Team Notes: Princeton Begins Three-Game Homestand, Hosting RPI & Union
PRINCETON, N.J. - The Princeton men's hockey team returns to Baker Rink for a three-game homestand. The Tigers host Rensselaer on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m., and Union on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. Following Saturday's game will be the second Skate With The Tigers event.
Princeton is coming off of a 3-1 win over Providence, a team that was receiving votes in the national poll. The Tigers finished third at the Denver Cup after a 3-0 loss to the host, No. 10 Denver a week ago Friday. Princeton is 3-7-1 overall and is 2-5 in league play. Three players are tied atop the leaderboard with six points apiece. Junior Rob Kleebaum has a team-high five goals and one assist, sophomore Andrew Calof has one goal and five assists, and senior Derrick Pallis has a team-best six assists. Junior Michael Sdao adds five points, while sophomore Jack Berger and junior Eric Meland contribute four points each. Sophomore goalie Sean Bonar has started in nine of 11 games and has a .906 save percentage and a 2.83 goals against average. Junior Mike Condon has played in three games and has an .899 save percentage and a 2.90 GAA.
Rensselaer leads the all-time series, 63-29-9. The teams first met on Jan. 18, 1952 in Troy, with RPI taking an 8-4 match. The teams split last season with RPI winning 5-2 in Princeton before the Tigers’ 4-3 win in Troy.
Rensselaer is 3-10 overall and 1-4 in ECAC play. Two of the team’s wins came in the last three games, as it defeated Brown 1-0 and RIT 2-0 with a 5-1 loss to Union in between. The Engineers average 1.00 gpg and allow 2.62 gpg. RPI’s penalty kill ranks third in the league, killing 63 of 72 (87.5%). Their power play is 7 for 67 (10.4). Junior defender Nick Bailen and freshman Ryan Haggerty lead the team in scoring with six points each, with three goals and three assists apiece. Bailen has scored two of the team’s game-winning goals. Sophomore Brock Higgs has a team-best four assists. Junior Bryce Merriam has started in 10 games and has a .921 save percentage and a 2.25 GAA. Freshman Scott Diebold has started three games and has a .944 save percentage and a 1.35 GAA.
Princeton holds a slim 22-21-4 edge in the all-time series with Union, which began in 1982. Union has won the last four meetings with Princeton’s last win coming during the ECAC Quarterfinal series in 2009.
Union enters the weekend with a 7-3-3 overall record, most recently defeating Michigan on its home ice, 6-3. The Dutchmen are 3-2 in league play, sitting in fifth place in the league standings. Union has the best scoring defense and second-best scoring offense in the ECAC, averaging 3.38 gpg and allowing just 1.85 gpg. The squad’s power play has converted on 18 of 67 chances (26.9%) and the penalty killing unit has gone 45 for 53 (84.9%). Senior Kelly Zajac is at the top of the scoring column with three goals and 13 assists for 16 points. Junior Jeremy Welsh has a team-high nine goals and three helpers for 12 points. Sophomores Daniel Carr and Mat Brodie also contribute 12 points. Sophomore goalie Troy Grosenick has started in 11 of 13 games. He has a .932 save percentage and a 1.76 GAA.
