Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Rensselaer
Neundorfer's Third-Period Goal Lifts Men's Hockey to 3-2 Win
November 20, 2004 | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 20, 2004
Box Score
Princeton, N.J. - Junior Patrick Neundorfer scored at 5:12 of the third period to break a2-2 tie and lift the Princeton men's hockey team to a 3-2 win over Rensselaer Saturday night at Baker Rink. Neundorfer and junior Dustin Sproat each had a goal and assist in the game, while sophomore B.J. Sklapsky made 18 saves to record his first career win.
Princeton (3-4-1; 3-3 ECACHL) moved into a tie for third in the league with Colgate and Dartmouth. Rensselaer (6-6-1; 2-4) is in a tie for eighth. Princeton began the game strong and skated to a 2-0 lead after dominating the first period. Princeton struck first at 14:28 when Sproat tallied his seventh of the season from sophomore Grant Goeckner-Zoeller and Neundorfer. Goeckner-Zoeller had the puck behind the net and fed Sproat in front who quickly shot it past Rensselaer goaltender Andrew Martin. Sproat now has goals in five straight games and with his assist has nine points in that stretch. His 1.75 points per game average ranks him second in the nation in scoring.
Princeton made it 2-0 with 1:58 remaining in the period. After sophomore Ian McNally won a defensive zone draw, sophomore Kevin Westgarth banked an ice-long pass into the Rensselaer zone. Senior Neil Stevenson-Moore was the first man to get there and when he did, he ripped a shot by Martin. It was Stevenson-Moore's second of the night and he now has goals in back-to-back games. McNally has assists in two straight games.
Princeton outshot RPI 13-3 in the period. Martin made 11 stops while Sklapsky stopped all three he faced.
In the second period, Rensselaer's Keith MCWilliams cut the lead in half when he scored on a delayed penalty call at 4:09. Nick Economakos and Andrew Lord assisted his blast from the left point. The Engineers outshot Princeton 11-7 in the period. Rensselaer made it 2-2 3:25 into the third period when MCWilliams tallied his second of the game. C.J. Hanafin and Vic Pereira assisted on the goal.
The tie lasted for less than two minutes when at 5:12, Neundorfer made it 3-2. Sproat worked the puck to senior Luc Paquin at the point who fired a shot on net. Paquin's shot hit the post and bounced out to Neundorfer who buried the rebound for his sixth of the season. The power play goal marked Princeton's fourth straight game with a power-play goal. The Tiger power play now ranks first in the nation with a 27% efficiency.
Princeton held on for the final 15 minutes to come away with the 3-2 win and its first at home this season.
Sproat, Paquin, Goeckner-Zoeller and Neundorfer all extended their point streaks to five-games. Sproat is the only player with goals in all five games. Stevenson-Moore has a three-point streak. Paquin currently leads the nation in points per game by a defenseman with 1.38.
Sklapsky made 18 saves for his first career win. He is now 1-2 this season. Martin fell to 4-5 with the loss.
Princeton returns to action on Tuesday night when Yale (0-8; 0-6) visits Baker Rink for a 7 p.m. face-off.