Princeton University
Quinnipiac (Ingalls Rink)
Kushniruk's Three Points Lifts Men's Hockey to Win at Quinnipiac
November 26, 2005 | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 26, 2005
Box Score
New Haven, Conn. - Freshman Brandan Kushniruk sparked a Princeton comeback with two goals and an assist as the men's hockey team defeated Quinnipiac 6-3 in ECAC Hockey League action on Saturday afternoon at Ingalls Rink. Senior defensemen Brian Carthas and Seamus Young each had a goal and an assist in the game.
Neither team scored in the opening period, although both had good chances. The best chances for both teams came early in the period on a Princeton power play. Quinnipiac rushed the puck up ice and Reid Cashman hit the post with a shot. Moments later play was in the Bobcat zone and Young rang a point shot off the cross bar from the top of the circle. Quinnipiac had a 6-5 edge in shots for the period.
After a defensive first period, the offenses awoke to combine for five goals in the second period. Quinnipiac started the scoring with two five-on-three power-play goals in a 2:59 span. Matt Sorteborg scored the first goal at 3:09 on a point shot and Ben Nelson the second at 6:08 from the right side. Jamie Bates assisted on both scores.
As soon as the final Tiger penalty ended after the second Quinnipiac goal, the Tigers forechecked aggressively and it resulted in a goal at the 8:03 mark when Kushniruk intercepted a clear and then picked the near top-corner for his first collegiate goal.
Five minutes later the Tigers had a two-man advantage of their own and a wristshot through traffic by Carthas found the back of the net to even the score at 2-2. The goal was Carthas' second of the year and was assisted by Young and Kushniruk. The Tigers then took the lead with a goal 41 seconds later, their third in a row, to take a 3-2 lead, which they took into the second intermission. From his own end, junior Brett Westgarth hit senior Patrick Neundorfer with a long pass. Neundorfer stepped in the zone, faked a pass then took a slapshot that beat Quinnipiac's Bud Fisher low on the far side for his third goal of the season. Saturday's game was the 100th of Neundorfer's career at Princeton. Junior Daryl Marcoux also assisted on the goal.
Princeton continued its charge into the third scoring three more times to take a 6-2 lead before Quinnipiac added a final score for the 6-3 final. Young made the score 4-2 with his first goal of the season at 4:22 when he followed up his own rebound. Junior Grant Goeckner-Zoeller picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated into the Quinnipiac end and pulled up before feeding Young.
Princeton then made the score 5-2 at 8:42 when Kushniruk scored his second goal of the game and notched his third point of the game. The goal came on the power play. Freshman Lee Jubinville won a faceoff that freshman Brett Wilson worked back to Carthas at the point. Carthas forced the Bobcat defender to dive and then wristed a shot through traffic that Kushniruk deflected into the Quinnipiac zone. Wilson's assist continued his six-game point-scoring streak.
Princeton scored its final goal at 11:41 when sophomore Kyle Hagel scored on a backhander. Junior Sebastian Borza sprung him on a two-on-one with junior Kevin Westgarth. Hagel tried to feed Westgarth a pass but it was blocked. Hagel retrieved the puck behind the net, circled in front and sent the backhanded shot through traffic for his second goal of the season.
Ben Nelson closed the scoring at 16:09 of the third with his second of the game.
Princeton outshot Quinnipiac 25-21 for the game and 13-5 in the third period. Senior Eric Leroux made 18 saves in the Princeton goal for the win. Fisher allowed four goals on 13 shots, before being pulled for Josh Siembida. He allowed two goals on 12 shots.
Princeton returns to action on Friday night at Cornell.