.png&width=24&type=webp)
.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Captain Kirk
January 12, 2001 | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 12, 2001
Princeton, N.J. - It all began for Kirk Lamb hundreds of miles away from New Jersey. It began in the small town of Cold Lake, Alberta. It's the town where the Princeton hockey captain first put on his skates.
"Our town [Cut Knife, Saskatchewan] had about 200 people," says Lamb. "We didn't have cable, movie theatres, or a mall. All we had was hockey in the winter and baseball in the summer. I literally lived on the pond. Our house was about 20 yards from the pond, and we were out there for eight hours a day. I was about four years old when I got started."
Today, Lamb's pond is Baker Rink, where the Princeton center serves as a leader in point production and personality. The senior has a team leading 20 points on the season, with five goals and 15 assists But it is more than numbers that reveal Lamb's importance to Princeton. The "C" is a perfect fit on Lamb's jersey. His teammates feed off his fiery leadership, and when the Tigers are not playing to their capabilities, Lamb will be the first one to remind everybody in the locker room.
"This is the first time I've been a captain since minor league hockey," Lamb says. "I think that I've been a leader in a certain way for every team that I've been on. I like to speak my mind. Sometimes the guys don't like it. Sometimes they do. But that's the way I play. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I show my emotions."
Lamb made two stops between his backyard pond and Baker Rink. He graduated from Grand Centre High School, then moved on to play Major Junior A hockey for the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Lamb led the AJHL in scoring and was named the Pontiacs' MVP. Because of his major junior experience, NCAA regulations required him to sit out one full season and nine games the following year.
After scoring nine points in 23 games as a sophomore, Lamb played 30 games last winter and led the Tigers in scoring with eight goals and 20 assists. He was a first-team All-Ivy League and second-team All-ECAC selection, and was a member of both the Ivy League and ECAC all-academic teams at the conclusion of the 1999-2000 season.
The 2000-01 Princeton Tigers have already experienced a roller- coaster ride. Princeton got off to an impressive start that included wins over Niagara, Yale, and Union. While Princeton has lost seven of their last eight games, most of its losses have come against nationally ranked teams. While other teams would rather play a softer schedule, Lamb and his teammates don't mind going against some of the nation's best.
"This is definitely a schedule you want as a senior," says Lamb. "Those are tough teams to play, but their beatable. Wisconsin was beatable when we went in there, but we beat ourselves. Then we played North Dakota strong the next night. You can say we have a strong schedule, but anyone is beatable if we play our game."
Playing on the road against teams such as New Hampshire and Wisconsin has given the Tigers a chance to play in some impressive hockey facilities. New Hampshire's crowds are some of the rowdiest on the East Coast, and Princeton's games in Milwaukee were played at the Bradley Center, the home of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. However, Lamb is quick to point out his favorite place to play.
"I played in front of a lot of crowds in the junior leagues as well as with Princeton," Lamb says. "But to be honest, I'd rather play in Baker Rink any day of the week. I love playing in front of the fans here, and I love playing in front of friends. It is nice to get away and play in front of those big crowds, but there's no place like playing at home."
Lamb wants the Tigers to have high expectations, and is hoping a strong attitude will make the difference when the playoffs are ready to begin in early March.
When the season comes to an end, so will Lamb's days as a Princeton Tiger. But the Alberta native is hoping to make the transition from a player to a coach.
"I really have a strong interest in coaching," Lamb says. "I like being able to work with people. I like the idea of college coaching where you develop young kids, and you can see what you've done for them when they go from freshmen to seniors. When I'm done playing, I would really like to get into coaching."
by Ed Benkin