Teifer, Little Tigers reach MCT final

PHS hockey faces rematch with Notre Dame

By: Bob Nuse
   While the record might not show it, the Princeton High ice hockey team struggled on defense early in the season.
   It’s not that the effort wasn’t there, the Little Tigers were just a little short on manpower.
   "In the beginning of the season, we were hit hard on defense by graduation," Princeton coach Paul Merrow said. "We put Geordie Graham back there and then halfway through the season we lost Colin Sarafin with a shoulder injury, so he was out for the season.
   "So we needed another defenseman. We put Peter Teifer back there and he has played great since he stepped in. So our defense has been a work in progress. It got to be more solid as the season went on."
   Princeton’s defense has been playing at a high level over the past couple of weeks. On Wednesday, the Little Tigers allowed just two goals in a 3-2 win over Hopewell Valley in the semifinals of the Mercer County Tournament. With the win, Princeton will face Notre Dame tonight at 6 p.m. in a rematch of the 2005 MCT final.
   "When we want to play team defense, we can play," Merrow said. "Our defense has really come on strong late in the season. We played well today. That second goal they scored kind of squeezed in there. All season long our defense has been a work in progress. It’s gotten better as the season has gone on."
   Teifer has played a big role in helping to stabilize the defense for the Little Tigers. After Sarafin’s injury, Teifer was asked to move back to defense, a position he hadn’t played in a long time.
   "It took a little while coming from offense to get used to being back on defense," said Teifer, who didn’t forget his offensive roots as he scored the Little Tigers’ third goal on Wednesday. "I had to get used to playing back there and not pinching in. Coach said I could carry the puck when I had a chance.
   "When I was younger with juniors, I was on a club team in fifth and sixth grade where I played defense. That was really the only time. My first game back there against Steinert didn’t go that well because I wasn’t used to the speed of the players. But I’ve gotten better as I have been back there."
   Princeton allowed just one goal in an 8-1 win over Lawrence in the MCT quarterfinals on Monday. The Little Tigers allowed just two goals on Wednesday to avenge an 8-1 loss to Hopewell just over a week ago.
   "Today we played great team defense," said Merrow, whose team was without Christian McCracken and John Ryan in the earlier loss. "Hopewell is a very good team. We tied them, 3-3, the first time we played and then we lost, 8-1. So we were looking forward to this game to see how we could do."
   In the MCT game, Princeton got on the board first with a first-period goal from Kyle DeBlois. After Hopewell tied the game, Ryan’s goal in the second period gave the Little Tigers a 2-1 lead. Teifer scored midway through the third period to make it a 3-1 lead before HoVal closed out the scoring with a goal with less than two minutes left.
   "I’m ecstatic about going back to the championship game," said Teifer, who has 13 goals and 13 assists this season. "It’s a great feeling as a senior to be able to play for the county championship again. This is exciting for us. We feel like we’re peaking at the right time with the county tournament and then the state tournament."
   Teifer is part of a large senior group, many of whom started to play with the PHS varsity as freshmen. They would love to go out with a win the MCT title game. In one earlier meeting with Notre Dame, the Little Tigers lost, 3-2.
   "We had nine freshmen that year first and we’ve stayed together and gelled so well," Teifer said. "I couldn’t have a better group of guys to play with. I’m happy for all of the seniors that we made it to the finals.
   "We’ve had a lot of success as a team and I think a big part of it is having John Ryan up front. He’s one of the best forwards Princeton has ever had. And having Shane (Leuck) in goal, he makes such a difference for us. It will be nice to play Notre Dame again, when we played them and won two years ago, we played a great game that day."
   Princeton seems to be playing its best hockey of the season right now. And the Little Tigers will need to be at their best to beat the Irish, who improved to 23-1 with a 9-3 win over Steinert in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
   "It’s like the NHL, where everyone is jockeying for the best seeds," said Merrow, whose team is now 12-7-3. "It’s like a 22-game season to tune up for tournament time and get some momentum going. You want to have the best seed you can and hopefully improve during the season.
   "It’s great that these seniors have gotten to the final twice in their careers."
   And if the Little Tigers play the way they have in their two earlier games this week, they could make that two titles in their four years.