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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
#14 Rensselaer
Players Mentioned
Men's Hockey Picks Up 4-3 Win at Rensselaer; Remains in Hunt for Bye
February 25, 2011 | Men's Ice Hockey
TROY, N.Y. (2/25/11) - The Princeton men's hockey team leaped to fifth in the ECAC standings and remains in contention for a first-round bye in the ECAC playoffs after a 4-3 win over Rensselaer on Friday night at the Houston Field House. Andrew Ammon scored two goals in the win.
Princeton scored two goals in both the first and second period to get up on the Engineers and then held off a late push as the Tigers picked up their fourth-straight win on the road at RPI. The win pushed Princeton ahead of RPI in the league standings to a tie for fourth with Cornell. If the season ended today though Princeton would be the fifth seed based on losing the tiebreaker.
Princeton jumped out to a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game when Andrew Calof scored his seventh goal of the season shorthanded. The goal came after he poked the puck away from an RPI defenseman along the red line and went in on goaltender Allen York on a breakaway. Calof faked a shot and then went to his backhand to register his team-leading 30th point of the season.
Rensselaer would draw even just after the penalty that Princeton scored shorthanded on ended. RPI kept pressure in the zone and Josh Rabbani found Brock Higgs open at the back door for the equalizer. The tie only lasted two minutes though before Princeton went ahead for good on Kevin Lohry 12th goal of the season. Eric Meland won an offensive zone faceoff back to Derrick Pallis at the point. York made the save on Pallis' shot but left the rebound for Lohry.
Princeton made the score 3-1 five minutes into the second period when Ammon netted his first of the game and ninth of the season. Pallis made the play happen as he drove down the wall and fed Ammon a centering pass at the top of the crease to redirect into the open net.
The Engineers again trimmed the lead to a goal at 11:59 mark of the second when Matt Tinordi scored on the power play. RPI won an offensive zone draw back to the point where Jeff Foss fired a shot. The shot went wide and bounced in front off the end boards where Tinordi stuffed it in.
Princeton answered with a power-play goal of its own at 18:57 from Ammon as he became the fifth Tiger this season to tally double digits in goals. Michael Sdao took a point shot that was stopped by York, but Ammon found the rebound for the goal. Rob Kleebaum also had an assist on the goal.
RPI scored the game's final goal with five minutes left in the third as Nick Bailen's point shot was deflected by Johnny Rogic, but the Engineers would get no closer, despite finishing the game with a power play.
Princeton outshot RPI 44-30. Princeton netminder Sean Bonar stopped 27 shots in the win while York made 40 saves in a losing effort.
Princeton is now 16-10-2 overall and 11-8-2 in the ECAC. The Tigers enter tomorrow night's regular season finale at Union in need of gaining a point on Cornell in order to secure a first round bye in the ECAC playoffs. Cornell visits Yale on Saturday. Rensselaer is also still in contention for a fourth-place finish, sitting a point behind the fourth-place tie.