PRINCETON, N.J. — Max Veronneau’s Princeton teammates look to him for scoring. Check the scoresheet following just about any Tigers game, and you’ll usually find his surname listed among his team’s goals and assists.
He didn’t disappoint on Friday night at home against Ivy League rival Yale, as Princeton held on for a 5-4 victory.
The junior right wing from Ottawa figured in Princeton’s first three goals spanning the first and second periods. He assisted on Jackson Cressey’s game-opening power-play tally, then scored one of his own from the slot less than five minutes later to put Princeton back up by a point after Yale had forged a 1-1 tie.
The home team went 3-for-3 on the power play through the first 40 minutes, and also got 37 saves in the game from freshman netminder Ryan Ferland.
“It feels great,” said Veronneau following the win, Princeton’s second straight in ECAC Hockey competition. “”You put in the hard work, and keep winning.
“The power play today was unbelievable in the first period, and it picked us up,” added Veronneau, who also credited his teammates for helping in his scoring success.
Yale took it to Princeton early on, however, outshooting the Tigers, 16-6, in the opening stanza.
“We were lucky to be in the game,” said Princeton coach Ron Fogarty afterwards. “They outshot us and outchanced us, and the power play saved us in the first period. The guys were solid in the second and third, and we’ll take the win.”
After Yale tied the game again late in the first period, Veronneau made it 3-2 for the Tigers on a wrist shot from just above the right circle 1:09 into the second session to give Princeton the lead for good.
“I just threw it on net,” he said, while also using Yale’s defense as a partial screen. “It wasn’t the hardest shot, but it went in.”
“He’s someone you have confidence in on the ice, as a coach,” said Fogarty of Veronneau. “His consistent in his habits, and repeats them, and that’s why he’s going to be a pro player.”
Just another night at Hobey Baker Rink for Princeton’s No. 15, who entered Friday’s contest with 25 goals and 59 points in 68 career appearances, including three goals and seven points in five outings prior to tonight’s game.
Not that Yale didn’t make it interesting late, after Reid Yochim and Liam Grande had put Princeton up, 5-2, by early in the third.
Anthony Walsh scored a 4-on-4 goal at 10:59 that held up under review, followed by a shorthanded goalmouth sweep by Ryan Hitchcock that pulled the Bulldogs back within a goal with 5:04 remaining in regulation. Ferland then made three in-close stops for the Tigers against an all-out Yale assault in the dying minutes to preserve the win.
“We had a good second period, and survived the third,” said Fogarty. “Ryan kept us in the first period as well.”
“We got a little lackadaisical in the third, and we need to play more defensively,” said Veronneau. “Yale is a good team.”
Fogarty concurred.
“We had an awful first period, coupled with a good first period by Yale. They jumped on us.”
Sam Tucker finished with 26 saves for the Bulldogs, who outshot the Tigers, 41-31, on the night. Princeton finished 3-for-8 on the power play, while Yale went 0-for-4.
Princeton (3-2-1 overall, 2-2-1 ECAC) will now host Brown on Saturday, while Yale (3-4-0, 3-4-0) travels to Quinnipiac.
ECAC WRAPUP
Clarkson 5, Colgate 2
Sheldon Rempal scored twice in the final 20 minutes as the eighth-ranked Golden Knights blew open a one-goal game with three third-period tallies. Jake Kielly made 31 stops as Clarkson (9-3-1 overall, 5-0-0 ECAC) won its fifth straight contest. Bobby McMann had a goal and an assist for the No.19 Raiders (6-3-4, 3-1-1).
Cornell 6, St. Lawrence 1
The Big Red scored twice in each period en route to routing the visiting Saints. Noah Bauld collected the hat trick, scoring once in each stanza as sixth-ranked Cornell improved to a nation-best 7-0-0 overall, including 5-0-0 in the ECAC. St. Lawrence (1-11-1, 0-4-1) was outshot, 46-16.
Quinnipiac 5, Brown 0
The host Bobcats (4-5-1, 1-4-0) got three goals from Landon Smith and 22 saves from Andrew Shortridge in blanking the Bears (2-5-0, 2-5-0). Smith scored the first three goals of the game, over the first and second periods, as Quinnipiac won its first conference game of the fall and also snapped a four-game losing skid.
