The Tigers (3-9-1 overall, 3-5-1 ECAC Hockey) suffered their worst loss of the season Friday at the hands of No. 5 Boston (11-2-3), losing 8-2. The next day, Princeton dropped another one to the Terriers, this time in a closer 2-1 game. The loss extended the Tigers’ winless streak to six games.
Despite its record, Princeton remains optimistic about its chances against Yale (3-7-2, 2-3-1) and Brown (2-6-2, 1-3-2).
“The team is confident,” head coach Jeff Kampersal ’92 said. “We have played an extremely tough schedule and have been in every game with the exception of Friday’s BU game getting away from us in the third. We are a better team than our record. But that said, no one’s interested in something you didn’t do. We need to start winning, and we will.”
If the Tigers want to start winning, they will need to streamline their power-play strategy, a move that will undoubtedly allow them to find the back of the net more often. The Tigers have not been able to convert on a combined 24 power plays in their last seven games, including seven unsuccessful power plays in two games against Boston. In addition, the Tigers have scored just three goals in their last four games.
“This week in practice we have been working on our offensive zone entry and our power play a lot,” senior defender and co-captain Sasha Sherry said. “We want our forwards to enter the zone with speed and take the open ice where available. A lot of our drills have focused on shooting for rebounds and finishing around the net with a goal. We need to put more than three goals on the board this weekend against Yale and Brown if we want to get two big wins.”
Having played top-10 teams in four of their last five games, the Tigers are probably looking forward to hitting the ice against two of the weaker teams in their conference. Princeton has won its last four games against Yale by a combined score of 15-3 and has won two of its last three against Brown. And while the Tigers and Bears have split their last four meetings, Brown is currently second to last in the ECAC Hockey and is winless in its last four games.
Although Princeton has been focusing on the power play in practice for weeks, it has yet to convert on in-game opportunities. The Tigers are looking to convert on chances in the upcoming games.
“Against Yale, we need to move the puck and our feet quickly,” Sherry said. “If we dictate the pace of the game, we will find success. It is crucial that we get a lot of shots on net, not just shots from anywhere, but from the slot and around the net.”
The team seems confident that it will be able to create meaningful opportunities and take advantage of them.
“Our team has been working hard offensively,” Kampersal said. “We have been getting our chances. The puck will start going in for us.”
Additionally, the squad is eager to capitalize on its home-ice advantage.
“I think everyone is excited to be back in Baker, and we are mentally prepared to put some more points in the win column,” Sherry said.
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