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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
#9 UMass-Lowell
Players Mentioned
Kalemba Makes 45 Saves in Men's Hockey Team's 3-2 Win at UMass Lowell
December 12, 2009 | Men's Ice Hockey
Links: Box Score | Updated Stats | ECAC Standings
LOWELL, Mass. (12/12/09) -- A career-high 45 saves from goaltender Zane Kalemba and the first two goals of Eric Meland's collegiate career helped the Princeton men's hockey team to a 3-2 win over ninth-ranked UMass Lowell on Saturday afternoon at the Tsongas Arena.
The Tigers rebounded from a 4-1 loss in the series opener by jumping ahead 2-0 in the fifth minute of the game when Meland scored two goals in a 10-second span. The first came on the power play when he shoved in the third rebound in front of the goal after Jody Pederson's point shot was blocked. Kevin Kaiser also had an assist on the goal, which was Princeton's first power play goal in its last 19 chances, dating back to a loss at Colgate on Nov. 21.
Meland then made it 2-0 10 seconds later as the Tigers took advantage of a River Hawk miscue in their own end. Goaltender Nevin Hamilton stopped a Princeton dump behind his net, but the first man to the loose puck was Princeton's Tyler Beachell, who got it to Meland for a quick shot and goal from a bad angle that caught Hamilton out of position.
Princeton appeared to extend its lead to 3-0 midway through the second period when Kevin Lohry scored on a breakaway, but after video replay the goal was disallowed as the puck crossed the goal line moments after the net came off the goalposts.
Lohry was able to get that goal back in the third period. The River Hawks got on the scoreboard at 2:59 of the third when Riley Wetmore scored his second goal in as many nights on a power-play rebound. Lohry answered though three minutes later with his first of the year, stealing a UML clear and walking in for a shot that beat Hamilton on the glove side.
UMass Lowell got back within a goal midway through the stanza on a point shot from Jeremy Dehner that bounced off a few sets of skates before Kory Falite directed it into the Tiger net.
That however was as close as the River Hawks would get as an undermanned Princeton squad held Lowell over the final 10 minutes to snap a seven-game winless streak.
Kalemba's 45 saves were a career high, besting two 389-save efforts. He made a game-high 19 saves in the third period. Hamilton stopped 27 shots in the loss.
Princeton is now 4-8-1 and has a 17-day layoff before returning to action on Dec. 29 against Maine at the Florida College Classic.