The Princeton men’s hockey team scored twice in the final five minutes of Friday night’s game with No.18 St. Lawrence to erase a 3-2 deficit and pull out a 4-3 win. Senior Patrick Neundorfer had two goals, including the game winner, and an assist in the game as Princeton won its third straight league game and equaled its win total from a season ago.
Princeton improved to 8-13-1 overall and 5-9-1 in the ECAC Hockey League with the win, while St. Lawrence dropped to 15-11-1 overall and 9-6-0 in the league. The Tigers remained in 10th place in the standings but climbed within two of a tie in eighth place between Rensselaer and Clarkson.
Princeton trailed through most of the game and only led for the final 1:24. St. Lawrence scored the only goal of a back-and-forth first period when John Zeiler redirected a pass from Mike Zbriger in the crease. Zbriger, who had receieved the puck from TJ Trevelyan, drove to the net and fed the puck through the crease where Zeiler found it for his 11th goal. St. Lawrence outshot Princeton, 9-7, in the opening period.
The Tigers evened the score 1:55 into the second period with the first of two power-play goals on the night. Seconds after Andrzej Sandrzyk went to the penalty box on a holding call, Neundorfer won the offensive-zone faceoff. Junior Daryl Marcoux swooped in to pick up the puck and dropped it back to the point to junior Brett Westgarth. Westgarth then fired a shot that found its way through traffic and by St. Lawrence netminder Justin Pesony for his second goal of the season. Both goals have come against St. Lawrence.
The score remained tied at 1-1 for five minutes until the Saints reassumed the lead on a goal by Trevleyan, one of three points on the night for him. Zach Miskovic fed him the puck just above the left face-off dot and he fired a shot that beat Princeton goaltender Eric Leroux high for his 13th of the year. Princeton outshot the Saints, 11-10, in the second but trailed, 2-1, on the scoreboard.
Princeton retied the game at 2-2 at 4:45 of the third period when Neundorfer scored his first goal of the night from right in front. Freshman Brandan Kushniruk and junior Darroll Powe drew assists on the goal, but the tie lasted for just 45 seconds before Trevelyan notched his second goal of the night and gave St. Lawrence a 3-2 lead. Drew Bagnall’s point shot was saved by Leroux but the puck slid out from under his glove and Trevelyan put it in the goal.
St. Lawrence held the lead for 10:22 before Princeton evened the score with a power-play goal at 15:52. Junior Grant Goeckner-Zoeller worked the puck from behind the goal to senior Brian Carthas on the right point. Carthas took a shot through traffic that was redirected by freshman Brett Wilson just in front of the net and the puck went over Pesony for his eighth goal.
Princeton continued to pressure and went ahead for good when Neundorfer scored his second of the night with 1:24 left. Powe worked the puck to Goeckner-Zoeller who found Neundorfer all alone in the slot. Neundorfer one-timed the pass and beat Pesony to lift Princeton to the 4-3 win.
St. Lawrence pulled Pesony late but could not sustain pressure in the Tiger end as Princeton pulled off the win.
Princeton edged St. Lawrence in shots for the period (11-8) and the game (29-27). Leroux finished the night with 24 saves improving to 5-8-0 on the season while Pesony made 25 in the loss.
The game marked the first time this season that Princeton has won when trailing after two periods.
