Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Yale
Neundorfer Scores Twice in 4-2 Win at Yale
February 25, 2006 | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 25, 2006
Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - After falling behind 1-0 in the first period, the Princeton men's hockey team scored twice in a 55-second span and pulled off a 4-2 win against Yale on Saturday night at Ingalls Rink. Senior captain Patrick Neundorfer scored twice in the win as Princeton placed tied for ninth in the ECACHL regular-season standings.
Princeton completes the season 10-16-2 overall and 7-12-3 in the league, while Yale dropped to 8-18-3 overall and 6-14-2 in the league. Princeton will meet Clarkson in the first round of the ECACHL playoffs in the eight-nine matchup. The series will take place at Clarkson's Cheel Arena.
Princeton came out strong and had a few good chances in the games first few minutes, but a Yale goal at the 4:29 mark turned the momentum and gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead that it would take into the first intermission. Skating with four skaters aside, Yale's Zachary Mayer circled around the net and found Bill LeClerc at the opposite point. LeClerc took a few strides in and fired a shot that squeaked under the pad of Princeton senior netminder Eric Leroux. David Germain also assisted on the goal.
The Tigers turned the momentum in the second period, scoring three times to hold a 3-1 lead at the second intermission. Two goals in a 55-second span began the swing. First at 11:37, Neundorfer tipped a shot headed wide behind Yale netminder Josh Gartner for his ninth goal of the season. Sophomore Mike Moore took the shot and junior Kevin Westgarth also assisted on the goal.
Princeton continued to pressure and took its first lead when freshman Lee Jubinville backhanded the puck into the net for goal three on the season. Princeton controlled down low and after a shot by freshman Brett Wilson was blocked, a scrum ensued in front of the Yale net. The puck, however, was never covered and Jubinville found it to give Princeton the lead. Junior Grant Goeckner-Zoeller also assisted on the goal. A power-play goal made the score 3-1 in Princeton's favor at 17:24 of the second period. Junior Brett Westgarth point shot was deflected by a Yale defender. Jubinville gathered the puck and tried to shoot but instead rolled the puck to Neundorfer who slammed the puck into a wide-open Yale net for his second goal of the night.
Yale cut the lead with a power-play goal at 5:25 of the third period. Blair Yaworski received a pass at the point from LeClerc and after a screen developed he shot through it and scored high on Leroux's glove side on a shot that Leroux never saw. Joe Zappala also assisted on the goal.
Princeton regained the two-goal advantage with its second power-play goal of the night. After an offensive zone faceoff win, senior Seamus Young took a shot that Gartner saved, but Goeckner-Zoeller got to the rebound and fed it through the crease where Westgarth found it and buried it for his 10th goal of the season.
That was it for the scoring as both teams had chances late in the game.
Leroux finished the game with 39 saves to improve to 7-11-2 on the season, while Gartner stopped 26 shots in the loss.
Princeton will begin the ECAC Hockey League playoffs on the road next weekend at Clarkson. The teams will meet Friday night at 7 p.m.