Tigers Battle Saints at Hobey Baker Rink in ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals

Friday, March 1

Princeton, N.J.

6:00 PM

Princeton University

St. Lawrence

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Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

Tigers Battle Saints at Hobey Baker Rink in ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals

February 28, 2019 | Women's Ice Hockey

St. Lawrence (5 seed) at No. 7 Princeton (4 seed) l Hobey Baker Rink
Friday, March 1 at 6:00 l Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m. l Sunday, March 3 at 3 p.m. (if necessary)
Friday: ESPN+ Saturday: ESPN+ Sunday: ESPN+
International l Live Stats l @PWIH

EYE ON THE TIGERS
Princeton finished in a three-way tie for the second place in the ECAC and after tiebreakers has earned the fourth seed in the tournament. Overall the Tigers are 18-6-5 and ranked No. 7 in the national poll. Freshman Sarah Fillier leads not only the Tigers but the nation in scoring with 16 goals and 32 assists for 48 points. She is also the nation's leading in assists per game. Classmate Maggie Connors has been on the other end of a lot of those Fillier feeds she she sports a team best 25 goals and 14 assists. She is second in the nation in goals per game, first in power play goals, third in freshman scoring and is 10th in the nation in scoring overall. Junior Carly Bullock adds 37 points, and junior Claire Thompson has 27 from the blue line. Thompson is ranked third in the nation in scoring defensemen. Princeton has three capable netminders in sophomore Rachel McQuigge, junior Stephanie Neatby and freshman Cassie Reale. McQuigge is 10-5-4 with a 1.88 goals against average and a .927 save percentage, while Neatby is 4-1-1 with a .926 save percentage and a 1.91 GAA.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
St. Lawrence commits the fewest penalties in the nation, meaning Princeton's power play must be accurate when it gets its chances against the top-ranked penalty killing unit. In 75 chances, only seven times has an opponent scored a power-play goal on the Saints this year - one time was from Maggie Connors. Princeton has the best power-play in the nation, converting on 27.2 percent of its chances - a total of 31 goals.

THE SERIES
Princeton and St. Lawrence split the season series with the Tigers winning 3-2 in overtime at Hobey Baker Rink while the Saints took a 2-0 game last Saturday in Canton. The series is tight with Princeton holding a 33-29-4 advantage.

This is the second time the teams meet in the playoffs. In 2016, Princeton hosted St. Lawrence in the quarterfinals with the Saints taking it two games to one. They won 1-0 on Friday, before Princeton posted a 4-3 win on Saturday. A 4-3 overtime win on Sunday decided the series. Princeton went on earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament that year.

SCOUTING THE SAINTS
St. Lawrence is the fifth seed in the ECAC tournament as they finished with a 9-7-6 mark in league play. Overall the Saints are 14-13-7 and have just two losses in their last 12 games and one in their last five. Senior Justine Reyes leads the team in scoring with 25 points on nine goals and 16 assists. Classmate Rachael Smith has a team-high 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points and junior Kalie Grant adds 20 points. Five other skaters are in double digits in scoring. St. Lawrence uses both senior Grace Harrison and Sonjia Shelly in goal and both have faced Princeton this season. Harrison has a .924 save percentage and a 2.14 GAA, while Shelly has a .920 save percentage and a 1.88 GAA.