Princeton University
Clarkson
Knight Time
November 09, 2001 | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 9, 2001
POTSDAM, N.Y. - Playing with a depleted lineup, the Princeton men's hockey team could not overcome its historic struggles at Clarkson as the Golden Knights claimed a 3-2 victory at Cheel Arena Friday night.
Playing without three regulars, the Tigers jumped to an early 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the first period thanks to a trio of freshmen. Mike Patton (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) scored his first college goal at 1:48 with the assists going to classmates James Fitzpatrick (Lawrenceville, N.J.) and defenseman Luc Paquin (Le Gardeur, Que.).
Clarkson's Trevor Edwards tied the game with a power-play goal at 13:02 of the first period, but George Parros (Randolph, N.J.), Princeton's leading scorer early in the season, answered 1:20 later with a power-play tally of his own, giving the Tigers a 2-1 advantage. David Del Monte (Mississauga, Ont.) and captain David Schneider (Melrose Park, Ill.) picked up the assists. Midway through the second period, however, the Golden Knights' Ian Manzano tied the game, and less than three minutes later Tristan Lush scored the eventual game-winner while Clarkson was on the power play.
It has been a history of anguish for Princeton in Potsdam, where the Tigers have won just twice in 29 games. It doesn't get much better Saturday night when Princeton travels to St. Lawrence, where the Saints hold a 19-6-1 advantage. The annual trip to the North Country has produced an 8-46-1 all-time record for Princeton.
Clarkson employed a suffocating defense in the third period, as goalie Mike Walsh was called upon to make only two saves as the Tigers searched for the tying goal. At the other end, Princeton netminder Dave Stathos (Longueuil, Que.) was forced to make 14 third-period stops on his way to 31 saves and the game's No. 3 star.
The Tigers, skating without injured Brad Parsons (Kingston, Mass.), Matt Maglione (Fayetteville, N.Y.) and Scott Prime (Moncton, N.B.), played with a lineup that had scored just 59 career goals, an average of 3.3 goals per player.
Parros and Dan Hursh (Calgary, Alberta) have been paired on the top line, but have played with a different center each game. Chris Owen (Westwood, Mass.) was the center at Clarkson, filling in for Scott Prime, who was in the middle for the second Niagara game. Parsons, team's top returning scorer, started the season between Parros and Hursh, but was forced the sidelines with an injury.
The loss drops the Tigers to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in the ECAC. Clarkson, which was picked second in the ECAC preseason poll, improves to 3-2-1 and 2-0 in the conference.
A year ago Princeton halted its eight-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory at St. Lawrence, as Stathos made 38 saves. Earlier in the year he had stopped 35 Saints shots in a 4-4 game, giving him an incredible 73 saves in two games against St. Lawrence.
The Tigers first home weekend is Saturday, Nov. 17 against Vermont (7 p.m.) and Sunday, Nov. 18 versus Dartmouth (3 p.m.). The annual "Skate with the Tigers" event will follow the game against the Big Green.
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