Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Rensselaer (ECAC First Round)
Men's Hockey Falls to Rensselaer 3-2 in Overtime
March 06, 2004 | Men's Ice Hockey
March 6, 2004
Box Score
Troy, N.Y. - Rensselaer's Ben Barr scored 1:38 into overtime to lift the Engineers to a 3-2 win over the Princeton men's hockey team in Game 2 of the ECAC first round. Senior Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer and sophomore Dustin Sproat scored for Princeton in the loss.
With the win the Engineers advance to the ECAC quarterfinals next weekend at fourth-seeded Dartmouth. Princeton completes the 2003-04 campaign at 5-24-2.
Rensselaer's Nick Ecomakos opened the scoring just 1:28 into the first period to give RPI an early 1-0 lead. Ben Barr intercepted a Princeton pass in the neutral zone and was able to come into the Tiger zone on a 2-on-1 with Economakos. Barr faked a shot, then fed Economakos who gained control and fired a wrist shot to the top of the net over Princeton sophomore goaltender Eric Leroux as he slid across the crease. Play went back and forth throughout the remainder of the first period, but neither goalie allowed a puck into the goal. Leroux made 12 saves in the stanza while Rensselaer's Nathan Marsters stopped 10 shots.
A tic-tac-toe passing play for the Tigers resulted in an early second-period goal to know the game up at one goal apiece. With RPI's Kevin Broad serving an interference penalty, the Tigers establishing their power play in the Engineer end. Senior Steve Slaton received the puck on the left point and fed it along the blueline to sophomore Seamus Young on the far point. Young then fed senior Fouladgar-Mercer at the bottom of the left circle where he chipped it high on Marsters to even the game up. It was Fouladgar-Mercer's fourth goal of the season and second of the playoff series.
A similar play helped the Tigers take a 2-1 lead at the 15:43 mark of the second. With RPI's Alexander Valenteen in the penalty box on a holding call, the Tigers set up in the Engineer end. Senior Matt Maglione gained the puck at the center of the blue line and found sophomore Patrick Neundorfer at the top of the right circle. Neundorfer ripped a slap shot that was going wide of Marsters, but just as it passed the netminder, Sproat put a stick on it and redirected it into the open net. It was Sproat's seventh goal of the season.
RPI outshot the Tigers 12-6 in the period, but Leroux kept the Tigers ahead by turning aside all 12 shots, while Marsters made four saves.
In the third play went back and forth with RPI pressuring the Tigers through much of the period. Leroux made several big saves in the period, but an unfortunate bounce let RPI tie up the score at 2-2 with 2:23 remaining. Scott Basiuk gained the puck on the blue line and wristed a shot towards the net that hit a Tiger stick on its way to the net and fooled Leroux. Barr added an assist on the goal, which sent the game into overtime. RPI outshot the Tigers in the period 15-4.
The game went into overtime and the Engineers came out strong, peppering Leroux until Barr scored on a rebound at 1:38 to lift RPI to the overtime win and the series win.
Leroux finished the night with 41 saves and the overtime loss while Marsters made 18 saves in the win.
Princeton 0-2-0-0 - 2
Rensselaer 1-0-1-1 - 3
First Period: Scoring: 1, RPI - Economakos (Barr) 1:28. Penalties: McNally, PRIN (Roughing) 6:23; Goeckner-Zoeller, PRIN (Hooking) 10:05; Barnes, RPI (Hitting After the Whistle) 14:05.
Second Period: Scoring: 2, PRIN - Fouladgar-Mercer (Young, Slaton) 3:21, pp. 3, PRIN - Sproat (Neundorfer, Maglione) 15:43, pp. Penalties: Broad, RPI (Interference) 1:40; Borza, PRIN (Holding) 7:09; Basiuk, RPI (Holding) 11:55; Valentin, RPI (Holding) 13:52; McNally, PRIN (Interference) 17:31; Slaton, PRIN (Hitting from Behind) 19:04.
Third Period: Scoring: 4, RPI - Basiuk (Barr) 17:37. Penalties: Neundorfer, PRIN (High Sticking) 5:23; Farynuk, RPI (Holding the Stick) 5:51.
Overtime: Scoring: 5, RPI - Barr (McNeely) 1:38.
Goaltenders:
PRIN - Eric Leroux (61:38; 44 shots, 41 saves)
RPI - Nathan Marsters (61:38; 20 shots, 18 saves)