Princeton kept its ECAC playoff hopes alive Saturday with a 4-2 win over Vermont at UVM’s Gutterson Fieldhouse.
Vermont, 3-23-2 overall and 3-15-1 in ECAC play, took a 1-0 lead at 5:45 of the first period when freshman Brady Leisenring scored his second goal in as many nights on a rebound. Bryson Busniuk and John Longo assisted on the goal, Leisenring’s fifth of the season.
Princeton, 8-16-2 overall and 7-10-2 in the ECAC, tied it at 1-1 at 14:11 of the first when David Schneider tipped a Scott Prine shot from a tough angle along the boards to the right of Vermont goalie Tim Peters. The goal was Schneider’s fourth of the season.
The Tigers took a 2-1 lead at 19:01 of the first on George Parros’ eighth goal of the season. David Del Monte and Neil Stevenson-Moore assisted on the goal.
Princeton maintained the one-goal lead until late in the second period when Josh Roberts scored shorthanded at 17:51 to give the Tigers a 3-1 advantage. Schneider and Prime assisted on the goal, Roberts’ third of the year.
Stevenson-Moore scored his sixth goal of the season at 5:56 of the third period to give Princeton a 4-1 lead. Stevenson-Moore finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play with the goal, with assists going to Parros and Del Monte.
Vermont closed the gap to 4-2 with a 5-on-3 goal at 12:32 of the third period by freshman defenseman Gerard Miller. Patrick Sharp and Jeff Miles assisted on the goal, Miller’s fourth of the year.
Peters finished with 18 saves while Shawn Conschafter had 10 saves in the third period. Dave Stathos stopped 19 shots for Princeton.
