Men's Hockey Home For RPI & Union

Friday, February 16

Princeton, N.J.

7:00 PM

Princeton University

RPI

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Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

February 15, 2024 | Men's Ice Hockey

Princeton vs. RPI
February 16 | 7 p.m. | Hobey Baker Rink
ESPN+ | International Stream | Tickets | Live Stats | Game Notes

Princeton vs. Union
February 17 | 7 p.m. | Hobey Baker Rink
ESPN+ | International Stream | Tickets | Live Stats

THE ALL-TIME SERIES WITH RPI
The Tigers enter this weekend's game with RPI at 40-72-12 in the all-time series and 21-26-6 at Hobey Baker Rink. The Tigers have won three of the last four meetings between the two teams, including the last two played at Baker -- a 3-2 win on 2/4/22 and a 6-5 win on 12/10/22. The most recent meeting between the two teams was a 6-4 Princeton win at RPI on 12/2/23. A three-goal second period for the Tigers gave Princeton a 3-2 lead after 40:00 of play and the Tigers would answer every RPI challenge in the third. Brendan Gorman had three assists in the game, while Adam Robbins, Jack Cronin and David Jacobs each had a goal and an assist.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES WITH UNION
Princeton is 27-43-8 all-time against Union, and 17-17-3 at Baker Rink. The teams have split the last four matchups, including a 2-0 Princeton win at Baker Rink on 12/9/22 and a 6-4 win at Union in the ECAC First Round last season. The most recent meeting between the two teams was a 7-2 Union win on 12/1/23. The Garnet Chargers had jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the second period before goals from Kai Daniells and Ian Murphy closed the deficit to one entering the third. A Union score 0:33 into the third provided insurance and the Garnet Chargers tacked on three goals in the final 2:18 of play to provide a final score that wasn't truly an indicator of the close game to that point.

CARDIAC CATS
So far through 23 games this season, Princeton has reached overtime seven times, with another decided by one goal with under 1:00 left in regulation. The Tigers have won five of their seven overtime games during the 5:00 OT period and claimed the shootout over Harvard in another. The seventh OT game saw Sacred Heart "win" a shootout which has no bearing on anything.

Overall, the Tigers are 5-0-2 when games reach OT. There are nine teams in the country without a loss in overtime this season -- of that group only Minnesota (8) has played more OT games that Princeton and no team undefeated in OT has won more OT games than the Tigers.

The NCAA Record for OT wins in a season is 7 -- set by the 2011 Minnesota Duluth team and matched by Omaha this season. Seven teams in the history of NCAA Division I men's ice hockey have won six OT games in a season -- including Ferris State this season. The 2023-24 Princeton Tigers are one of 18 teams to win five OT games in a season -- including Arizona State and Colorado College as well this season.

One more OT win for Princeton this season will match the ECAC record for OT wins in a season currently held by Colgate (2008-09) and Cornell (1985-86).

GOING OVER OVERTIME
The 2023-24 Tigers have played seven total overtime games and won five entering this weekend -- setting a new program record for regular season OT wins (the 2006-07 and 1980-81 teams had won four regular season OT games). The high mark for overtime games played in a regular season by a Princeton team is nine (2006-07, 1997-98). In terms of a complete season including playoffs, the most OT games played were by the 2006-07 team which played in 11 and won five.

No need to rush back for the start of OT if the Tigers are playing. Princeton has played 30:43 of the possible 35:00 of OT this season -- 88% of the possible extra minutes. The earliest a Princeton game has ended in OT was 2:09 in against Brown and the other six have either ended in the final minute of OT or gone the distance.

MR. CLUTCH
Adam Robbins now has three OT winners this season and four in his career. His three OT winners this season are tied for No. 2 by a player in the country with North Dakota's Jackson Blake. The NCAA leader is Colorado College's Noah Laba with four.

ADAM ROBBINS AMONG PLAYERS NATION-WIDE ON HOBEY BAKER FAN VOTE LIST
Entering this weekend averaging just over a point per game with 10 goals and 12 assists for 24 points in 23 games, Adam Robbins is Princeton's representative on the Fan Vote list for the 2024 Hobey Baker Award. With 53 career points in is 104 games, Robbins ranks No. 79 in career points by a Princeton men's ice hockey player.

REELING IN RANKED TEAMS
The Tigers have 20 wins over ranked opponents during Ron Fogarty's tenure, including a 2-1 (OT) win over No. 10 Cornell on 11/18/23. Princeton also picked up a 5-0 win at No. 20 RIT and a 3-2 (OT) win over No. 12 Providence last year and a 5-4 win at No. 8 Cornell in 2021-22. Princeton has at least one win over a ranked team in each of its last eight seasons.

OFFENSE ON POINT
Princeton has hit the back of the net 3+ times in 13 of its 21 games this season. Princeton's 3.00 goals-per-game rank No. 5 in the ECAC and No. 28 in the country. There has been balance to the scoring with 16 different goal scorers and nine Tigers in double figures in points. 15 of Princeton's 16 goal scorers this season have at least two goals.

POWER PLAY POPS OFF
The Tigers are 22-for-67 on the power play this season, connecting at a 32.8% clip to lead the ECAC and rank No. 2 in the country behind Michigan (36.1%). Princeton ranks ahead of Minnesota-Duluth (27.6%), Harvard (27.1%), Arizona State (27.2%) and Boston College (27.2%). A total of 10 different players have PPGs for the Tigers -- Kai Daniells leads the team with five PPGS, while Jack Cronin has four. Adam Robbins and David Jacobs each have three PPGs. The power play has cooled off a bit of late -- after scoring 11 PPGs over an eight game stretch from 12/30-1/30, Princeton has just one PPG in its last three games.

JACK ATTACK
Jack Cronin struck for five PPGs and was second on the team with 12 goals overall last year. He scored 10 more goals last year than he did in his freshman season, and his 12-point growth from 2021-22 to 2022-23 was the most of any player on the team. Cronin's 25 career goals are second-most by an active Princeton player . He enters the night with points in 10 of his last 14 games (7g, 6a).

DE LA SOUL
Junior defenseman Noah de la Durantaye tallied a career-high 17 points last season, up from 10 as a rookie in 2021-22. He leads all returning defensemen in goals (4), assists (13) and points (17). This season, he has 17 points (3g, 14a) in 23 games played and has points in 6 of his last 7 games (2g, 6a).