Men's Hockey Denied By Dartmouth In Overtime Of ECAC Championship Game

Saturday, March 21

Lake Placid, N.Y.

5:00 PMN

Princeton University

18-13-3

No. 9 Dartmouth

23-7-4

OT 1

Princeton

Dartmouth

Photo by: Caroline Sherman

Men's Hockey Denied By Dartmouth In Overtime Of ECAC Championship Game

March 21, 2026 | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

A historic 2025-26 season as come to an end for Princeton as the Tigers came up just short of an ECAC Championship via a 2-1 overtime loss to No. 9/9 Dartmouth at Herb Brooks 1980 Arena in Lake Placid.

The Tigers, who reached the ECAC Championship Game for the first time since 2017-18, finish with an overall record of 18-13-3 which included a program-record 14-2-1 record at home. The Tigers earned an Opening Round bye for the first time since 2008-09 with their fourth place finish in the ECAC regular season.

That's Playoff Hockey!

Huge hit from Kevin Anderson forces a turnover and Joshua Karnish gets rewarded for a net drive to tie the game!@ecachockey | @NCAAIceHockey | @TeamECH | @Buccigross | @GameNotesBud pic.twitter.com/42hraNACW9
— Princeton Men's Ice Hockey (@princetonhockey) March 21, 2026

Tim Busconi netted the overtime winner for the Big Green, funneling a wrist shot through traffic after the Tigers could not clear a loose puck out of the zone with 8:42 to play in the first overtime period.

Joshua Karnish had Princeton's goal, scoring his second of the weekend midway through the third period. He was named to the All-Tournament team in addition to teammate Kai Daniells.

A choppy first period featured five total penalties called, and Dartmouth was able to must a power-play goal off the stick of Hayden Stavroff with 7:15 left in the first period to give the Big Green a 1-0 lead.

Luc Pelletier was called for a five-minute major for cross-checking after the Dartmouth bench called for a video review with 10:54 to play in the opening period, and after a Big Green minor for interference nullified two minutes of that major the Big Green scored once on the rest of the major when Stavroff came off the bench and sent a shot towards goal that bounced off a Princeton defender and inside the far right post.

Princeton had a chance to answer when the Tigers had a sustained 5-on-3 power play late in the first. The Tigers sent three shots on goal during the power play and had a fourth attempt blocked as the Big Green killed off both infractions.

After a scoreless – and penalty-free – second period, the Tigers took the ice with 20:00 of regulation left in their season unless they mounted a comeback.

The rally came via a frequent visitor to the scoresheet.

After the Tigers lost an offensive zone faceoff, Kevin Anderson acquired a target as Dartmouth attempted to clear and laid out his opponent with a big – and clean – hit at the blue line that sprung Malcolm Green and Joshua Karnish on a 2-on-1 that Karnish finished with his second goal of the weekend via a far-post tap-in to tie the game at 1-1 with 11:15 to play.

The goal was the sixth of the season for Karnish, and all six have come over his last seven games.

Neither team seemed interested in reaching overtime as the pace picked up after Karnish's goal.

The final minute featured four shots from the Big Green, but only one reached target and Smith denied Stavroff with 33 seconds to play.

Down the other end, Brendan Gorman and Jake Manfre posted two shots on goal in the final seconds that Croteau staved off to send the game to overtime.

The overtime period was everything a fan could have hoped for, and Princeton was on the doorstep multiple times inches away from winning the game. The two teams combined for 23 shot attempts in overtime alone, with Princeton taking 13. Five of those Princeton shots landed on goal, none more dangerous than a Berendan Gorman one-timer that Emmet Croteau turned aside.

In the end, Busconi's shot found the back of the net with 8:42 to go, denying the Tigers a trip to NCAAs.