PRINCETON: PU eyes elusive NCAAs victory

Hockey opens tourney tonight against Minnesota-Duluth

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   The Princeton University men’s ice hockey team is hoping to make it a little tougher on opponents at the NCAA tournament.
   Doing so will make it tougher for future Tigers teams to continue a remarkable trend.
   In each of the past six seasons, the Tigers have increased the win total from the season before. They won 21 games last year, but fell to North Dakota, 5-1, in the NCAA tournament first round. They have yet to win an NCAA game in two previous trips.
   Princeton has already surpassed last year’s win total, and goes for its 23rd victory 9 p.m. tonight against Minnesota-Duluth in the West Regional of the NCAA tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. The game will be televised by ESPNU and heard on WPRB. Live statistics are also available online.
   ”We’re thrilled,” said PU head coach Guy Gadowsky. “This is the first time that Princeton is going to go to the tournament as an at-large. It’s a testament to the season they had all year. You have to beat excellent teams in your non-conference schedule. I can think back to a number of wins and times they had to perform well. That body of work accumulated to go to the NCAAs.”
   The Tigers needed an at-large bid when they lost, 4-3, in double overtime to Cornell in the ECAC semifinals, then tied St. Lawrence, 2-2, after an overtime in the ECAC consolation game Saturday.
   ”Three games in less than 24 hours,” Gadowsky said. “It’s a tremendous testament to these guys. They really gutted it out.”
   He already knew the character of his team, but Princeton proved it again, most notably in bouncing back from Friday’s disappointing loss to Cornell to earn a tie. Playing so much over less than a full day takes a toll.
   ”The most important part is to try to get our energy back,” Gadowsky said after Sunday’s NCAA selection show. “It wasn’t just this 24 hours. We had a heck of a weekend with Union before (in the ECAC quarterfinals). It was physically and mentally draining. This weekend, it was another weekend of extremely draining hockey mentally and physically. Our No. 1 goal for this week is to reenergize.”
   At 22-11-1, the Tigers are a tough draw for Minnesota-Duluth, which is playing some of its best hockey of the season. They were under .500 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, but emerged as the league champion to gain an automatic berth to the NCAAs. They are 21-12-8 overall and have not lost in the postseason yet.
   ”We don’t know a lot about them,” Gadowsky said. “Their goaltender is sizzling and they won the WCHA. That’s all you have to know.”
   Princeton is just 2-4-1 in their last seven games, but showed special resilience last weekend to reach the NCAAs. Tonight’s winner meets the other regional semifinal winner of Denver and Miami on Saturday to decide who goes to the Frozen Four in Washington, D.C. At this point, only the best teams in the country are still playing, and the Tigers are thrilled to be among them.
   The West Regional features four teams in the top 15 in the uscho.com/CBS College Sports poll. Minnesota-Duluth is eighth and the Tigers are 10th. Denver ranks fourth and Miami is 13th. Princeton and the Bulldogs have met just one other season, in 1980-81, when they split a season series.
   The Tigers and Bulldogs have just one common opponent, and its tough to tell much from it since both took it to Minnesota State. Princeton won, 5-2, while the Bulldogs own 4-0 and 7-4 wins over Minnesota State.
   All Minnesota-Duluth will know about the Tigers is that they will battle to the end. Princeton did so all the way through an ECAC final four in which they never trailed during actual play. Cornell’s goal in second overtime gave the Big Red their first lead of the game, and left the Tigers in a tough spot to at least tie or they wouldn’t make the NCAAs against a desperate St. Lawrence team that would have made the NCAAs with a win.
   ”I don’t know of a consolation game where the winner goes,” Gadowsky said. “That was the biggest game of the year. You have to give credit to everybody on our team.”
   The Tigers hope to continue their inspired play, and find a way to hold off Minnesota-Duluth if they do get a lead.
   If they do that, the Tigers can move within a game of the Frozen Four, and create a standard that’s a lot tougher for future Princeton teams.