Yale Draws Even in Playoff Series

Box Score

PRINCETON, NJ -- Yale rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the 16th-ranked Princeton men's hockey team 4-3 on Saturday night at Hobey Baker Rink to force a third and deciding game in the teams' best-of-three ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series. Princeton sophomore Cam MacIntyre scored two goals in the loss.

Princeton started strong for the second night in a row, racing out to an early 2-0 lead. Freshman Matt Arhontas put the Tigers on the board at 6:31 with his seventh goal of the season and his second of the series when he redirected a pass from sophomore Mark Magnowski. The goal came on the power play and was also assisted on by freshman mike Kramer.

Princeton made it 2-0 less than a minute later at 7:17 when MacIntyre scored his 10th of the year and first of the night on the backhand from the middle of the circles. Junior Brett Wilson fed him the puck and he fired it for the goal as Yale goaltender Billy Blase was moving across. The goal also came on the power play.

Yale got on the score sheet with a power-play goal of its own at 9:28 while skating with a two-man advantage. The puck worked to Tom Dignard at the point, where he took a quick shot that beat Princeton sophomore netminder Zane Kalemba. It was the first of three points on the night for Dignard. Yale evened things up less than three minutes later when Jean-Francois Boucher scored on the rebound of a Broc Little shot off the rush.

Tied entering the second period, Yale scored 18 seconds into the second to move ahead for good. Dignard quickly moved the puck off the boards to Brendan Mason, whose quick shot got by Kalemba before he could come across the crease. Little then tallied his third point of the night and his 11th goal of the season at 10:18 when Denny Kearney worked him the puck in front.

Down 4-2 entering the third, Princeton controlled much of the play in the final period, outshooting Yale 15-6. Princeton pulled Kalemba with 4:19 remaining and was able to move within a goal at 19:01 when MacIntyre scored with the extra attacker on the ice. Wilson won the offensive zone face-off forwards through the legs of the Yale centerman and then fed the puck across to MacIntyre who directed it into the net for his 11th goal of the year.

Kalemba finished this night with 22 saves while Blase made 32 for the win. Princeton outshot Yale 35-26.

The win moved Yale to 16-13-4 overall and dropped the Tigers to 18-13. The teams meet tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Baker Rink. Tickets will go on sale at the Baker Rink box office at 6 p.m.