.png&width=24&type=webp)
.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Meets Clarkson in ECACHL Playoffs
March 02, 2006 | Men's Ice Hockey
March 2, 2006
PRINCETON - The Princeton men's hockey team begins the postseason with its ECAC Hockey League best-of-three first-round series at Clarkson this weekend. The series features the league's eighth- and ninth-place teams. The teams split their two games during the regular season, with each team winning at home.
All three games will begin at 7 p.m., and can be heard live on GoPrincetonTigers.com. Links to the broadcasts can be found on men's hockey schedule page. Livestats through Gametracker can also be found on the schedule page.
Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
This Week's Storylines
On To The Postseason
The Princeton men's hockey team meets Clarkson in this weekend's ECAC Hockey League first-round playoff series. The series features the eighth and ninth-seeded teams in the league in a best-of-three matchup.
Entering The Postseason Strong
Princeton heads to the postseason following a three-point weekend at Brown and Yale. On Friday, Princeton and Brown tied for the second time this season. The next day, Princeton scored three goals in the second period to erase a 1-0 Yale lead and post a 4-2 win against the Bulldogs.
Regular Season Wrap
Princeton's win on Saturday at Yale was its 10th victory of the season. That win total is two more than the Tigers posted a season ago and Princeton's first double-digit win total since winning 11 times in 2001-02.
Five Straight in OT
With Princeton's 3-3 overtime tie on Friday night at Brown, the Tigers played their fifth-straight overtime game this month. Princeton was 0-3-2 in the five games, which ended with a regulation win on Saturday. The five-game streak was the longest such streak in Princeton's men's hockey history. Princeton has played three-straight overtime games on several occasions, most recently in the 2000-01 season.
Princeton vs. Clarkson
Princeton is 21-65-5 all-time against Clarkson and is 2-31 all-time when the teams meet in Potsdam. Clarkson won the teams first meeting of the season, 4-3 in overtime, in November in Potsdam. Princeton turned the tables and defeated Clarkson 4-2 at home in late January. The win snapped a 17-game winless streak (0-15-2) against the Golden Knights and was Princeton's first since defeating Clarkson 4-3 in Potsdam in November of 1998.
Scouting The Golden Knights
Clarkson finished the regular season with an overall record of 16-15-3 and 9-11-2 in the ECAC Hockey League. The Golden Knights enter the weekend off a pair of losses last weekend at Dartmouth and Harvard, but were unbeaten in the previous four games (3-0-1) with home wins against Cornell, Yale and Brown. Clarkson is
12-2-2 at home this season.
November at Cheel
Clarkson's picked up a 4-3 win in overtime when the teams met in November in Potsdam. Princeton jumped to an early lead on a goal by Brian Carthas, but Shawn Weller quickly evened the score at 1-1 after one period. In the second, Grant Goeckner-Zoeller scored for Princeton on a penalty shot, but Brodie Rutherglen's goal in the final minute evened the score through two periods. Clarkson took its first lead late in the third on a goal from Mike Sullivan, but Brett Wilson's goal at 17:53 forced overtime, where Weller scored the game winner on a deflection on front. The box score can be found on Page 14.
January at Baker
Princeton used two goals in a span of 1:03 in the first period to jump to a 2-0 lead in an eventual 4-2 win. Grant Goeckner-Zoeller and Brett Wilson scored the first two goals, and Kevin Westgarth made it 3-0 in the second, before Steve Zalewski put Clarkson on the board in the third period. Darroll Powe added an insurance goal to make the score 4-1, before Nick Dodge scored an extra-attacker goal to make the final 4-2. The box score can be found on Page 16.
Princeton vs. Clarkson Individually
Brian Carthas and Grant Goeckner-Zoeller lead the Tigers with five points each in games against Clarkson. Darroll Powe and Seamus Young each have four points against Clarkson in their careers at Princeton.
Princeton in the ECACHL Playoffs
The Tigers are 14-31-1 all-time in the ECAC Hockey League playoffs and are 8-25-0 in road playoff games. Princeton has dropped its last 14 playoff games, dating back to a win against Colgate in the play-in game of the 1999 ECAC Final Five. Last season the Tigers were swept in the opening round by St. Lawrence.
Princeton vs. Clarkson in the Postseason
Princeton and Clarkson have met six times in the ECAC postseason with Clarkson holding a 4-2 edge. Princeton defeated Clarkson in the 1995 semifinals and the 1998 championship game, but has dropped the last three meetings, including a pair of one-goal losses in the 1999 first round. Those games took place at Clarkson.
All-Ivy
Senior netminder Eric Leroux was named a first-team All-Ivy selection on Wednesday by the Ivy League. He was one of three Tigers recognized on All-Ivy teams. Grant Goeckner-Zoeller was named to the second team and Brian Carthas was an honorable mention selection.
Leading Scorer
Grant Goeckner-Zoeller, a two-time ECAC Hockey League Player of the Week Award winner this season, had points in both games last weekend. He has five points in his last four games and has recorded points in 13 of Princeton's last 14 games played. He is four points shy of his career-high of 32, achieved last season.
Honor Roll
Junior Kevin Westgarth continued his strong play of late with four points - three goals and an assist - at Brown and Yale. He now has seven points in his last four games and has climbed to second on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points. He was named to the ECACHL Honor Roll for his performance at Brown and Yale.
Freshman Scoring
Freshman Brett Wilson had three assists over the weekend and has six points in three games as he moved his point total to 21 this season. The number is one more than Grant Goeckner-Zoeller had as a freshman two seasons ago. The Princeton record for points in a season by a freshman belongs to John Messuri, with 41 in 1985-86.
Senior Standout Defensemen
Two senior defenseman, Brian Carthas and Seamus Young, each recorded assists over the weekend. Each player has three goals and 15 assists for 18 points this season. For Carthas, that is 12 points more than his previous career-high, and four more points than he had in his career entering the season. For Young, it is eight more points than his previous career high of 10.
Captain's Contribution
Senior captain Patrick Neundorfer scored twice, including the game winner in Princeton's win on Saturday at Yale. He became the fourth Tigers this season to reach double digits in goals. His 10 goals are a career high.
Between the Pipes
Senior Eric Leroux played in both games over the weekend for Princeton. On Friday he made 27 saves for the tie, and the following night, he blocked aside 39 shots for the win. It was his seventh win of the season, and established a new career high.
18th Scorer
Senior Mark Masters scored Princeton's third goal at brown on Friday for his first goal of the 2005-06 season. He became the 18th Princeton skater to score a goal this season.
Defensive Support
Three Princeton defensemen helped offensively with assists in Saturday's game at Yale. Mike Moore had one of his shots deflected in for Princeton's first goal, Brett Westgarth had an assist on the game-winning goal, and Seamus Young assisted on the Tigers fourth goal.
First Multiple-Point Game
Lee Jubinville recorded the first two-point game of his collegiate career as he had a goal and assist in Saturday's win at Yale. His goal in the second period put the Tigers ahead 2-1 and gave them a lead they would not relinquish. He then assisted on Patrick Neundorfer's eventual game winner.
Balanced Effort
Princeton's 80 goals this season have come from 17 scorers, led by Grant Goeckner-Zoeller's 15 goals and Brett Wilson's 11. Patrick Neundorfer and Kevin Westgarth each have 10 goals scored.
Defense First
Princeton has held its opponents to three goals or less, not counting empty-net goals, in 21 of 29 games. Princeton is on pace to allow 95 goals this season, which is 25 less than it allowed last season.
The PP
Three of Princeton's seven goals last week came with the man advantage. Princeton has scored 27 of its last 60 goals on the power play. It's power play has climbed to fourth in the ECAC Hockey League.
Back-to-Back League Weekend Sweeps
Princeton's sweep of St. Lawrence and Clarkson marked the second weekend sweep for Princeton this season.
Snapping Some Streaks
Princeton's sweep of St. Lawrence and Clarkson was its first sweep of the pair since November of 1998. It was also Princeton's first sweep of the pair on home ice since January of 1987. The win over St. Lawrence snapped a nine-game winless streak (0-7-2) for the Tigers against the Saints. The win over Clarkson snapped a 17-game winless streak (0-15-2) against the Golden Knights and was Princeton's first since defeating Clarkson 4-3 in November of 1998.
10th Win
Princeton's win on Saturday at Yale was its 10th of the season. Since a three-win season in 2002-03, Princeton has added to its win total each season since, with five in 2003-04, eight last season and now 10 this season.
81 Goals
Princeton scored 81 goals in 31 games last season. That number was 19 more than the total of 62 that Princeton scored in 31 games last season. Princeton has 80 goals through 29 games this season and is on pace to score 85, four more than it did a season ago.
On the Horizon
The winner of this weekend's first-round playoff series will advance to the best-of-three quarterfinals. Teams will be re-seeded following the opening round and can face Dartmouth, Colgate, Cornell or Harvard in the quarterfinals.