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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Men's Hockey to Face Cornell on Friday Night in ECAC Semifinals
March 18, 2009 | Men's Ice Hockey
ECAC HOCKEY SEMIFINALS
#3 Princeton vs #2 Cornell
GAMETIME: Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m.
2008-09 RECORDS: Princeton (22-10-0, 14-8-0 ECAC); Cornell (20-8-4, 13-6-3 ECAC)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads 75-48-7 and trails 4-9 at neutral sites
LAST MEETING: Princeton won 2-1 on Feb. 7, 2009 at Cornell
STREAK: Princeton won the last meeting
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This Week's Storylines
Playoff Time
The Princeton men's hockey team takes on Cornell in the second semifinal game of the 2009 ECAC Hockey Tournament on Friday night at the Times Union Center in Albany.
The Road to Albany
Princeton advanced to the ECAC semifinals with a two games to one series win over Union in the quarterfinals. Princeton won the first game 3-2, lost the middle game 5-2, and won the decisive game 3-1.
The First Four are the Last Four
The ECAC's top four seeds all advanced to the ECAC semifinals for the first time in two seasons. Princeton and Cornell are both appearing the semis for the second year in a row. St. Lawrence was last in the semis in 2007 and Yale is making its first semifinal appearance since 1998.
Into the Semis
Princeton is making its sixth appearance in the semifinal round of the ECAC tournament. The Tigers are 3-2 in semifinal games with appearances coming in 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2008.
Championship/Consolation
Princeton has advanced to the ECAC title game on three occasions with a 2-1 record, winning the title in 1998 and 2008. Princeton is 0-1-1 in ECAC third-place games.
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.
22 Wins
Princeton recorded its 22nd win of the year Sunday against Union, setting a new program record for wins in a season. Princeton has now won 20 or more games on three occasions. The 1999 Tigers won 20 times and last year's team had 21 wins. This year the Tigers won 20 regular season games, which is also a program record.
Trending Up
Princeton has increased upon its win total in each of the past six 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, 21 games a season ago and now 22 in the 2008-09 season.
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 eighth 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. All four teams playing this week are nationally ranked with Yale at No. 7, Cornell at No. 9/10 and St. Lawrence at No. 14.
Quarterfinal Recap
Union Game 1
Mark Magnowski and Lee Jubinville each scored in the first 10 minutes of the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and lift Princeton to a 3-2 win in Game 1 of the quarterfinals. Union scored the game's first and last goals, but the Tigers scored the middle three for the win.
Union Game 2
Union took advantage of a series of Tiger miscues early on to build a lead in a 5-2 win in Game 2. The Durchmen led 2-0 10 minutes into the game and never looked back. Dan Bartlett scored both goals in the loss for Princeton, which moved within two goals last in the third period but could not draw any closer.
Union Game 3
Princeton jumped on Union in the decisive third game by scoring three goals in the first seven minutes to build a 3-0 lead. All three goals came with the Tigers skating with four players on the ice as the first two were scored skating four-on-four and the third was shorthanded. Brett Wilson, Dan Bartlett and Lee Jubinville provided the scoring and Zane Kalemba made 38 saves in goal.
Year End Honors
ECAC Player and Goalie of the Year
Zane Kalemba became the second Tiger in a row to be honored as the ECAC Player of the Year. He is also just the second Tiger to ever receive the award joining 2008 winner Lee Jubinville. He also was named Princeton's first winner of the Ken Dryden Award as the league's top goaltender and became the first Princeton goalie to ever be named to an all-league team as he was a first-team All-ECAC choice.
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. 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-League
Juniors Zane Kalemba and Jody Pederson were both named first-team All-Ivy 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. Pederson was also a third-team All-ECAC choice. Senior Brett Wilson received second-team All-Ivy honors for the second time in his career.
Upcoming Opponents
Princeton vs. Cornell
Cornell leads the all-time series with Princeton 75-47-7, although the Tigers have a 9-4 edge in games played at neutral sites. The teams split this season and have split their last six games. The last four games in the series have been decided by a goal.
Recent History
The two teams split their meetings this season. Cornell opened its season with a 1-0 win at Princeton on Nov. 7 as Tyler Mugford lifted the Big Red to victory. Princeton then evened the season series on Feb. 7 in Ithaca. The Tigers trailed in that game with less than a minute left in regulation, but two goals in the final minute by Dan Bartlett and Taylor Fedun lifted Princeton to the stunning 2-1 win.
Scouting the Big Red
Cornell is 20-8-4 overall and went 13-6-3 in the ECAC regular season. Cornell is the tournament's second seed and defeated Rensselaer in the quarterfinals. Cornell also need three games to advance, winning Games 2 and 3 after dropping the opening game.
Princeton vs. Cornell in the Playoffs
Princeton and Cornell have met seven times in the postseason with the Big Red leading the series 4-2-1. The teams last met when Cornell swept a first round series in 2001. Two years earlier the Tigers took a series from Cornell at Baker Rink with a win and a tie. Princeton won the lone neutral site postseason game, winning 6-2 in the 1998 Final Five Play-In Game.
Playoff Notes
Playoff Hosting
Princeton hosted a playoff series for the third straight season. The Tigers have now hosted four playoff series at Baker Rink and have won them all, besting Cornell in 1999, Brown in 2007, Yale in 2008 and now Union in 2009. Princeton has an 8-4-1 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.
Tigers in Three
Princeton improved to a perfect 6-0 in third games of ECAC playoff series'. The Tigers hav won every playoff series they have competed in that has gone the distance.
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 22-38-1 in ECAC playoff action and is 8-4-1 in games played at home. Princeton has never swept an ECAC playoff series. Six of Princeton's seven playoff series wins came in three games. The Tigers are 7-4-1 in neutral site playoff games with a 5-4-1 record in Lake Placid and a 2-0 record in Albany. Princeton was 2-0 in the Play-In game when the league had a Final Five, is 3-2 in semifinals, 2-1 in championships games and 0-1-1 in consolation games.
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 and the Tigers will play two games against ranked teams this weekend.
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, Lee Jubinville and Dan Bartlett all have more than 20 points this season. Princeton had four 20-point players a season ago.
Fire Away
Princeton currently ranks first in the nation in shots on goal per game with an average of 38.09 shots per game this season. Yale ranks second with 36.58 and Air Force, Wisconsin and Miami round out the top five. Princeton has had 40 or more shots in 16 of 32 games played this season.
Strong Team Defense
Princeton is one of four 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 18 games this season and currently rank fourth in goals against at 1.97 goals per game. Notre Dame (1.65), Alaska (1.70) and Cornell (1.88) rank ahead of the Tigers.
Most Disciplined
The Tigers are the least penalized team in the nation, averaging just over five minors per game at 10.6 minuetes Providence and Alaska are the second-least penalized teams with 10.9 penalty minutes per game.
Home and Away
Princeton is 12-6 this season at home, 9-3 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites.
Offense From the Back
Three of Princeton's top 12 scorers are defensemen as Jody Pederson, Matt Godlewski and Taylor Fedun have eclipsed 14 points. The Tigers have gotten 68 points from defensemen this year for an average of 2.12 points per game, which ranks 11th among all teams in the nation.
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 79 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 regular season 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.
Even or Ahead
Princeton has been even or ahead on the scoreboard for 76.8% of the minutes played this season. The Tigers have only trailed for 447:05 all season and have been behind in 14 of the 32 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.
Shorthanded Goals
Princeton has scored seven shorthanded goals this season to better its six from last season.
11/14/08 4-1 win at Rensselaer (Lohry)
11/15/08 4-1 win at Union (Arhontas)
11/28/08 5-3 win vs. Northeastern (Pallis)
12/30/08 5-1 win vs. Nebraska-Omaha (Fedun)
5-1 win vs. Nebraska-Omaha (Jubinville)
1/4/09 5-1 win vs. Harvard (Wilson)
3/15/09 3-1 win vs. Union (Jubinville)
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. Six others?Derrick Pallis, Matt Arhontas, Jody Pederson, Dan Bartlett, Lee Jubinville and Mark Magnowski?have two game winners this season. Fourteen Tigers have netted game winners this year.
On the Horizon
All four teams competing this season in Albany hope to continue their seasons next weekend in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The four regional sites are Bridgeport, Conn., Mabchester, N.H., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Minneapolis, Minn.