Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Robert Morris
Tigers Comeback Falls Short in Loss at Robert Morris
January 31, 2006 | Men's Ice Hockey
Jan. 31, 2006
Box Score
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Senior Patrick Neundorfer and junior Grant Goeckner-Zoeller scored for the Princeton men's hockey team in the third period, but the Tigers could not erase an early deficit in a 5-2 loss at Robert Morris on Tuesday night. Princeton fell behind 2-0 through two periods and got as close as 2-1 before RMU sealed it with a few empty-net goals.
The teams battled through a listless first period that was marked by missed passes and icing and offside calls. The Tigers played strong early but Robert Morris' forecheck strengthened through the period and the Colonials drew a pair of penalties in the last five minutes of the period.
The second of those penalties cost Princeton as RMU converted on it with 11 seconds remaining in the first period. A man up, Robert Morris scored on a rebound to take a 1-0 lead. Brett Hopfe took the puck from the point and fed it to Chris Margott who took a shot from the face-off dot. Princeton senior netminder Eric Leroux stopped the shot, plus a rebound attempt from Kurt Wright, but Wright lifted the next rebound over Leroux for his seventh goal of the year to give the Colonials a lead.
Robert Morris added to its lead with a goal in the second period to take a 2-0 lead through two periods despite being outshot 12-3 in the second stanza. The Colonials scored the goal moments after the Tigers had their best scoring chance of the game. Sophomore Landis Stankievech made a diving play to chip the puck out of the Tiger end and went two-on-one into the Colonial zone with classmate Keith Shattenkirk. Stankievech took a shot that RMU goaltender Joe Tuset saved but the rebound went up and over him and laid in the crease before it was cleared. Robert Morris made the score 2-0 minutes later when Logan Bittle carried the puck into the Tiger end and weaved through traffic before shooting across the grain and scoring along the ice for his second goal of the season. David Boguslawski and Andrew Jackman assisted on the score.
Princeton started the third period with a little bit of power-play time and although the Tigers didn't convert in those 26 seconds, they played well early and cut the lead in half when Neundorfer capped a rush with a goal. Sophomore Mike Moore carried the puck up ice and took a shot that squeaked by the RMU goaltender and Neundorfer knocked the puck in from the crease. Sophomore Kyle Hagel and Neundorfer.
The Princeton momentum did not last long however, as Robert Morris regained the two-goal lead just 1:39 later when Boguslawski scored the Colonial's second power-play goal of the game. Jeff Gilbert and Sean Berkstresser assisted on the goal.
The score remained 3-1 through the middle point of the period until the Tigers pulled junior goaltender B.J. Sklapsky late in favor of an extra attacker as they looked to get back into the game.
RMU made the lead 4-1 with an empty-net goal at 17:01 by Doug Conley. Princeton answered back 59 seconds later with an extra-attacker goal to get back within two when Goeckner-Zoeller hammered home his a rebound for his 11th goal of the season. Senior Brian Carthas drew an assist on the goal.
The Colonials added a final empty-netter at 18:17 when Brett Hopfe picked off a pass and scored to make it 5-2 and close out the scoring.
The Tigers fell to 7-13-1 with the loss while Robert Morris improved to 6-15-2.
Princeton returns to league play on Friday night when St. Lawrence visits Baker Rink at 7 p.m.