Princeton University Athletics
Monday TigerBlog - That's Golden
February 23, 2026 | Tiger Blog
That was, without question, a great gold medal men's hockey game at the Olympics.
The United States defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime, getting a goal from Jack Hughes less than two minutes into the 3v3 period — and not that much time after he lost his front teeth on a high stick in the third period.
While Hughes may have scored the game-winner, it was USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck who WAS the game-winner, stopping 41 of 42 shots and making some of the most ridiculous saves you will see anywhere (maybe even better than the one that Princeton men's lacrosse goalie Ryan Croddick made to seal the Tigers' 13-12 win over Maryland Saturday).
In all seriousness, it would have been hard to tell which save by Hellebuyck was even his best until the one in the third period. You know the one.
Hellebuyck with one of the greatest saves ever
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) February 22, 2026
pic.twitter.com/ouRYLtspvJ
How? How in the world did he do that? And on that stage? That might have been the greatest save ever.
TigerBlog was in the racket center on the Meadows Campus for Princeton-Georgetown men's tennis yesterday, and he was watching the game on his laptop while he also watched the tennis in front of him. Right at the time that Hughes scored, a big roar went up from the other side of the center, though it was also at the same time that Princeton clinched the Ivy League women's squash tournament championship.
First, the intensity with which the teams played throughout was incredible, especially considering they're all highly paid pros. If this had been a February game in, say, Tampa or Winnipeg, there would have been no way that these players would have played as hard as they did. Put a national team jersey on them and put the in the Olympics, and their compete level just ratchets way up.
Second, sorry, but as great as this was, it wasn't anything like the 1980 Miracle On Ice. If you hadn't been born yet or weren't old enough to appreciate it, there's no comparison to what that event was. For so many reasons, it's impossible for any athletic event to ever even remotely approach what that was 46 years ago.
And so these Olympic Games have ended. It'll be four years until TB gets to watch skeleton again.
Ah, but are you ready for this segue:
While the United States had to wait 46 years between Olympic men's hockey gold medals, the Princeton women's swimming and diving team only had to wait a little more than 46 weeks for another championship of its own.
Not bad? Too forced?
The Ivy League championships were held this weekend, and once again it all turned out to be golden for the Princeton women. That's four straight titles, if you're counting.
It's not easy to put together that level of consistent dominance. There aren't that many teams in any sport that can win four straight, and it has to be quite a feeling to be part of a senior class when that does happen.
The biggest story, objectively, from these championships is that Penn finished second. When was the last time that a team other than Princeton, Harvard or Yale finished in the top two?
You have to go back 2002, when Brown was the runner-up to Princeton. Penn, by the way, finished fifth last year.
As TB said, that is an objective view. This is a Princeton-centric space, though, so permit TB to say the biggest story was the team that won.
The Tigers put up 1,432 points, followed by Penn at 1,204 and then Harvard at 1,153.5.
Eleanor Sun, a Tiger junior, was once again the High Point Swimmer of the Meet after taking the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 butterfly, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in all three. Her 200 and 400 IMs were both pool records, with the 400 IM also an Ivy meet record. She was also part of the 800 free relay that set a Princeton record.
Charlotte Martinkus was the High Point Diver of the Meet for the third time. Martinkus won the one-meter in an Ivy and pool record performance.
The Ivy men's swimming and diving championships will be at DeNunzio Pool beginning Wednesday.
