Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Vermont
Men's Hockey Falls to Vermont 4-1
February 19, 2005 | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 19, 2005
Box Score
Princeton, N.J. - Vermont scored three times in the second period to build a 3-0 lead and never looked back as the Catamounts defeated the Princeton men's hockey team 4-1 Saturday night at Baker Rink. Freshman Mike Moore scored Princeton's lone goal in the Tigers' final home game of the season.
Princeton fell to 7-18-2 overall and 5-14-1 in the ECAC Hockey League, while Vermont improved to 18-11-3 overall and 12-6-2 in the league. Princeton remained tied with Rensselaer for 10th in the playoff standings. With Princeton's result, and others around the league, the Tigers can now finish as high as ninth and as low as 12th, meaning they will be on the road for the first round of the ECAC playoffs in two weekends.
After a scoreless first period, in which Vermont held a 12-5 shot advantage, the Catamounts broke through with the games first goal off the rush 34 seconds into the second period. Chris Smart scored the goal with assists from Ben Driver and Tim Plant. Vermont made it 2-0 at 5:51 when Baron Becker blasted a shot from the right face-off dot by Princeton junior Eric Leroux. Andy Corran and Matt Syroczynski assisted. The Catamounts made it 3-0 on Scott Mifsud's goal at 11:47, before the Tigers answered back with a goal 23 seconds later. Sophomore Christian Read won an offensive zone faceoff into the skates of freshman Kyle Hagel on the left wing. Hagel kicked it to Read who circled below the goal line and fed Moore on the opposite point. Moore took a stride towards the net and fired a shot through a screen that beat Vermont's Joe Fallon on the far side for his fourth goal of the season.
Moore's goal was his second point in as many games after missing six games with an injury. Read's assist marked his second night in a row with a point and Hagel's was the first point of his career.
The second period ended at 3-1 with Vermont holding the edge in shots, 22-14. Princeton played a strong third period, out chancing the Catamounts and firing 13 shots at Fallon. Vermont, though, was equal to the task, stopping all Tiger efforts and adding an empty-netter of its own with 1:16 left on the clock. Kenny Macauley scored the goal.
Leroux made 22 saves in the loss while Fallon posted 26 in the win.
Princeton completes the regular season next weekend at Rensselaer and Union.