Saturday, December 30
Princeton, N.J.
7:00 PM
Princeton University
6-7-3
2
vs
2
St. Cloud
12-2-3
1
2
3
OT 1
F
St Cloud
0
1
1
0
2
Princeton
0
1
1
0
2
Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast
Princeton Ties No. 1 St. Cloud State, Again
December 30, 2017 | Men's Ice Hockey
The Princeton men's hockey team is trying to make a place for itself among the national elite in Division I.
This weekend, the Tigers got a first-hand look at what exactly that looks like, as St. Cloud State, the No. 1 team in the country, skated into Hobey Baker Rink for a pair of games. And what separated the teams after 130 minutes over two nights?
Absolutely nothing.
Princeton got goals from Jake Paganelli and Ryan Kuffner and St. Cloud rallied with a goal with 7:42 to play as the teams played to a 2-2 tie in front of 1,897 Saturday night. This game came 24 hours after the Tigers and Huskies played a 3-3 game Friday night, leaving them completely even for the weekend series.
If you're going to get a pair of ties against the top-ranked team in the country, it pays to have a goalie who can make it happen for you. In Princeton's case that was freshman Ryan Ferland, who was the best player on the ice for the two games.
Ferland made a career-high 43 saves in the tie Saturday night, this after his 37-save effort Friday, one that included a ridiculous 14 in the overtime alone, when Princeton was outshot 14-0.
The second time around Princeton had some good chances in the five-minute extra time, including the final nine seconds of one power play and then another with 2:15 to go. Princeton outshot St. Cloud 4-3 in the overtime, but nothing would get by Jeff Smith, who made 40 saves of his own.
After a scoreless first period, it was St. Cloud who got on the board first, 6:46 into the second. Paganelli backhanded one that handcuffed Smith to even it with 2:09 left in the period, and Princeton then took the lead just 30 seconds into the third, when Kuffner's power-play goal made it 2-1.
For the second straight night, the Huskies rallied late to tie it this time on a power-play goal by Jacob Benson that just snuck in under Ferland. With the tie, St. Cloud is now 12-2-3 on the year, with both losses to defending NCAA champ Denver.
Princeton (6-7-3) is back to the ECAC the next two weekends, both on the road, beginning with games at Cornell and Colgate this coming weekend. After a trip to Harvard and Dartmouth the following weekend, there will be a 17-day break for first-semester exams.
This weekend, the Tigers got a first-hand look at what exactly that looks like, as St. Cloud State, the No. 1 team in the country, skated into Hobey Baker Rink for a pair of games. And what separated the teams after 130 minutes over two nights?
Absolutely nothing.
Princeton got goals from Jake Paganelli and Ryan Kuffner and St. Cloud rallied with a goal with 7:42 to play as the teams played to a 2-2 tie in front of 1,897 Saturday night. This game came 24 hours after the Tigers and Huskies played a 3-3 game Friday night, leaving them completely even for the weekend series.
If you're going to get a pair of ties against the top-ranked team in the country, it pays to have a goalie who can make it happen for you. In Princeton's case that was freshman Ryan Ferland, who was the best player on the ice for the two games.
Ferland made a career-high 43 saves in the tie Saturday night, this after his 37-save effort Friday, one that included a ridiculous 14 in the overtime alone, when Princeton was outshot 14-0.
The second time around Princeton had some good chances in the five-minute extra time, including the final nine seconds of one power play and then another with 2:15 to go. Princeton outshot St. Cloud 4-3 in the overtime, but nothing would get by Jeff Smith, who made 40 saves of his own.
After a scoreless first period, it was St. Cloud who got on the board first, 6:46 into the second. Paganelli backhanded one that handcuffed Smith to even it with 2:09 left in the period, and Princeton then took the lead just 30 seconds into the third, when Kuffner's power-play goal made it 2-1.
For the second straight night, the Huskies rallied late to tie it this time on a power-play goal by Jacob Benson that just snuck in under Ferland. With the tie, St. Cloud is now 12-2-3 on the year, with both losses to defending NCAA champ Denver.
Princeton (6-7-3) is back to the ECAC the next two weekends, both on the road, beginning with games at Cornell and Colgate this coming weekend. After a trip to Harvard and Dartmouth the following weekend, there will be a 17-day break for first-semester exams.
Team Stats
SCSU
PRINM
Shots
45
42
PPG
1
1
SHG
0
0
Penalties
7
5
Penalty Mins
14
10
Faceoffs Won
35
19
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
8
A
0
+/-
+1
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
0
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
7
A
1
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
4
A
1
Players Mentioned
G
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