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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
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Union
Tigers to Host Union, RPI as ECAC Playoffs Draw Closer
February 08, 2023 | Women's Ice Hockey
Set to celebrate its seniors and aim to clinch an ECAC Hockey playoff bid, the Princeton women's hockey team will play its final regular-season home games Friday and Saturday against Union and Rensselaer.
vs. Union, Fri., 6 p.m. | ESPN+ | Int'l Video | Live Stats | Game Program | Tickets
vs. Rensselaer, Sat., 3 p.m. | ESPN+ | Int'l Video | Live Stats | Game Program | Tickets
The Home Stretch: Princeton is just a win from clinching a spot in the ECAC Hockey tournament, and if that win comes Friday night against Union, it would tie the team's longest winning streak of the season as the Tigers have won three in a row in bouncing back from a five-game skid. Entering the weekend, Princeton stood sixth in the ECAC with 25 points, nine ahead of ninth-place Brown for the last playoff spot. Princeton would go to Quinnipiac for a best-of-three quarterfinal series beginning Feb. 24 if the pairings ended the same way they enter the weekend.
The Series with Union and Rensselaer: Princeton went on the RPI-Union trip in early December, getting a 5-1 win at RPI before a 4-1 loss at Union that ended Princeton's 14-game win streak in the series since Union's last win in 2014. Union netminder Sophie Matsoukas made 56 saves in the win as Princeton outshot the Dutchwomen 57-15 on goal and 89-25 overall. Princeton is 34-2-1 all-time against Union anad 17-0 at Baker Rink, and against RPI, Princeton is 19-9-5 overall and 9-6-2 at Baker, having won the last five in the series overall and last two at Baker since RPI's last win in the series in 2019.
Stat Rankings: Entering the week, Princeton stood 12th in the nation in faceoff win percentage at .529 and 19th in scoring offense at 2.58 goals per game. Sarah Fillier was seventh nationally with 365 faceoff wins, 13th at 0.62 goals/game, and 19th with 1.25 points/game. Taylor Hyland was 19th with a .577 goalie winning percentage, and Maggie Connors was 20th with four power-play goals.
Checking the Charts: Senior Maggie Connors stands 12th in program history with 74 career goals (11th is 75, ninth is 76, eighth is 77 and seventh is 87), and junior Sarah Fillier stands 11th with 144 points (10th is 147), 15th with 59 career goals (14th is 69), and sixth with 85 assists (fifth is 86, fourth is 87 and third is 94).
Outshoot 'em: Princeton has outshot its opponent on goal in 16 of 24 games on the season. On the season, Princeton is averaging 33.6 shots a game to 24.6 for its opponent.Â
Rookies: First-year Tigers are two of Princeton's four leading point scorers this season, with Issy Wunder (7g/9a) third with 16 points and Katherine Khramtsov (7g/5a) fourth with 12. Classmate Taylor Hyland has played 49 percent of the team's minutes in goal and leads the team with a .907 save percentage. Hyland's seven wins are the most for a Princeton rookie since Stephanie Neatby '20 won 12 in 2016-17.
Between the Pipes: Sophomore Jennifer Olnowich has played 51 percent of the minutes in goal this season with rookie Taylor Hyland playing the other 49 percent. Olnowich has the lower GAA, at 2.43 to 2.49 for Hyland, and Hyland has the edge in save percentage, .907 to .891.
Olympic Gold: Junior Sarah Fillier returned to Princeton this season for the first time since the 2019-20 season that ended due to the pandemic just before the NCAA tournament. In the meantime, Fillier helped Canada to two IIHF World Championships and Olympic gold. At the Olympics, Fillier co-led Canada in goals (five) and led the team in points (11).
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