Men's Hockey: Princeton splits match-ups at home

While the Tigers acknowledged that the ECAC Hockey conference is extremely competitive, they also said they were not content only earning two points over the weekend.

“We are definitely disappointed in the split this weekend,” senior defenseman and captain Taylor Fedun said in an e-mail. “It was a great way to come back and control the game against St. Lawrence after the loss on Friday, but we know the outcome on Friday night could have been different if we played the full 60 minutes.”

Fedun was alluding to the 20 minutes, spanning from the midpoint of the first period to the halfway mark of the second, during which Clarkson scored four unanswered goals to jump to a 4-1 lead.

Prior to Clarkson’s 20-minute run, the Tigers were off to a good start, recording 20 of the game’s first 21 shots. Sophomore forward Eric Meland appeared to score on a power play six minutes into the game, but the goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference. Meland did not let the call discourage him: He scored the game’s first official goal a few minutes later on another power play.

The crowd barely had time to find their seats before the Golden Knights tied the game up 13 seconds later. Fast-forward 20 minutes, and Princeton was staring at a three-goal deficit.

The Tigers did their best to come back but fell just short. Sophomore forward Rob Kleebaum and Fedun each scored their second goal of the season to reduce the Golden Knights’ lead to one. Despite peppering Clarkson goalie Paul Karpowich with a game-high 22 shots in the third period, Princeton was unable to even up the game.

The line of Kleebaum, Meland and freshman forward Jack Berger stood out despite the loss. Notably, the trio had a team-high 25 shots to go along with their three goals over the weekend.

“Eric [Meland] has elevated his game this year,” Fedun said. “He is battling hard for pucks, getting to the net and being rewarded for it. His line has been very effective for us lately.”

Sophomore goalie Mike Condon recorded 22 saves in defeat, making some key saves late in the game to keep the score close.

Like usual this season, head coach Guy Gadowsky switched goaltenders for the weekend’s second game. Freshman goalie Sean Bonar was given the nod for the St. Lawrence game.

The team said it is confident of its ability to win regardless of who is guarding the net.

“All three of our goaltenders have proven themselves this year,” Fedun said, referring to Condon, Bonar and senior Alan Reynolds. “We know whoever is in the net will give us a chance to win every night.”

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While the game versus Clarkson was physical and rough, the game against St. Lawrence was fast-paced. End-to-end rushes, breakaways and other slick play dominated the first period, as neither team could set up offensively.

The Tigers were finally able to break through in the second period. The offense controlled much of the play thanks to untimely St. Lawrence penalties. After each of the Tigers’ goals, St. Lawrence quickly sent a man back into the penalty box. The Tigers took advantage of the opportunities and scored three goals on the power play.

Freshman forward Matt Farris scored his first two career collegiate goals in the game, while Meland, senior forward and co-captain Matt Arhontas and sophomore forward Mike Kramer scored one apiece.

Between the two games, Princeton went 6-for-17 on the power play. While converting at a higher average than usual, the Tigers said they wish they could have buried a few more goals with the man advantage.

“[Clarkson’s] steady parade to the penalty box gave us a chance to win that game,” Fedun said. “Unfortunately, we were not able to capitalize on our power plays late in the game.”

Compared to their opponents, the Tigers were more disciplined. They only had 11 penalties in total between the two games, excluding a game misconduct and major penalty given to junior forward Brodie Zuk at the very end of the Clarkson game.

Princeton will take a break from league play next weekend as they face the University of Massachusetts Lowell twice at Baker Rink.