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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Men's Hockey Host Union in ECAC Quarterfinals This Weekend
March 11, 2009 | Men's Ice Hockey
ECAC HOCKEY QUARTERFINALS
#8 Union at #3 Princeton
GAMETIMES: Friday-Sunday, March 13-15 at 7 p.m.
2008-09 RECORDS: Princeton (20-9-0, 14-8-0 ECAC); Union (18-15-3, 9-11-2 ECAC)
SERIES RECORD: Princeton leads 20-17-4 and is 13-7-1 at home
LAST MEETING: Union won 3-2 on Jan. 9, 2009 at home
STREAK: Union won the last meeting
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This Week's Storylines
Playoff Time
The Princeton men's hockey team returns to action for the quarterfinals of the 2009 ECAC Hockey Tournament this weekend at Hobey Baker Rink. Princeton finished the regular season in third place and received a first-round bye. The Tigers will host eighth-seeded Union in this weekend's series.
Third-Place ECAC Finish
Princeton's third-place finish in the league standings marked Princeton's second straight season finishing in the top third of the ECAC standings. Princeton was second a season ago. Prior to that, a fourth place in 1999 was Princeton's best league finish.
First Round Bye
Princeton secured a first-round bye when it swept Brown and Yale on Feb. 20 and 21 at Hobey Baker Rink. It marked the second-straight bye for the Tigers and their second overall since the ECAC adopted the current playoff format for the 2002-03 season.
20 Wins
Princeton recorded its 20 win of the year against Yale, giving Princeton its third 20-win season in program history. Two of those have come in the last two seasons, as the Tigers set a program high with 21 last season. Princeton also won 20 games in the 1998-99 campaign. Princeton's 20 regular season wins this season in a program high.
ECAC Wins
Princeton went 14-8 in its ECAC Hockey schedule to record the same record for the second year in a row. The 14 wins and 28 points tie Princeton's regular season highs set last season.
Polling Place
Princeton ranks 11th in both the USCHO.com and the USA Today Polls. The Tigers have been ranked as high as fifth this season, which is the all-time high for the program. Princeton is also ranked in the objective computer ranking formulas used. Princeton is 12th in the Pairwise, RPI and KRACH.
Last Time Out
Princeton was swept in its final weekend of the regular season at Dartmouth and Harvard to complete the regular season 20-9 overall, 14-8 in the ECAC and 5-5 in the Ivy League.
vs. Dartmouth (2-0 loss)
Princeton fell behind on a Dartmouth first period power-play goal and could not crack Dartmouth goaltender Jody O'Neill despite 33 shots on goal. Dartmouth added an empty-net goal late.
vs. Harvard (3-2 loss)
Jody Pederson gave Princeton an early lead and Dan Bartlett tied the game at 2-2 late in the second period, but a third-period power-play goal by the Crimson proved to be the game winner. Harvard's Ryan Carroll made 38 saves for the win.
Balanced Attack
Princeton has gotten contributions from all lines this season as 19 skaters have contributed at least a point and 13 Tigers have reached double digits. Brett Wilson is Princeton's lone player with more than 20 points at 23, while Dan Bartlett and Jody Pederson are each a point away from 20 for the season.
Fire Away
Princeton currently ranks first in the nation in shots on goal per game with an average of 38.00 shots per game this season. Yale ranks second with 36.66 and Air Force, North Dakota and Miami round out the top five. Princeton has 40 or more shots in 15 of 29 games played this season.
Strong Team Defense
Princeton is one of five teams in the nation surrendering an average of less than two goals per game this season. The Tigers have allowed a goal or less in 17 games this season and currently rank third in goals against at 1.90 goals per game. Alaska (1.74) and Notre Dame (1.74) rank ahead of the Tigers.
Most Disciplined
The Tigers are the least penalized team in the nation, averaging less than five minors per game. Princeton is averaging nearly a full minute less per game than any other team. Providence is the second-least penalized team with 10.9 penalty minutes per game.
Home and Away
Princeton is 10-5 this season at home, 9-3 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites.
Fit to Be Untied
Princeton and Michigan are the only two teams in the country that have not played to a tie this season and neither will as the team's head to the postseason. Princeton went without a tie last season as well and has not tied a game since Feb. 2, 2007 at Brown, a span of 76 games. Princeton has only been to overtime twice in the past two years, both wins this season against Colgate. Princeton went 97 games without a tie from 1970 to 1974.
Non-Conference Wrap
Princeton finished its non-league schedule with a 6-1 record. Princeton played at least one team from each Division I conference and picked up wins over Brown, Northeastern, Quinnipiac, Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha and Robert Morris.
Year End Honors
Ivy Player of the Year
Zane Kalemba became the second Tiger in a row to be honored as the Ivy League Player of the Year. Kalemba holds the nation's lowest goals-against average and its highest save percentage. He joins 1989 winner John Messuri and 2008 winner Lee Jubinville as Princeton's three Ivy League Players of the Year in men's hockey.
All-Ivy
Juniors Zane Kalemba and Jody Pederson were both named first-team All-Ivy last week to give Princeton two first-team selections for the second year in a row. Kalemba became the first Princeton goalie to earn first-team honors since Ron Dennis in 1981. Senior Brett Wilson received second-team All-Ivy honors for the second time in his career.
Upcoming Opponents
Princeton vs. Union
Princeton leads its all-time series with Union 20-17-4 but the teams have played very even of late, splitting the season series in each of the past three seasons. Five of the six games in that span were decided by a single goal and four of those decisions came in overtime. Princeton is 13-7-1 against Union on home ice.
Recent History
Princeton picked up a 4-1 win at Union on Nov. 5. Mark Magnowski scored the game winner while Sam Sabky, Taylor Fedun and Mat Arhontas scored the other goals. In January at Baker Rink, Union scored two third-period goals to come from behind in a 3-2 win. Kevin Lohry and Dan Bartlett gave Princeton leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but Matt Cook's third period goal gave Union a 3-2 lead and the win.
Scouting the Dutchmen
Union is 18-15-3 overall and 9-11-2 in the ECAC following its sweep of Clarkson in the ECAC first round last weekend. The win was the first playoff series win for Union since joining the ECAC in the 1991-92 season. Union finished the ECAC regular season in eighth. The Dutchmen are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games played.
Princeton vs. Union in the Playoffs
Princeton and Union have met once in the postseason. The game came on March 7, 1995 and was a 5-2 Princeton win at Baker Rink. That season, the team's finishing seventh-10th and eighth-ninth played a first-round playoff game to advance to the quarterfinals. Princeton won the game and advanced to play Brown in the quarterfinals. Princeton advanced all the way to the ECAC Championship game that season.
Playoff Notes
Playoff Hosting
Princeton will host a playoff series for the third straight season. The Tigers have hosted three playoff series at Baker Rink and have won all three, besting Cornell in 1999, Brown in 2007 and Yale in 2008. Princeton has a 6-3-1 playoff record on home ice. Princeton also hosted play-in games in 1991 and 1995. In 1991, the Tigers fell to Yale, and in 1995, Princeton defeated Union.
Recent Playoff History
Last season Princeton was the second seed in the ECAC Tournament and hosted seventh-seeded Yale in the quarterfinals, winning the series in three games. The Tigers moved and defeated eighth-seeded Colgate in the semifinals, then topped the third seed, Harvard, in the championship game.
Playoff Performance
Princeton is 20-37-1 in ECAC playoff action and is 6-3-1 in games played at home. Princeton has never swept an ECAC playoff series. Five of Princeton's playoff series wins came in three games, while the third came with a win and a tie when the first team to three points won a playoff series.
Team Notes
Against Ranked Teams
Princeton is 5-3 against ranked teams with wins over Northeastern (#4), Minnesota State (#17), Nebraska-Omaha (#16), Cornell (#5) and Yale (#7), and losses to Cornell (#17), Dartmouth (#20) and Yale (#18). Princeton is 3-0 against teams ranked in the Top 10.
Trending Up
Princeton has increased upon its win total in each of the past five seasons. After a three-win season in 2002-03, the Tigers won five games in 2003-04, eight games in 2004-05, 10 games in 2005-06, 15 games in 2006-07 and 21 games a season ago.
Offense From the Back
Three of Princeton's top 12 scorers are defensemen as Jody Pederson, Matt Godlewski and Taylor Fedun have eclipsed 13 points. The Tigers have gotten 63 points from defensemen this year for an average of 2.17 points per game, which ranks 10th among all teams in the nation.
Overtime
Princeton's trip to overtime at Colgate was its second trip to an extra session this season. Princeton has won its last three games to go into overtime, including both games this season against Colgate.
Even or Ahead
Princeton has been even or ahead on the scoreboard for 77.6% of the minutes played this season. The Tigers have only trailed for 390:10 all season and have been behind in 12 of the 29 games played.
Ironmen
Princeton has had 12 skaters appear in every game this season. Last season, there was not one player that played in every game.
Game Winners
With his game-winning goal against Robert Morris, Brandan Kushniruk moved atop the category with three this season. That also ranks eighth nationally. Four others?Derrick Pallis, Matt Arhontas, Jody Pederson and Mark Magnowski?have two game winners this season. Twelve Tigers have netted game winners this year.
On the Horizon
The winner of the this weekend's quarterfinal series will advance to the ECAC semifinals next Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany.