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Men’s hockey gets a big two points in win over Yale

MIH v. Yale.jpeg
Sophomore forward Nick Seitz netted the Tigers’ second goal of the night.
Photo courtesy of Shelley Szwast/Go Princeton Tigers.

Princeton men’s hockey (7–12–2, 6–7–1 ECAC Hockey) scored two goals in a 72-second span in the second period and held on for a 2–1 win over the Yale Bulldogs (5–15–1, 4–10–1 ECAC) Tuesday night at Hobey Baker Rink. Senior goalie Jeremie Forget stopped 22 of 23 shots he faced for the Tigers, who are now tied for seventh in the ECAC as they continue to jockey for seeding with the playoffs looming. 

The game was pretty quiet in the first period, with neither team finding the back of the net. The Tigers outshot the Bulldogs 11–5 in the opening frame. 

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In the second, Princeton finally broke the tie. After a penalty for having too many men on the ice, the Tigers got into their power play setup, eventually finding senior forward Corey Andonovski on top of the left circle for a one-timed blast — his team-leading eighth of the year — to make it 1–0. Andonovski was assisted by first-year defenseman Noah de la Durantaye and first-year defenseman David Ma. 

The Tigers capitalized off of their momentum, burying a second goal just over a minute later when sophomore Nick Seitz corralled a rebound and stuffed it home for his third goal of the year and a 2–0 Princeton lead. At the end of the second, the Princeton lead was still 2–0, with the Tigers outshooting Yale 21–12. 

Yale scored early in the third to cut the deficit in half. After a Princeton holding penalty, the Bulldogs put together a precise passing sequence that ended with a perfect shot from forward William Dineen to make it 2–1. From then on, the momentum shifted as Yale tried its best to tie up the game. Fortunately for the Tigers, Forget turned into a brick wall and made a number of huge saves down the stretch. Princeton hung on for a vital win in their quest for a first-round home playoff game.

The Tigers have three big games coming up, as they go on the road Friday and Saturday to face Clarkson (ranked No. 19 by USCHO.com) and then St. Lawrence, with whom the Tigers are tied in the ECAC standings. Princeton will be home next Monday, Feb. 14 for a Valentine’s Day showdown with Ivy League rival Dartmouth.

Ben Burns is an Associate Sports Editor at the ‘Prince’ who typically covers basketball, hockey, and soccer. He can be reached at bwburns@princeton.edu or on Twitter @bwburns5_.  

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