.png&width=24&type=webp)
.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Rensselaer
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Princeton Hosts #ChampionsWeekend, Rensselaer & Union
February 15, 2018 | Men's Ice Hockey
| Games 26 & 27: Rensselaer & Union at Princeton | |
| Game Times | Friday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. l Hobey Baker Rink l Tickets |
| Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. l Hobey Baker Rink l Tickets | |
| Game Coverage | Live Video l Live Stats |
| Series Info | Princeton trails RPI 35-68-11 (streak: 1 win) |
| Princeton trails Union 22-34-7 (streak: 6 losses) | |
| Princeton | Roster l Schedule l Stats l |
| RPI | Roster l Schedule l Stats l @RPI_Hockey |
| Union | Roster l Schedule l Stats l @UnionMHockey |
#CHAMPIONSWEEKEND
This weekend the Princeton hockey program will honor the 1998 and 2008 ECAC Championship teams on their 20th and 10th anniversaries. Members of the teams will be honored on the ice during the first and second intermissions with Stanley Cup champions George Parros '03 and Kevin Westgarth '07 will also be present for the honorary puck drop on Saturday.
EYE ON THE TIGERS
In a three-way tie for sixth place in the ECAC standings, Princeton is playing to guarantee that this will not be the last time it plays at home this weekend. The Tigers can finish anywhere between 4-11 in the standings with four games remaining in the regular season. Overall the squad is 11-11-3 and has won five of its last six games. Juniors Max Véronneau and Ryan Kuffner lead the offense with 35 and 33 points. Fellow linemate Alex Riche has 21 but they are not the only scoring line the Tigers have, as they rank seventh nationally in scoring offense. Senior David Hallisey has 29 points scoring the second-most goals on the team with 15 while chipping in 14 assists on a line with sophomore Jackson Cressey, who has 25 points, and senior Eric Robinson who has 19 points with 11 goals. Junior Josh Teves leads the defensemen in scoring with 21 points, while freshman Reid Yochim has 10. The Tigers power play has converted 26.1 percent, the fifth best in the nation. Freshman Ryan Ferland has started in all but one game in goal and has a .905 save percentage and a 3.23 goals against average.
SCOUTING THE ENGINEERS
Rensselaer wanted to make sure no one was counting them out just yet after a big 2-1 win over then-ranked No. 1 Cornell on Feb. 3. The team however followed up with a 7-3 versus Dartmouth last Friday to sit 5-21-4 overall and 4-12-2 in league play. Sophomore Jacob Hayhurst and senior Viktor Lilijegren have both scored nine goals and Hayhurst added 10 assists for a team leading 19 points. Junior Evan Tironese and senior defenseman Mike Prapavessis (DAL) each had 15 points with all of Prapavessis coming by way of assist. Sophomore defenseman Will Reilly ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 13 points. Freshman Linden Marshall has been the starting netminder and has a .906 save percentage and a 3.14 GAA. Junior Chase Perry (DET) has an .897 save percentage and a 3.55 GAA in his 11 games played.
THE PRINCETON/RENSSELAER SERIES
Princeton won the previous meeting with Rensselaer, a 6-2 decision in Troy in November. That ended a three-game streak of one-goal victories, by either team, in the series. RPI took a 4-3 game on Feb. 2017 after the Tigers earned a 6-5 OT win at Hobey Baker Rink in Dec. 2016. Five Tigers average more than a point in the series with Jackson Cressey having the best output with six points in three games.
SCOUTING THE DUTCHMEN
Union enters the weekend with an 18-13-1 overall record and with a 13-5 ECAC mark they are tied for second place in the league standings. Union has won its last three games and has taken seven of the last eight. Senior Ryan Scarfo has scored a team-high 17 goals and adds 12 assists for 29 points. Junior Cole Maier has 29 points as well on nine goals and a team-best 20 assists. Juniors Sebastian Vidmar and Brett Supinksi are close behind with 28 and 24 points. Sophomore Anthony Rinaldi has net the second most goals on the team with 14. Junior Jake Kupsky (SJS) has started in the last three games and has a .918 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA. Freshman Darion Hanson has been active with 14 starts, his last in a one-goal loss to Cornell, and has a .908 save percentage and a 2.32 GAA.
THE PRINCETON/UNION SERIES
Princeton is looking to earn its first win in the series with Union since 2009, to halt a 19-game winless skid. The Tigers have come close the last two games with matching 4-3 losses in overtime including in Game 2 of ECAC Quarterfinals a year ago, losing on a penalty shot, and this past November on a power-play goal. Three Tigers average more than a point a game against the Dutchmen led by junior Ryan Kuffner with eight points on four goals and four assists in six games. Max Véronneau has seven in six and Teves has six in six.
