Team Notes: Princeton Opens Season at Ivy Shootout
PRINCETON, N.J. - The Princeton men’s hockey team opens the 2011-12 season at the Ivy League Shootout this weekend in Hanover, N.H. Princeton will face Yale on Friday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m., and Brown on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m.
Neither game will be web streamed, but live stats will be available free of charge.
This is the fifth straight season the Tigers have participated in the season-opening Ivy Shootout. Princeton is 5-3 at the Shootout with this the first year at Dartmouth. Princeton owns a 60-43-5 record on opening day in its 108-year history. Guided by first year head coach Bob Prier, Princeton looks to build on 17-13-12 record from 2010-11 and a fourth-place finish in the ECAC. The Tigers played a pair of exhibition games last weekend, defeating Guelph 9-4 and Neumann 5-1. Sophomore defender Kevin Ross led the team with five points on one goal and four assists. Sophomore forward Jack Berger had a team-best four goals. Junior defender Michael Sdao and junior forward Eric Meland had three points apiece. Junior Mike Condon made 26 saves and allowed four goals against Guelph, while sophomore Sean Bonar stopped 17 of 18 verus Neumann.
Yales leads the all-time series 126-102-9. Princeton holds a 27-22-2 advantage when playing at neutral sites. The Tigers are looking to snap a five-game losing streak, their last win coming in Feb. 2009.
Yale is coming off a 28-7-1 season and an ECAC tournament championship. The Bulldogs were picked by both the coaches and the media to repeat as league champions. Yale is ranked in both major polls (6th/10th) and dropped a 2-1 exhibition game to Waterloo last weekend. The Bulldogs return their top two scorers from last season senior Brian O’Neill and junior Andrew Miller, who combined for 91 points. Yale lost its starting goalie Ryan Rondeau and will look to a pair of juniors, Jeff Malcom and Nick Maricic to fill his shoes.
Brown leads the all-time series
80-64-7 but Princeton has a 3-2 edge in the last five games. At
neutral sites the Tigers hold a 5-4 edge. Brown took a 2-1 game at
the Ivy Shootout last October but Princeton won both conference
games, 4-3 and 7-3.
Brown finished the season with a 10-16-5 overall record and was
8-12-2 in league play to finish ninth in the ECAC standings. The
Bears have been picked to finish 12th and 11th in the preseason
polls. Senior Jack Maclellan returns after leading the team with 31
points last year. Also back is goalie Mike Clemente for his senior
season.
