Tigers return to action on road
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
The Princeton University men’s ice hockey team returns to the ice next Friday after a 20-day layoff between games.
It will have been 20 days to think about how to regain their early season momentum and put together a second half of the season to secure home ice for the postseason.
The Tigers would have liked to return to competition sooner, if for no other reason than to wipe away the memories of their last game — a 7-0 loss to No. 6 Notre Dame at Baker Rink on Dec. 8.
”If you lose,” said PU coach Guy Gadowsky, “you want to get back quick. If you win, you want to get back out there quick.”
Back-to-back losses at Baker to Notre Dame left Princeton 5-7-0 overall as the Tigers headed into their layoff. It’s nearly identical to the Tigers’ 5-7-1 record before last season’s 20-day break. Gadowsky is hoping Princeton can use the time to its advantage.
”It’s an opportunity to prepare better for exams coming up and heal our wounds,” Gadowsky said. “The past couple of years, guys have used the time wisely. I think it showed in the second half last year.”
Princeton returned last season to beat both Nebraska-Omaha and Minnesota State. They will face the same pair again to end this season’s break. The Tigers are at Minnesota State 8:30 p.m. next Friday and in Omaha, Neb., on Dec. 30.
”It’s a good Minnesota State team from the (Western Collegiate Hockey Assocation) and it’s another team (Nebraska-Omaha) that will be a good test like Notre Dame was,” Gadowsky said. “It’s excellent to get back into a tough game before we play Dartmouth on Jan. 4.”
Princeton hosts the Big Green in its first game of the new year. The Tigers stand at 4-4 in the Eastern College Athletic Association. Last year, they went 6-5-1 in league play down the stretch, then rode the momentum to the quarterfinals of the ECAC playoffs.
”If you look at it, we’re .500 in our league going into Christmas break,” Gadowsky said. “That’s pretty good. You look at the number of goals we’ve given up and the save percentage the last six games or so, and that’s concerning. All and all, though, we’re pretty happy with where we’re at.”
Princeton started out with even more promise this season. The Tigers won their first five games before winning just two of their final nine games. They look to return to their winning ways when they restart.
The Tigers expect to come out of the break a better team than when they went into it. For one, they expect to return senior forward Kyle Hagel, who had surgery during the break.
”He can use this time for healing,” said Gadowsky who expects Hagel to be available next Friday or, at the latest, against Dartmouth. “We want to make sure we prepare academically so when we come back we are ready and get better conditioned for the second half of the season.”
Academics don’t appear to be any problem for the Tigers. They already boast Landis Stankievech, a senior selected to receive a Rhodes Scholarship and now up for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Princeton is hoping for some bigger contributions on the ice from its scholarly group.
”In the Union game (a 4-3 win), I think we finally started with Mark Magnowski scoring the game-winner, we got some other scoring,” Gadowsky said. “We want to get another line going. Kevin Kaiser is back. We do have to get more than one line going offensively. We need the players to step into that role. We’re looking forward to seeing who that is.”
The candidates are many. Fifteen different Tiger players have scored a goal this season. The offense could be even harder to stop if Princeton is able to capitalize on a few more opportunities with a little more consistency.
”Brandan Kushniruk, Landis Stankievech, they’ve shown the ability to score big goals,” Gadowsky said. “I expect them to score some more goals. You can go down the line. We have guys who can play offensive roles in this league. Hopefully they develop and get things going.”
Where Gadowsky is not toying with lineups is on the first line. Lee Jubinville, Cam MacIntyre and Brett Wilson all individually have at least double the points of the next best scorer. Other than their unit, the Tigers’ pairings are a work in progress.
”I think it’s different every year,” Gadowsky noted. “It’s who has synergy. I think it’s important to have more than one line going. Jubs, Wilson and MacIntyre, they’re one of top lines in the country. They’re playing well offensively and defensively. It’s tough to break them up. I have a lot of faith in the players in this lineup to help us out.”
At the other end of the ice, Gadowsky is trying to find a consistent goalie between Zane Kalemba, Alan Reynolds and Thomas Sychters. Kalemba has the best goals-against average at 2.89. He is playing in back of a young defense that includes three freshmen.
”I’ve been happy with them,” Gadowsky said. “They’ve had a very productive learning period this first half. They’ve been relied upon. They have played big roles in the wins we have. I think it was a great first half for them. As a team and with our goaltending, we have to do a better job.”
Princeton won’t beat many teams by surrendering seven goals, as they did against Notre Dame. The game was a tough one to take going into the break because the Tigers had looked far better in a 4-2 loss the night before and in a 4-3 win over Union earlier in the week.
”Friday night was excellent. We played well,” Gadowsky said. “We proved we can play with the top teams in the nation. Saturday, we learned all the facets have to be firing if we’re going to compete. We learned things both nights for the future.”
The immediate future comes in a week when the Tigers resume their season on the road. There, they have their next chance to show how they used some of their days off as they look to rebuild momentum for a run at the ECAC playoffs.

