Tigers Rally for 4-3 Win Over UMass

Tuesday, December 13

7:00 PM

Princeton University

6-7-1

UMass

4-10-2

Team	1	2	3	F
UMass	0	2	1	3
Princeton	0	1	3	4

Photo by: Princeton Athletic Communications

December 13, 2016 | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Sophomore Alex Riche scored the game-winning goal at 14:34 of the third as the Princeton men's hockey team rallied for a 4-3 win over Massachusetts. The Tigers trailed 3-1 in the third period before rattling off three straight goals.

A pass from Quin Pompi landed right on the tape of the two-time ECAC Hockey Player of the Week Max Véronneau and you could sense it coming. Véronneau slipped the puck across the slot for Riche and he one timed it home for the game-winning goal.

Princeton has won its last four games, and six of its last seven. With tonight's victory the Tigers have already eclipsed last year's win total.

"It's all about making sure the guys are ready for the task at hand and for the next game," head coach Ron Fogarty commented. "It's about making sure we keep preparing and doing our jobs thoroughly, and then we can reflect back at the end of the year on what our record was. We just have to make sure our standard of play gets better and better at every practice and every game."

A breakaway goal by junior Eric Robinson cued the rally as Princeton net three goals in nine minutes to secure its fourth consecutive win. Robinson picked off a pass in the defensive zone and used his speed to get an edge on the Minutemen, facing Ryan Wischow and beating him with a backhand glove side.

Less than two minute later it was a tie game when freshman Liam Grande net his first career goal. He banged in a Jackson Cressey rebound with senior Tommy Davis earning the secondary assist.

After a scoreless first period, UMass quickly gained a 2-0 lead with two goals in the first 2:23 of the middle frame. The goals came just 59 seconds apart.

The Tigers breakout got trapped in the neutral zone before Jack Suter took the puck into the offensive zone. With an odd-man rush developing he passed across the ice to Jonny Lazarus for the backdoor goal at 1:24.

Dominic Trento was able to just get the puck past the outstretched toe of Colton Phinney to make it 2-0 at 2:23. He was set up by Joseph Widmar and Riley McDougall.

Princeton had a number of chances to get on the board but kept getting denied by Wischow, who had a big second period in net for UMass. After two periods he had 36 saves - and finished with 52 total. Any other day Joe Grabowski would have had two goals, as would would Ryan Kuffner. Ryan Siiro and Jackson Cressey also had grade-A scoring chances denied, while David Hallisey and Max Becker hit the pipe. In fact, UMass called a timeout in the middle of the period because of the Princeton offensive pressure.

"We just kept doing the same things, we knew eventually the shots would start popping for us," Robinson said. "Coach harps on us to keep doing the same things over and over. We were a little snake bitten in the second but we stuck to it in the third and had some good results."

Senior Ben Foster ended the frustration momentarily with his first goal of the season at 16:35. Siiro battled for the puck along the boards and used his skate to get the puck to Cressey. Cressey cycled out to the blue line and fed Pompi at the left point, who then rifled a shot that was redirected by Foster in the lane to make it 2-1.

Kurt Keats expanded the lead to 3-1 on a give-and-go with Lazarus, shooting over the left shoulder of Phinney at 1:56 of the third.

UMass pulled Wischow with 1:37 remaining and with a face off to the left of Phinney, the Tigers called a timeout. Princeton was forced into a two-man deficit when Joe Grabowski was called for tripping with 54 seconds on the clock but the Tigers weathered the storm with Phinney making three saves.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Tigers as they host Minnesota State this weekend in a pair of games. The puck drops at 7 p.m., at Hobey Baker Rink at 7 p.m., on both Friday and Saturday.

"Our strength coach Angie has made sure our workouts have been more endurance based, so the guys can stand the test of this five-game span," Fogarty said. "Credit to her and credit to our guys for being in shape and being able to handle the rigors. But on the other hand, we are playing smart hockey and not chasing the game, which makes you more tiresome. We're doing a lot of good things with the puck and when we have better control of the puck we aren't as fatigued."