PRINCETON: PU men host Union in ECAC quarterfinals

Ice hockey looking to repeat run

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   Brandan Kushniruk doesn’t think about his biggest goal for the Princeton University men’s ice hockey team, but the Tigers remember it.
   As a sophomore, he scored the game-winner in a 4-3 overtime triumph over Union College.
   ”It was a huge goal,” said Princeton head coach Guy Gadowsky. “We had lost 27 straight overtime games.”
   The Tigers went 11-9-1 the rest of the season, won their first ECAC playoff series since 1999, then last year won their first ECAC title since 1999. Princeton is hoping to repeat, but standing in the way of the first step is that same Union team that has always played the Tigers tough. The best-of-three series runs tonight through Sunday if necessary at Baker Rink. All games are at 7 p.m.
   ”I have a few good memories with them,” said Kushniruk, who had an assist in the Tigers’ 4-1 win at Union this season. “It’s obviously a team game. Everybody is going to have to be going to beat Union. They’re a great team.
   ”They’re just feisty. They work their butts off. They’re always around the puck. One good thing about them is they never quit. They have guys that can put the puck in when they have the chance.”
   The eighth-seeded Dutchmen went into overdrive at the offensive end last weekend to sweep away Clarkson with 12 goals in two games. They own a 6-3-1 advantage over third-seeded Princeton in the last 10 meetings and the teams split this season. Four of the last seven meetings have gone to overtime, and Kushniruk has given the Tigers their only win in that frame.
   ”Every game we’ve played has been a tough fought contest,” said Gadowsky, whose 11th-ranked team is 20-9. “It’s something different every time, a lucky bounce or great goaltending. One thing that seems to be guaranteed is it will be a hard fought contest.”
   Princeton had a bye through an upset-minded first ECAC weekend. They haven’t played since dropping their final two games of the regular season at Dartmouth and Harvard. Last year, though, Princeton also lost its final two road games before putting together a run to the NCAA Tournament.
   ”It’s a little bit easier going into this year knowing we know we can win,” Kushniruk said. “The confidence is a lot greater. It’s good to a certain extent, having experienced everything, we know what it feels like and we want to feel that again.”
   Kushniruk is one of 13 Princeton players with double-digit points. The balanced attack makes them tough to defend. Kushniruk has six goals and six assists. He had more assists once, but otherwise, his numbers are career-highs. Among his two goals are back-to-back game-winners this year. He isn’t the big-name player like Brett Wilson or last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year Lee Jubinville, but his contributions are just as big.
   ”Kush is unbelievable,” Gadowsky said. “He doesn’t have to get one point all year, but he’d still be one of our most valuable players. He does all the little things, and he does them better than anyone. Anything that’s a difficult task to do, he does well. Every little thing that you need to win, he does extremely well.”
   Those little things can make the difference in a tight ECAC series. The winner of this weekend’s series will play at Albany in the ECAC final four next weekend, and it will need Kushniruk’s little plays to add up to a win.
   ”Everybody is like that on our team,” he said. “We just want to win. We’ll do it any way possible. Everybody does little things. That’s why we’re such a good team. It’s more a team combination that helps us win. We’ll do anything to win. We have different guys scoring every night. It’s nice that Coach said it, but everybody does those little things that help us win.”
   One big factor in the Tigers favor is Zane Kalemba, the Ivy Player of the Year this year. The junior goaltender leads Division I with a 1.61 goals against average and sports a .938 save percentage.
   ”To win in the playoffs, your goaltender has to be your best player on the ice,” Kushniruk said. “Last year, he proved that. For us to go this year, he’s going to have to make big saves. He’s proven that all year.”
   The power play factored heavily into the first two meetings this year. Princeton scored two goals with the advantage to win at Union. The Dutchmen scored twice on the power play to win at Baker on Jan. 9.
   ”Whoever wins that battle is going to be on top,” Kushniruk said. “Our power play has to be clicking and our penalty kill hopefully is going to be on its game as well.”
   History shows Union will present quite a challenge. Brandan Kushniruk was part of a big win over them two years ago, one that helped the Princeton program in its climb. He’d like to help again, but he will settle for two wins any way the Tigers can get them this weekend.
   ”There were tons of upsets last week,” Kushniruk said. “It’s to the credit of the league, anybody can beat anybody. We have to be at our best to win. That’s what we’re focusing on.”