Three-Goal Second Period Sends Men's Hockey By RPI

Friday, February 4

Princeton, N.J.

7:00 PM

Princeton University

6-11-2, 5-6-1

RPI

12-16-3, 7-8-0

Rensselaer

Princeton

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

Three-Goal Second Period Sends Men's Hockey By RPI

February 04, 2022 | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

PRINCETON – Princeton put together a three-goal second period to rally by RPI and secure a 3-2 win over the Engineers at Hobey Baker Rink to open Cancer Awareness Weekend. The win is the first for the Tigers over RPI since 11/10/18 – a span of four games.

With the win, Princeton improves to 6-11-2 overall and 5-6-1 inside the ECAC. The Tigers are now 3-1-1 over their last five games to stay within range of the top eight in the ECAC standings.

Spencer Kersten and Corey Andonovski each had two assists, while Jeremie Forget finished with 23 saves for Princeton.

For Kersten, his two helpers are a career-best, also marking his fourth multi-point game in his last seven appearances. Andonovski also now has 2+ points in four of his last seven games.

After conceding the first goal of the game late in the first, the Tigers traded goals with the Engineers in the second before ultimately leaving the ice after 40:00 with the 3-2 lead.

Pito Walton got the Tigers on the board just past the midway mark of the middle frame, wristing home a power-play goal to tie the game at 1-1. Adam Robbins and Mark Paolini picked up assists on Walton's goal which snapped a 10-game stretch without a point.

PPito

Walton gets us started with a PPG. pic.twitter.com/0OZ2QUXNgO
— Princeton Men's Ice Hockey (@princetonhockey) February 5, 2022

RPI would answer 1:36 late to regain a one-goal lead via a Simon Kjellberg goal. He had cycled down from the point and swiped home the rebound of a Kyle Hallbauer shot.

Princeton countered with two goals in a span of 1:34 to take the lead. Up first was Ian Murphy who hustled to the net and banged home the rebound of a Corey Andonovski breakaway offering which had been denied.

Murph ??!

Ian Murphy follows the play and it pays off with his 6th goal of the season. pic.twitter.com/CtwGBrZcfo
— Princeton Men's Ice Hockey (@princetonhockey) February 5, 2022

Moments later, the Tigers worked a pretty power play sequence with all five Princeton players getting a touch. Noah de la Durantaye started the scoring sequence with a diving stop at the point, and eventually the puck worked to Spencer Kersten who fed down to Andonovski who chipped a pass over a RPI defender to Christian O'Neill at the far post for a quick redirection and power-play goal.

Tic-Tac-Goal!

All five Tigers get a touch on the PP and Christian O'Neill finishes the play to give us a 3-2 lead after two. pic.twitter.com/tekC4Zoe9f
— Princeton Men's Ice Hockey (@princetonhockey) February 5, 2022

Justin Addamo got RPI on the board with 3:25 remaining in the first period, finding a loose puck in the crease area on the power play to finish off a crisp passing play. Simon Kjellberg fed a pass from the point down to Jakub Lacka who one-touched a feed through the crease which rattled around and off Addamo and in.

Jeremie Forget kept it a one-goal deficit for Princeton after the opening period with a sliding save off an Addamo shot with one second remaining to deny the Engineers a second strike.

Neither team scored in the third period, despite a 16-5 edge in shots on goal for Princeton. The Tigers were unable to score on a pair of third period powerplays, including a five-minute major for contact to the head by Ottoville Leppanen. Princeton did kill the only penalty it took in the third.

The Tigers are right back at it on Saturday night, hosting Union at Hobey Baker Rink at 7 p.m.