The Princeton Tigers went up to Bemidji State for a pair of games in which they picked up a 4-1 victory on Friday and a 3-1 victory on Saturday.
For a team that hadn’t won a game on the road all season, defeating the No. 10 team in the nation twice in one weekend. Friday was the most impressive of the two victories as they were able to get three goals past Michael Bitzer which most of college hockey has been trying to do all season. The fourth goal was an empty net goal.
Bitzer only had allowed 19 goals in 14 games coming into Friday’s contest.
The Tigers also spread the scoring out throughout the weekend with Ryan Kuffner and David Hallisey leading the way with two goals each. Both goaltenders got to contribute as well with Colton Phinney making 35 saves on Friday and Ben Halford on Saturday making 43 saves including 32 in the final two periods.
Clarkson leads the way for the ECAC in Thanksgiving Tournaments
There were two holiday tournament over the weekend and the Clarkson Golden Knights took Notre Dame’s Shillelagh Tournament. They defeated the Yale Bulldogs in a non-conference in a 3-2 shootout on Friday and defeating the hosts Notre Dame on Saturday 2-0. Freshman goalie Jake Kielly was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament as he made 62 saves on the weekend.
Yale took the consolation game with a 3-1 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders on Saturday. Joe Snively had three goals on the weekend including two against the Crusaders.
Out in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Quinnipiac and St. Lawrence took second and third respectfully in the Friendship Four. The two teams faced off in a conference game on Friday as the two teams needed a shootout to break the 0-0 tie that will go in the standings. Quinnipiac had a tough time against the Vermont Catamounts as the Catamounts took the title 5-1.
St. Lawrence needed another shootout victory as they defeated the UMass Minutemen 3-2, but the game will go in the record books as a 2-2 tie. It was also the Saints first game against former coach Greg Carvel.
RPI and Dartmouth get their first road wins; Brown still seeking their first
The RPI Engineers took a split against Arizona State in Tempe while the Dartmouth Big Green took a split versus Robert Morris. Along with Princeton’s sweep of Bemidji, that leaves the Brown Bears as the only team in the ECAC that hasn’t recorded a win on the road this season.
Brown had a decent first period against Maine in Portland, Maine on Saturday night at one point out shooting the Black Bears 8-2, but the couldn’t sustain it as they fell 5-1. They were out shot 22-18 in the final two periods.
Brown heads to West Point, N.Y. on Saturday to face Army.
