GOALS SHOTS
Cornell 2-1-0-0 3 Cornell 18 5 12 0 35
Princeton 0-1-2-1 4 Princeton 6 6 11 3 26
1ST PERIOD
----------
C Scollan 5 (Karam, S. Wilson) 4:22
C Bergin 2 (Papp, Dailey) 18:58
2ND PERIOD
----------
P Kelley 19 (Ranaldi, Sharp) 14:04
C Drouin 4 (Chartrand, McManus) 19:07
3RD PERIOD
----------
P Sinclair 1 (Colquhoun, O'Connor) 9:04
P Smith 2 (O'Connor, Verdon) 11:58
OVERTIME
--------
P Miller 1 (Early, Smith) 1:20
Stars: 1. Jason Smith (P); 2. Barrington Miller (P); 3. Bill Holowatiuk (C)
J.P. O'Connor might have gotten a star if he hadn't been benched in the 2nd
period (more on that later).
The shots don't lie. Cornell came out and thoroughly manhandled Princeton for
the better part of two periods -- especially the first. They got to every
loose puck, and dug everything out of the corners. Princeton is usually good
at forechecking and digging pucks out, but so is Cornell. That's their game
and they're bigger than Princeton. Cornell also dominated center ice.
Princeton is usually strong at center ice, but couldn't get going.
On top of it all, Konte was leaving rebounds left and right in the Princeton
goal. Cornell scored on two rebounds.
Cornell clogged up the middle and never let Princeton near the net in the
second period. They didn't take many chances themselves. Princeton got a back
when the puck skipped over a defenders stick and found Tony Ranaldi behind the
Cornell goal. He put it in front, and Jon Kelley worked free of a check in the
slot and chipped it over Eddie Skazyk. It was Kelley's 19th, a rarity in
Tiger-land for someone to have that high a goal total.
Princeton started generating some rushes, but blew it by flubbing a clear in
their own end. It was kept in at the point, and P.C. Drouin ripped in a goal
late to make it 3-1. Drouin then just missed getting another as he hit the
post dead on with 10 seconds left in the period. Princeton escaped still in
the game. I'm not sure how Drouin doesn't score more than he does. He seems
to have a good shot and decent hands, and is a big guy.
Princeton tried senior captain David Scowby on defense tonight and sat another
senior, Scott Almon, and it was again a disaster. I hate to say it, but Scowby
has been dreadful on offense. So Princeton went back to using 5 defenseman and
benched O'Connor, and moved Scowby up front to handle the big forwards. This
was a microcosm of his season for O'Connor. The leading scorer for Princeton
last year (13), started off strong playing with freshmen Casson Masters and
Matt Brush, slipped a little, came back strong to be all-tournament at the
Dexter Shoe Classic, the slipped again. He was given a big-time wake-up call
by the Tiger coaching staff.
In the third period, he responded in a big way. It was nice to see because
he's such a great guy and has a lot of talent. Sometimes he tries to do a lot
himself, but sometimes that's because he's paired with linemates that aren't
always the most gifted.
But he kick-started Princeton. He beat a defender to the outside, swooped in
front and put a shot on net. Skazyk stopped it, the puck bounced in the slot,
Sinclair got it on his stick, and nudged it as he was getting shoved. It
trickled off the post, and a falling defender ticked it as he fell and it went
it. It was Sinclair's first collegiate goal. He was stoned moments before that
and I thought the freshman would never score. But his hard work and solid play
finally paid off.
Princeton kept the pressure up and started finally beating Cornell to the
corners. The defense for the Red looked like they started to tire. Again,
Cornell couldn't get a clear after a wild scramble. Jason Smith blasted a shot
from the point that hit Skazyk's arm and went in.
Princeton kept it up and barely missed goals three times in the next two
minutes. The best chance was a shot that was trickling over the line and Matt
Cooney swept it away at the last second. That last 8 minutes were furious.
Cornell regrouped and got some chances in the last minutes. But they lack a
sniper. Ryan Smart, who has often played that role, was non-existant. I was
disappointed. I was really looking forward to seeing him play.
In OT, Kelley and Chad Wilson went off for coincidental minors at 0:16. This
is great for Princeton. They are a fast team, but they're in a small rink.
But at 4-on-4, they're at least a plus-6 this year. The winning goal began as
Barrington Miller took the puck in the circle to the left of his net, and fed a
perfect breakout pass at center ice to Ethan Early who got behind the defense.
He may be the fastest guy on the team, and lately has been finishing, something
he didn't always do. This time, Skazyk came up huge on the breakaway, but
Early kept plugging, as he always does, smacked it, the puck bounced to the
point where Miller held it in, and he fired it to the left of Skazyk and in.
It was right along the ice, Skazyk was screened and never saw it. That whole
side of the net was open.
Thanks to Clarkson's fold, Princeton remains in 7th. The only thing they
really got out of it, besides keeping pace, was a virtual guarantee of
finishing in the top 8. But they're 1 pt. behind RPI and Vermont for 5th, and
2 back of Colgate. A win over Colgate would put them ahead of them because of
head-to-head, which means Princeton has their 4th chance of the year to move
into 4th, pending RPI and Vermont's games.
|
