BIG MAC: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Connor McCormick controls the puck in a game last season. On Saturday, senior forward and co-captain McCormick chipped in a goal and an assist as PHS rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Wall 4-2. The Little Tigers, who fell 5-2 to Jackson Memorial on Monday to move to 5-5, play Notre Dame on January 12 and Steinert on January 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Connor McCormick and his teammates on the Princeton High boys’ hockey team realized they had reached a crossroads last Saturday as they trailed Wall 2-0 after two periods.

Having lost three straight games going into the holiday break to drop to 4-4, PHS was in danger of falling below .500 for the season and starting 2015 with a thud.

“We weren’t feeling it but then we came together as a group after the period and coach [Terence] Miller lifted our spirits,” said PHS senior co-captain McCormick.

“He said this period is most of our season. If we want to have a successful season and do well, we need to win this game and get back over .500 so we can make a deep run in the playoffs and the Mercer County Tournament.”

A fired up McCormick took matters into his own hands as he got PHS on the board two minutes into the third period, diving across the ice to put home a rebound of a Jackson Andres shot.

“Jackson was busting down the left side; he usually shoots the puck when he has it and I thought I might as well crash the net,” recalled McCormick.

“He shot the puck and it was going up and the goalie didn’t have it so I just dove and I was able to put it in. There was no way that I was going to miss that puck.”

McCormick slid past the goal on his back, pumping his arms in celebration as the puck hit the back of the net.

The acrobatic tally pumped PHS as it proceeded to score three unanswered goals to pull away to a 4-2 triumph.

“This Wall team is really good, they had three deep lines they kept rolling and they kept coming,” said McCormick.

“We had to muster up a lot of momentum and a lot of speed in the third period to get by them and bury a few goals.”

As a co-captain of the team along with fellow senior John Reid, McCormick is looking to emulate the example of his older brother, Patrick, a 2014 PHS alum who was a star defenseman and strong leader during his superb career with the Little Tigers.

“I just try to help the team out through energy on and off the ice,” said McCormick.

“I am always trying to pick the team up when we are not doing too well. When we have momentum, I try to do as much as I can. Last year Pat would try to do the same thing; he always lifted our team up. I just try to do what I can out there.”

The connection between McCormick and classmates Reid and Andres helps lift PHS. “We have been together since our freshman year; we work well together,” said McCormick, who also works well with younger brother, Brendon, a sophomore
forward for the Little Tigers.

“Even our sophomore year, we were the No. 1 line. We tried really hard out there and we were able to bury a few in the the third.”

PHS head coach Miller likes the work he is getting from McCormick.

“Connor is a heart and soul guy, when Connor is going, the team is going,” said Miller.

“When Connor is up on his front skates and he is moving and he brings energy, that is when he is at his best. We have told Connor to go down and get that first hit, it gets the blood flowing. I think that is almost better for him, he is a big kid and once he gets physical contact, that gets him into the game.”

In Miller’s view, McCormick’s goal changed the tone of the Wall game.

“I just liked the energy,” asserted Miller. “Once we got that first goal, the bench was up and we started playing a little more downhill. I told them after the second that we just had to get that first goal in the third to make it 2-1 and I knew the momentum would swing in our favor.”

Senior star Andres kept the momentum going for PHS as he scored three straight goals over the last 9:10 of the game.

“When Jackson is doing what he needs to do and when he stays disciplined and is playing hard, he is a force,” said Miller.

The Little Tigers got yeoman’s work from sophomore Brendon McCormick along with junior Nathan Drezner and senior Chris Munoz.

“I thought Brendon McCormick really anchored us on that second line,” added Miller.

“I thought both Nathan Drezner and Chris Munoz, they both had quiet solid games. They did what they needed to do. They may not have showed up on the score sheet but they gave us loads of big minutes and helped on the penalty kill as well.”

In Miller’s view, the win over Wall could pay big dividends for the Little Tigers.

“We told our guys, this is a huge, pivotal game for us in so many different aspects,” said Miller, whose squad fell 5-2 to Jackson Memorial on Monday to move to 5-5 and will play Notre Dame on January 12 and Steinert on January 13.

“Coming off the break, we wanted to get the second half of the season right, particularly coming off of three losses. So to fall down 2-0 and come back in the third and bury three and the empty netter and win this game is really a signature win for us. We needed it, we really did.”

McCormick, for his part, liked the character shown by the Little Tigers as they refused to lose.

“I would say we are pretty resilient,” said McCormick. “Even last year against Wall, we were down 5-1 after the second and then we tied it 5-5 in the third. We just didn’t want to lose tonight, we just didn’t have that feeling in our stomachs.”