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Men's Hockey Secures Home Ice for Playoffs With 7-1 Win Over No. 6 Clarkson
February 23, 2007 | Men's Ice Hockey
Senior Kevin Westgarth's five-point night ignited the men's hockey team to a 7-1 win over No. 6 Clarkson on Friday night at Hobey Baker Rink. The Tigers sprinted out to a four-goal lead in the first period, and never looked back to sweep the season series from Clarkson for the first time since 1989-90. The win boosts the Tigers' record to 12-13-3 overall and 9-10-2 in the ECAC Hockey League, while the Golden Knights drop to 20-8-5 and 12-5-4 in the league.
With the victory, the Tigers captured the critical fourth spot in the league standings and home ice for next weekend's ECACHL quarterfinals. Princeton holds home ice for the playoffs for the first time since the 1998-99 season. The Tigers will finish either sixth or seventh in the ECACHL standings.
Princeton netted four goals on 13 shots in the first session of play. Senior Darroll Powe put the Tigers on the board with his 12th goal of the season at 7:08 in the first session off of a feed from classmate B.J. Mackasey. Sophomore Brett Wilson won an offensive zone face-off back to Mackasey at the point who took a shot through traffic. Clarkson netminder David Leggio made the save, but Powe was able to stuff the rebound in for his team-leading 12th goal of the season.
Junior Mike Moore followed up with his third goal of the year at 9:01 of the first period. The goal came on the power play as Moore took a point shot that found the back of the net. Wilson registered his second assist in as many goals as he combined with Westgarth to get the puck to Moore.
The Tigers were not finished yet for the period. The Golden Knights were short-handed again five minutes later Westgarth found senior Grant Goecker-Zoeller alone at the far post. Moore got the puck to Westgarth, who found Goeckner-Zoeller for the goal. Junior Kyle Hagel capped the first period with Princeton's fourth goal of the period on a feed from freshman Mark Magnowski at 16:10. Freshman Jody Pederson started the play in the Princeton zone by working the puck to Magnowski, whose initial shot was saved before Hagel scored on the rebound.
Clarkson's Kyle McNulty took over goaltending duties in the second period, but the Tigers got a puck past him for their fifth goal of the game just over a minute into play to push the score to 5-0. Magnowski blocked a Clarkson shot at the point, which spring Westgarth on a 2 on 1 the other way with freshman Cam MacIntyre. Westgarth faked a pass, then placed the puck in top corner for his sixth goal of the season.
The Golden Knights did got on the board in the second period when Chris D'Alvise scored on the power play at at 17:51 into the second on an assist from Matt Beca and Mike Sullivan.
The Tigers regained their five-goal advantage at 2:17 into the final period when junior Landis Stankievech capped an end-to-end rush for the score form the corner. Magnowski and freshman goaltender Zane Kalemba assisted on the goal. The assist to Kalemba was his second in as many games. Princeton pushed the score to 7-1 when Westgarth netted his second goal of the night at 15:39 on a pass from Goeckner-Zoeller and Moore. The goal came on a 5 on 3 when Goeckner-Zoeller fed Westgarth with a one-timer. Westgarth finished the night with five points on two goals and three assists.
McNulty finished with 23 saves in two periods of play for the Golden Knights, while Kalemba turned away 30 shots in the win.
The last time Princeton scored seven goals in a game was on Feb. 17, 2001, when they knocked off Union 7-2.
The Tigers return to the ice tomorrow for the final regular-season game when they host St. Lawrence at 3:30 p.m.