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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Men's Hockey Returns From Break to Play at UConn Tournament
December 26, 2010 | Men's Ice Hockey
GAMETIME: Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 4:05 p.m.
RECORDS: Princeton (8-5-0, 6-3-0 ECAC); BG (6-12-2, 2-10-2 CCHA)
SERIES RECORD: BG leads 8-1 overall, is 1-0 at neutral sites
LAST MEETING: BG won 2-1 on Jan. 5, 2002 at home
STREAK: 1 Bowling Green win
GAME 15: Princeton vs. UConn/Holy Cross
GAMETIME: Thursday, Dec. 30 at 4:05/7:15 p.m.
RECORDS:
Princeton (8-5-0, 6-3-0 ECAC);
Connecticut (5-7-3, 5-4-1 AH);
Holy Cross (6-7-2, 5-3-2 AH)
SERIES RECORDS:
Princeton leads Connecticut 1-0-0, first road game
Princeton leads Holy Cross 4-0-0, first neutral game
LAST MEETING:
Princeton defeated UConn 8-1 on Jan. 25, 2010
Princeton defeated Holy Cross 12-0 on Dec. 18, 1988
STREAK:
1 Princeton win over UConn
4 Princeton wins over Holy Cross
LINKS: Tournament Central | Livestats | Audio | Video (Only UConn Games) | Games Notes (PDF)
PRINCETON (12/26/10) -- The Princeton men's hockey makes its first ever trip to the University of Connecticut this weekend to take part in the Toyota UConn Hockey Classic. Princeton will face Bowling Green of the CCHA in the opening game and then meet either the host Huskies or Holy Cross the following day.
Princeton has been on break since the weekend of Dec. 10 and 11 when the Tigers took a two-game series from UMass Lowell at Hobey Baker Rink. The wins were Princeton's third and fourth in a row and moved the Tigers to 8-2 over their last 10 games since starting the season with three straight losses. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 17-5 in the three-game win streak and 23-10 in the last five games played.
Derrick Pallis and Andrew Ammon were honored by the ECAC following the weekend against UMass Lowell. Pallis was the league's Player of the Week following his two goal and two assist weekend, while Ammon was the league's top rookie following his hat trick in the opening win of the weekend. Both awards were the first for any Princeton player this season.
A total of 16 different Tigers recorded points against UMass Lowell. Derrick Pallis (2G-2A) and Brodie Zuk (4A) led the group with four points each. Five players had points in each game and nine recorded a multiple-point game. As a result Princeton's scoring is very balanced this season. Eleven Tigers have between nine and five points. In goal, both Sean Bonar and Mike Condon earned wins for the Tigers. Bonar's 1.19 goals-against and his .947 save percentage ranks him first nationally in both categories, while Condon's 2.22 GAA ranks 17th and his .927 save percentage is ninth.
Princeton has also excelled on special teams during its recent run. The Tiger power play accounted for four goals in the UMass Lowell series and the Tigers have now scored with the man advantage in five-straight games and in 10 of 13 games this season. Princeton's power play is now 18 for 72 this season for a 25.0% efficiency, the fourth best conversion rate in the nation. Princeton has also been very effective on the penalty kill, killing off 55 of 62 penalties against for a 88.7% rate, which also ranks fourth nationally. Princeton has allowed seven power-play goals, but scored four shorthanded goals to only be -3 when shorthanded this season.
This week Princeton plays in its second tournament of the season. The Tigers opened the year with the Ivy Shootout at Ingalls and dropped a pair of 2-1 decisions to both Dartmouth and Brown. Last season the Tigers competed at the Florida College Classic during the Holiday Season and placed third in the event after tying Maine in the opener 6-6 and topping Cornell 3-2 in the consolation game. Princeton finished second in the two previous tournaments after winning the opener and dropping the championship game during the 2008 RPI Tournament and the 2005 Denver Cup. Princeton last won a holiday tournament in 1999 when it topped Minnesota and Boston University to win the Mariucci Classic.
Princeton opens the tournament on Wednesday afternoon when it meets Bowling Green. The Falcons are 8-1 all-time against Princeton with the teams last meeting in the 2001-02 season in Ohio. That season Princeton took the opener of a two-game series in Ohio with a 4-2 win, but Bowling Green earned a split with a 2-1 win the following day.
Bowling Green is 6-12-2 overall and 2-10-2 in the CCHA this season. The Falcons enter the tournament winless in five, but with four of those games going to overtime. The Falcons were swept the Dec. 10-11 weekend by Ohio State. Bowling Green and Princeton have only faced one common opponent this season. That opponent was Clarkson, which defeated Princeton 5-3 and split two games with Bowling Green (0-4 and 3-0). Bowling Green also faced Rensselaer of the ECAC and fell to the Engineers 3-2 in overtime.
Princeton will either face Connecticut or Holy Cross the following day. Princeton is unbeaten against the pair, winning the lone meeting against the Huskies 8-1 last season at Hobey Baker Rink, and taking four games from Holy Cross with the most recent win coming in the 1988-89 season.
Connecticut is 5-7-3 overall and 5-4-1 in Atlantic Hockey. The Huskies earned lopsided wins in their last two games at Niagara and Sacred Heart to snap a streak where they won once in a span of eight games. Princeton and UConn haven't played any common opponents, but UConn has played Union and Rensselaer of the ECAC, tying at Union 3-3 and falling to Rensselaer 6-5.
Holy Cross is 6-7-2 overall and 5-3-2 in Atlantic Hockey. The Crusaders are winless in four (0-3-1) and last played Dec. 3-4 when they tied and lost at Air Force. The four-game winless streak was preceded by a 6-2-1 stretch. Holy Cross and Princeton have both played Quinnipiac once this season. Princeton defeated the Bobcats 3-0, while Holy Cross fell to the Bobcats by a 3-1 score.
Princeton returns to ECAC Hockey play following the tournament on Monday, January 3 at 7 p.m., when Quinnipiac visits Hobey Baker Rink.