 minutes into the final frame, when Princeton defenseman Tyler Rubin knocked home a rebound to tie the contest for the Tigers.

In the shootout, Brendan Gorman scored for Princeton (14-11-2 overall, 10-8-1 ECAC Hockey), while Nagel and Jack Brandt connected for Colgate (11-16-4, 8-8-3).  The Raiders are now unbeaten in their last nine meetings with Princeton.

Arthur Smith finished with 25 saves in regulation for the Tigers, while Reid Dyck made 47 stops for the visiting Raiders. Both teams finished 0-for-1 on the power play and also won 26 of 52 faceoffs overall, while Princeton outshot Colgate on the night, 42-26, before 1,811 spectators.

Quinnipiac Tops Princeton, 4-1, for Sweep

Ethan Wyttenbach and Matthew McGroarty each scored one goal and set up another as fifth-ranked Quinnipiac topped host Princeton, 4-1, this afternoon at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink before 2,230 on-lookers. The Bobcats thus completed a two-steep sweep in ECAC Hockey play, having bested the visiting Tigers by the same score on Saturday evening in Hamden, Conn.

McGroarty opened the scoring on Sunday, wristing a shot from the right circle into the far side of the Princeton net just over three minutes into the second period. David Ma responded for Princeton on a power play just under two minutes later, before Quinnipiac's Alex Power put the Bobcats ahead for good less than 90 seconds later off a deflection in front for his first goal of the season.

Antoni Verreault made it a two-goal game with a shot from the right circle on a power play nine minutes into the final frame, before Wyttenbach closed out the scoring on an empty-netter from center ice with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.

Dylan Silverstein finished with 21 saves in goal for Quinnipiac (24-5-3 overall, 15-2-1 ECAC Hockey), while Arthur Smith made 21 stops for Princeton (14-11-1, 10-8-0). The Bobcats outshot the Tigers, 25-22, and also won 40 of 70 faceoffs in all. Both teams finished 1-for-4 on the power play.

Quinnipiac remains in first place in ECAC Hockey, while Princeton falls to fifth. 

Princeton Ranked 20th in Nation

The Princeton University men's hockey team has cracked the USCHO.com Top 20 for the first time in seven seasons.

The Tigers (10-4-0 overall, 6-2-0 ECAC Hockey) have won five consecutive games overall, and have won all eight games at home so far this season at Hobey Baker Rink, Princeton's longest home-opening win streak since the arena opened in 1923. The Tigers are also currently in first place in ECAC Hockey, and were last ranked among the national top 20 NCAA Division I men's teams during the 2018-19 campaign.

In addition, two Tigers were honored by the conference after last weekend's home sweep of Ivy League opponents Harvard and Dartmouth. Senior defenseman Tyler Rubin was named ADAPT Nutrition Defender of the Week award for the second consecutive week after recording three assists in those two outings, while junior goaltender Arthur Smith was tabbed as MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Week after stopping 58 of 64 shots and picking up two wins in his first action since November.

Princeton closes out a five-game homestand this weekend with conference contests against Rensselaer and Union. 

2024 Hobey Baker Finalists Announced

The 10 finalists for the 2024 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey have been announced:

F Jackson Blake, So., North Dakota (21-36—57)

F Macklin Celebrini, Fr., Boston University (30-25—55)

F Jack Devine, Jr., Denver (27-27—54)

F Cutter Gauthier, So., Boston College (32-20—52)

F Collin Graf, Jr., Quinnipiac (22-26—48)

D Lane Hutson, So., Boston University (12-32—44)

G Kyle McLellan, Sr., Wisconsin (24-11-1, 1.92, .931, 7 ShO)

F Liam McLinskey, Jr., Holy Cross (19-28—47)

F Sam Morton, Gr., Minnesota State (24-10—34) 

F Will Smith, Fr., Boston College (18-40—54)

(Statistics listed are goals-assists-points for D/F; and season record, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for G)

This year's winner will be announced at the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn, on April 12. Last year's winner was freshman forward Adam Fantilli (Michigan), who is now with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.

Princeton Falls in First Round Playoff

Princeton's 2023-24 men's hockey season came to a close tonight with a 1-0 loss at Harvard in the first round of the ECAC Hockey championship. Ian Moore's first-period goal stood up as the game-winner for the Crimson (7-17-6 overall), who got 38 saves in net from Aku Koskenvuo. 

Arthur Smith made 16 saves for the Tigers (10-16-4), who outshot Harvard, 38-17, but were shut out for the first time this season. It was the final career collegiate game for Princeton's senior class, including Mike Kennedy, Nick Carabin, Mackenzie Merriman, team captain Ian Murphy, Nick Seitz, Adam Robbins, and Joe Berg.

Harvard advances to next week's ECAC Hockey quarterfinals, as does St. Lawrence, which defeated visiting Yale by a 4-2 count behind 37 saves from goaltender Ben Kraws. The winner of the ECAC Hockey championship will receive the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

Smith Helps Hawks Stay Alive

Ben Smith (Boston College) scored the tying goal early in the third period, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks went on to defeat the Los Angeles Kings, 5-4, in double overtime on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the NHL's Western Conference Final.

After Chicago took 2-0 and 3-1 first-period leads, the visiting Kings rebounded with three consecutive goals to take a 4-3 advantage after 40 minutes of play at the United Center. Smith's goal against Jonathan Quick (UMass) off a rebound just 1:17 into the final stanza pulled the Blackhawks back into a tie. Quick finished with 45 saves for the Kings, while Chicago captain Jonathan Toews (North Dakota) registered an assist on the Blackhawks' first goal of the game.

The victory not only kept Chicago's season going, it broke a three-game Los Angeles winning streak in the series, and sent both teams back to California for Game 6 on Friday night at the Staples Center. Game 7, if necessary, would be played on Sunday night in Illinois, as Game 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final has already been set for June 4.

2012 Hobey Hat Trick Announced

The three finalists for the 2012 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey were announced today in Minnesota. All three players are senior forwards who have finished their collegiate careers: Maine’s Spencer Abbott, Minnesota-Duluth’s Jack Connolly, and Colgate’s Austin Smith.

Abbott, a native of Hamilton, Ont., led Division I in scoring this season with 21 goals and a nation-high 41 assists for 62 points. The Hockey East Player of the Year, he missed the conference championship game with an injury suffered in the semifinals, but returned for the NCAA Tournament last weekend. He scored Maine’s first goal, the final point of his career, in the Black Bears’ 5-2 loss to Minnesota-Duluth at the NCAA Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass. on Saturday. For his career, he collected 54-92—146 points in 151 games, was a Maine Scholar-Athlete Award winner as a junior, and just signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent.

Connolly, who helped his hometown Bulldogs to their first-ever national title last spring, was second overall to Abbott with 20-40—60 points this winter. He scored UMD’s first goal in the win over Maine, before the Bulldogs were blanked, 4-0, the following evening by Boston College to bow out of the tournament. He tallied 66-131—197 points in 166 outings with UMD, and led the Bulldogs in points his last three campaigns while also being named a first-team All-WCHA choice in each of those years.

Smith (pictured) came in third to Abbott and Connolly with 36-21—57 points, although he led the entire nation in total goals and shorthanded goals (6), and was also a first-team All-ECAC selection. The only drafted player of the trio, the Dallas native is now skating for Texas (AHL). He tallied his final point on an assist in a 6-2 loss to Union in an ECAC Tournament semifinal on March 16 in Atlantic City, before ending his Colgate career the following day in a 3-0 consolation game loss to Cornell. He finished with 79-87—160 points in 153 contests, and twice led the Raiders in scoring.

The winner of the 32nd Hobey Baker Memorial Award will be announced on April 6 at the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla.

Princeton Routes No. 12 Colgate

Was at Baker Rink on Friday night, as Princeton used four second-period goals to break a 1-1 tie and rout No. 12 Colgate by a 6-2 count.

Freshman forward and New Jersey native Aaron Kesselman tallied two goals and an assist for the Tigers, including the game-winning goal at 6:53 of the second stanza. That goal came just 16 seconds after classmate Matt Farris scored on a semi-breakaway to give Princeton (6-10-4, 5-8-1 ECAC) a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Sophomore forward and leading scorer Jack Berger also scored twice for the Tigers, including a power-play marker and a shorthanded score, while junior Will MacDonald set up two goals. Junior goaltender Mike Condon made 26 saves in picking up the win for Princeton.

Senior wing Austin Smith scored both goals for visiting Colgate (12-7-2, 6-3-0 ECAC), which has dropped three straight contests after a seven-game unbeaten streak to end 2011. Sophomore netminder Eric Mihalik had 23 stops in defeat for the Raiders, who were outshot, 29-28, and surrendered two power-play goals and a shorthanded tally.

Princeton now hosts Cornell on Saturday, while Colgate travels to Quinnipiac.

One Down, One to Go

Boston College got the job done against Miami last night, blowing open a two-goal game with four scores in just over six minutes en route to a 7-1 win at Ford Field in Detroit in a national semifinal.

The Eagles used their speed to great advantage in going up 3-0 before the second period was four minutes old, and dictated the overall pace of the game. Ben Smith scored two goals and set up another, Joe Whitney had a goal and two assists, the Eagle defense was suffocating, and John Muse made some key stops in net in helping BC to its third national title tilt in four seasons.

On to tomorrow’s NCAA Championship Game against Wisconsin.