Westgarth and Powe skate right into AHL

March Madness — a time to agonize over filling out brackets, cheer on local underdogs in vain and inevitably lose a few (or more than a few) bucks to the lucky friend who entered the pool but doesn't know a thing about sports. For most people, March Madness is all about college hoops, but for senior hockey players Kevin Westgarth and Darroll Powe, the term takes on a whole new meaning.

In the past four hectic weeks, the two star forwards of the men's hockey team have had quite a wild ride. From sending Brown home in a thrilling first-round playoff series win to packing their own bags a week later in a tough quarterfinal loss to Dartmouth, from signing their first contracts with professional hockey teams to hitting the ice as pro hockey players for the first time in their American Hockey League debuts, March has truly been a mad month for Westgarth and Powe. And don't even mention the word "thesis."

Less than a week after Princeton's elimination from the NCAA playoffs, the NHL's Los Angeles Kings announced that Westgarth had been signed to a pro contract and assigned to their top farm club, the AHL's Manchester Monarchs on March 16.

"L.A. had kind of been watching me, and basically as soon as we were done against Dartmouth, my family advisor got a call," Westgarth said. "It was basically done the next day."

Two days later, Westgarth was in the lineup as the Monarchs squared off against the Providence Bruins in Providence, R.I. Though he didn't register a point in the game, Westgarth got himself on the scoresheet anyway by fighting the Bruins' Dwayne Zinger midway through the third period. He dropped the gloves in his second game, too, with Providence's Sean Curry, and by all accounts was the victor in both tilts.

"I had fights in both my [first] games, trying to add a little physical presence to the team," Westgarth said. "I think I won both of them. My first fight was a good one, but I ended up pulling out on top."

He collected his first professional point the next night with an assist, one day before former teammate and new AHL foe Powe got his first point skating for the Philadelphia Phantoms. Powe was signed to an Amateur Tryout on March 21 and made his debut for the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers' top minor league affiliate, the same night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

"It was surprising how fast it all happened," Powe said. "One day I was being told that I would probably have to wait until next year to get my chance and then the next day I was in my car driving to Philly."

Powe and Westgarth, who each has one point in their pro careers so far, agreed that the increased speed of the game is the biggest challenge in making the jump from college hockey to the pros.

"The puck moves a lot quicker in pro, so being in the right position becomes that much more important," Powe said. "It is amazing how quickly the puck is in the back of your net if you make one small mistake."

Despite playing against and alongside players of such high caliber — last year Westgarth owned current teammate Jason LaBarbera on his fantasy hockey team — Westgarth said he isn't starstruck.

"They're all hockey players," he said of his new Monarchs teammates, many of whom have NHL experience. "It's almost like you've played with these guys before, talking about similar things, quoting old movies and T.V. shows. It's a great group of guys."

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Though getting accustomed to life in the big leagues and forging their professional hockey careers may be taking priority in the minds of Westgarth and Powe, they're still Princeton students, which means that they have to finish their theses to graduate. Luckily, says Westgarth, his professors and advisor have been understanding and accommodating, and he, like Powe, intends to graduate this year.

"Finishing school is still a huge priority for me," Powe said. "I have worked hard for four years here, and I realize the importance of an education. You can't play hockey forever, so when the time comes to hang up the skates, I will be happy that I finished my schooling."

Senior goaltender B.J. Sklapsky, a teammate of Westgarth and Powe's for four years, points to their achievements as representative of all that playing hockey for Princeton has to offer.

"[Their signings are] a phenomenal thing not only for them, but also for our program," he said. "New recruits coming in will see that Princeton is not only a great place to get a great education, but also to continue their hockey careers."

Meanwhile, Westgarth and Powe will be doing just that, hoping to someday join fellow Tiger graduates Jeff Halpern '99 and George Parros '03 in the NHL. For now, though, they're just living the dream.

"It's pretty surreal," Westgarth said. "In a way, it hasn't exactly sunk in yet."