Men's Hockey Wins Wild One Over RPI, 6-5

Saturday, December 10

Princeton, N.J.

7:00 PM

Princeton University

6-7-0, 5-6-0

RPI

7-9-1, 2-6-0

Rensselaer

Princeton

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

December 10, 2022 | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

It wasn't pretty towards the end, but three gorgeous points were added to Princeton's total in the ECAC race via a 6-5 win over RPI to cap a weekend sweep for the Tigers at Hobey Baker Rink.

Cat Like Reflexes In Net

Ethan Pearson with yet another big save and the Tigers end the weekend with a sweep at Hobey pic.twitter.com/TlzOzP5ReE
— Princeton Men's Ice Hockey (@princetonhockey) December 11, 2022

The Tigers (6-7-0, 5-6-0 ECAC) are now tied for third in the ECAC with 16 points, joining Colgate and Cornell in a logjam behind league-leading Quinnipiac (30 points) and second-place Harvard (19 points).

Murph From Deep!

Ian Murphy chips the puck from the far side of the ice and secures the dub for the boys pic.twitter.com/Nth1wv5iJS
— Princeton Men's Ice Hockey (@princetonhockey) December 11, 2022

A long-distance empty-netter from Ian Murphy while short-handed with 1:52 remaining gave Princeton what appeared to be a comfortable 6-3 lead. Instead, that goal was the game-winner as RPI found a pair of Jake Gagnon goals in the final half-minute to close within one. Gagnon's second of the game was too late for the comeback to be completed, coming with just 2.2 seconds remaining.

Six different skaters scored for the Tigers, and 13 had at least one points as Princeton put together its first home weekend sweep of any kind since two wins over Maine on 12/28-29 in 2018 and its first ECAC home weekend sweep since also knocking off Union and RPI on 11/9-10 in 2018.

Pito Walton tied his career high with three assists, while Liam Gorman had a career-high two helpers. Ian Murphy also had a multi-point night with a goal and an assist.

Murphy and Kersten each had short-handed goals, the first time Princeton has had multiple shorties in the same game since Andrew Ammon and Andrew Calof each had SHgs -- also against RPI -- on 1/11/13.

Nick Marciano netted his first career goal with the first of the game's 11 goals

Welcome to the Marcy-Party!

Nick Marciano bags his first career goal and puts us up 1-0 pic.twitter.com/LBuJoSL9In
— Princeton Men's Ice Hockey (@princetonhockey) December 11, 2022

Princeton conceded four power play goals on eight RPI man advantages, including three PPGs against in the third period.

Princeton jumped out to a lead 6:44 into the game with Nick Marciano's first career goal. The Tigers skated out in transition, with a trio of freshmen connecting to open the scoring. Jaxson Ezman sent David Jacobs down the right wing, and he fed over to a streaking Marciano who slid his first collegiate goal five-hole.

The Tigers added a Brendan Gorman goal at the 15:01 mark to take a 2-0 lead. Moments after successfully killing off a RPI power play, the younger Gorman took a feed from his older brother Liam and then patiently threaded home his fourth goal of this season.

Princeton played with fire in the first period, taking four minor penalties. The Tigers killed the first three, but RPI finally broke through with a tic-tac-toe goal from Austin Heidemann with 0.4 seconds remaining to send the game to the first intermission with Princeton in the lead, 2-1.

RPI quickly tied it up just 25 seconds into the second period with a Ryan Mahshie goal, but Princeton turned up the pressure after that to regain a two-goal lead.

Adam Robbins connected for his second goal of the weekend with 6:58 remaining in the middle period, knocking home a Pito Walton pass while being hauled down in front of the net.

Spencer Kersten then turned on the jets to blow by a defender and feather home a short-handed goal – his first of the season – with 3:16 left in the second.

Go Shorty!

El Capitano Spence Kersten scores his first goal of the season with a breakaway beauty pic.twitter.com/AaJ5hrHx3U
— Princeton Men's Ice Hockey (@princetonhockey) December 11, 2022

David Jacobs extended the lead 4:52 into the second period when he deflected home a Jack Cronin shot for a power-play goal to give Princeton a 5-2 lead.

After a PPG from Mahshie with under 5:00 remaining, Princeton found itself back on the penalty kill late following a penalty on Robbins. Murphy would then net a 200-foot empty netter after a faceoff win from Liam Gorman in Princeton's own end to seemingly ice the game, but a second penalty on the Tigers off the ensuing faceoff resulted in Princeton facing a 6-on0-3 where RPI netted the final two PPGs.

The Tigers are off until after the holidays for exams, returning with a pair of games at Colorado College on December 30 and 31.