DONE DEAL: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Brendon McCormick heads up the ice last week in the Mercer County Tournament. Junior star and team captain McCormick tallied a goal and three assists in a losing cause as sixth-seeded PHS fell 8-4 to second-seeded Notre Dame in the MCT semis on February 16. On Saturday, McCormick tallied another goal but it was not nearly enough as 21st-seeded PHS lost 8-1 to ninth-seeded Mendham in the opening round of the state Public B tourney. The defeat left the Little Tigers with a final record of 12-8-4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Brendon McCormick was breathing heavily and his face flushed with effort as he trudged towards the locker room after the Princeton High boys’ hockey team fell 8-4 to Notre Dame last Wednesday evening in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals.

The junior captain and star forward was spent after scoring one goal and assisting on three others in addition to playing on all special teams as the sixth-seeded Little Tigers battled valiantly in losing to the second-seeded Irish.

Although McCormick was frustrated by the final result, he had no qualms with the effort put in by PHS as it battled back from a 7-2 deficit early in the third period to make it 7-4 and put a scare into Notre Dame.

“We are not a team that quits, we always try our hardest,” said McCormick. “So when we went down, we were expecting to come back up and raise our game a little bit there. We kept battling to the end.”

McCormick battled on his goal, which came late in the first period and  narrowed the Notre Dame lead to 3-1.

“It was just in the zone, someone tossed it in front,” said McCormick. “I just kept banging away and eventually it went in.”

Despite falling behind 7-2 early in the final period, the Little Tigers kept banging away.

“That third period is something we can build on, it was 2-2,” said McCormick.

“We had a strong comeback against a good team so it is always good to come back after being down.”

Earlier this winter, McCormick enjoyed a very good moment as he accomplished the 100-point career milestone but he would trade that in for a shot at the MCT title.

“It is a great thing to achieve but I was more focused on how we were going to be this season,” said McCormick.

“I wanted to win the MCT, I just want the team to do well. It is a real shame we haven’t gotten by Notre Dame; the past three years we have played them and lost here so it is a little depressing; hopefully we will come back again next year.”

PHS head coach Terence Miller was heartened by how his team got out of the game against the Irish as the game was knotted in a scoreless tie for the first 10 minutes of action before Notre Dame scored three goals in a span  of 2:54.

“We started well, we had a good penalty kill early, unfortunately we give up goals in bunches at times against this team,” said Miller, noting that PHS had suffered 6-1 and 8-2 defeats to Notre Dame in regular season action.

“We got one back but every time we seemed to get one and get momentum, we would give one back up.”

Miller was proud of how his team refused to give up. “We tried to win the third period, it was 2-2; that shows a little bit of backbone,” said Miller, whose club fell in the opening round of the state Public B tourney last Saturday as 21st-seeded PHS lost 8-1 to ninth-seeded Mendham to end with a final record of 12-8-4.

“We didn’t quit and I told them that is the most important thing. You keep fighting to the final whistle. At the end of the day, I was happy with the effort. They kept plugging. Notre Dame has a good team and you are going to need a couple of bounces which we didn’t get, and you are going to need calls that we didn’t get, but we didn’t quite earn our bounces.”

McCormick’s effort has been a key element in PHS’s success this winter.

“Brendon was a little under the weather this week; he brings it every night and he is a kid who really doesn’t have to say much,” said Miller.

“He leads by example and the kid just battles. We ask a lot of him but we know he rises to the occasion.”

McCormick, for his part, has continued a family tradition in assuming a leadership role this winter for the Little Tigers.

“Last year my brother Connor was the captain along with John Reid and they were great leaders and I am just trying to follow in their footsteps,” said McCormick.

“I try to be a good role model for the team and never give up. I just try to do my hardest. I may not be the most vocal captain. I try my best to show kids what to do. I go and talk to them when they make a mistake, I try not to yell at them.”