Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Harvard
Men's Hockey Does It Again; Earns Big Win at Harvard
November 14, 2003 | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 14, 2003
Box Score
Cambridge, Mass. - Regardless of what is going on during the season, recently the Princeton men's hockey team has found a way to win at Harvard. Entering the night unbeaten in four (3-0-1), and with a record of 6-3-2 in its last 11 visits to the Bright Hockey Center, Princeton scored four goals in the game's final 15 minutes to rally past the No. 12 Crimson and earn its first win of the 2003-04 season.
While the result was what Princeton was looking for, the Orange and Black spent much of the night looking up at a Harvard lead. The Crimson found the scoreboard first with two first period goals while outshooting Princeton by a 6-5 margin. The first goal came while Harvard was on the power play from Charlie Johnson at 12:43. Five minutes later Noah Welch made it 2-0 for the Crimson.
Harvard again controlled much of the play in the second period, holding a 10-5 shot advantage, of sophomore goaltender Eric Leroux stood strong and kept all the shots out of the Tiger net, and kept Princeton within striking distance. Looking to avert being shut out in consecutive games for the first time since the 1976-77 season, the Tigers came out strong in the third period and drew two Crimson penalties. With a 5-on-3 advantage for almost a minute and a half, it looked as though Princeton had found its chance to get back into the game. But the power-play did not go as planned. First the Tigers iced the puck, then they allowed Harvard forward Dennis Packard to come into the Tiger zone on a breakaway. Packard skated in, took a shot, but Leroux was able to stop it, and just as Leroux took away Harvard's chance to put the game away, he gave the Tigers what they needed to mount a comeback.
Princeton had weathered the storm and at 7:22 responded when freshman Kevin Westgarth stuffed his own rebound home for the first goal of his collegiate career. Freshman Ian McNally and senior Steve Slaton assisted on the goal. Following the goal, Princeton found itself a man down and having to kill a penalty. Despite some good Harvard chances, Princeton killed it off, and at 13:09 found the back of the net to tie the game up at two. Following a tremendous scoring opportunity by senior Matt Maglione, junior Mike Patton won a clean offensive zone faceoff back to sophomore Seamus Young on the point. Young quickly shot off a floater that found its way through traffic and behind Harvard goaltender John Daigneau. For Massachusetts-native Young, who was playing in his first game of the season after missing the first four with an injury, it was his second career goal against Harvard.
Momentum had officially swung Princeton's way and 1:57 later Princeton connected to make it a 3-2 game. Junior Neil Stevenson-Moore carried the puck into the Crimson zone and fed senior Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer who beat Daigneau for his first goal of the season. McNally also assisted on the goal and became the first Tiger this season to record a multiple-point game.
At 19:34 Patton added an unassisted empty-net goal to close out the win. It the first point of the season for Patton, who tied for the team lead in points last season.
At the end, Harvard had outshot Princeton 30-20, but it was Princeton that led in what mattered, 4-2. Leroux made 28 saves to earn the first win of his college career. He had been winless in 14 career games prior to tonight despite several tremendous efforts, including three this season.
The win extended Princeton's streak of success against Harvard and the Tigers are now 4-0-1 in their last five trips to the Bright Hockey Center. Additionally, Princeton has won four of its last five meetings with the Crimson. It is also the second time that Princeton has defeated Harvard when the Crimson were ranked 12th in the nation.
Princeton (1-4-0; 1-2-0 ECAC) continues its weekend tomorrow night at Brown at 7 p.m.