St. Lawrence and Princeton Sweep Weekend Games
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Two teams swept and four others split their ECAC Hockey League games over the weekend, and there was history in the making. In New Jersey, the Princeton Tigers won both games against nationally ranked Colgate and Cornell while in New York, St. Lawrence claimed sole possession of first place in the standings by defeating Rensselaer and Union.
Earning two league points after splitting their games this past weekend were Colgate, Cornell, Rensselaer and Union. Brown and Yale also faced each other, and came away with a 3-3 tie. In non-league play, the Bears beat Connecticut, while Yale and Dartmouth both fell to New Hampshire.
Princeton turned in two stellar performances over the weekend, sweeping the CNY teams for the first time since the final games of the 2001-02 regular season. The Tigers had gone 39 league weekends without a sweep. Saturday's game against Cornell was a shutout and it was one of historical proportions, as it was the first blanking of the Big Red by the Tigers in 42 years. Senior netminder Eric Leroux made 35 saves en route to the win and in earning Goaltender of the Week honors. Grant Goeckner-Zoeller led Princeton's offensive attack, as he netted three goals on the weekend. The senior, who was the Player of the Week, scored two power-play goals in the win vs. Colgate and had a breakaway goal against Cornell.
St. Lawrence's sweep was also of note, as it marked the first road sweep of the Capital District trip since 1999-2000. It was also the Saints' first road sweep of the season and just its third in the last three years. The team's offense put up seven goals on the weekend and the defense held tough. Freshman blue liner Zach Miskovic helped out on both ends of the ice, earning Rookie of the Week honors in the process. On offense, he scored his first collegiate goal in the win over Union. Defensively, he blocked several shots and was part of a penalty kill unit that stopped 15 of 17 power-play attempts (.882) on the weekend.
While Princeton downed both Colgate and Cornell, the two teams were still able to claim two points on the road, as each defeated Quinnipiac. David McKee extended his ECACHL shutout record to 17 with the win over the Bobcats, while rookies were the key to Colgate's success, as seven were in Saturday's lineup and they accounted for two goals and four assists in the win.
Union and Rensselaer were also winners over the weekend, as each claimed victory vs. Clarkson. The Dutchmen kept the Golden Knights off the board, and senior Kris Mayotte earned his fifth shutout of the year. Saturday night's game in Troy was a battle, as the Engineers held off the Knights for the win. After one period of action, Rensselaer was down 1-0, but the Engineers rallied, scoring four unanswered goals in the second to take the lead. Clarkson clawed back in it with two goals in the final period, but RPI held on for the 4-3 win.
Saturday afternoon had Brown and Yale facing off in league play and the end result was a 3-3 tie. The two teams traded goals in the game, with the Bulldogs going ahead 3-2 at 16:28 in the second with a goal by Bill LeClerc. The Bears wasted little time in the third, tying it up at 1:13 on a score by Brian McNary. Neither team was able to get the go-ahead score, with Brown's D'Alba holding strong with 23 total saves and Yale's Alec Richards staying tough with 33.
Both teams also played non-league games last week, with Brown downing Connecticut and Yale falling to New Hampshire. The Bear's win over UConn halted the team's 11-game winless streak. Dartmouth's lone game of the week came against UNH in the annual "Battle for the RiverStone" contest. It was another wild one, as there were nine goals scored in the game, with Dartmouth falling short 5-4.
In league games this weekend, the North Country travels to Central New York, with Clarkson ad St. Lawrence playing at Colgate and Cornell. Union and Rensselaer are also on the road, visiting Yale and Brown. Both games at Colgate this weekend will be televised by Time Warner Cable in Central New York.
With Princeton and Harvard in the middle of exams and not competing this week, their travel partners -- Dartmouth and Quinnipiac -- will play non-league games. The Big Green takes on Sacred Heart and Holy Cross this weekend, while the Bobcats will play two games at RIT.
