BIG JAKE: Princeton University men’s hockey player David Jacobs sends the puck up the ice in action last season. Last Friday, sophomore forward Jacobs scored the lone goal for Princeton as it fell 5-1 to Dartmouth. The Tigers, now 7-12-2 overall and 5-8-1 ECAC Hockey, play at Clarkson on February 9 and at St. Lawrence on February 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Getting last week off to a good start, the Princeton University men’s hockey team pulled out a 4-3 win over West Point in overtime on Tuesday to snap a six-game losing streak.

Hosting Dartmouth last Friday, Princeton seemingly brought momentum from the win over Army in the first period as it carried play for the most part.

“Our first period, I thought we played well; we were outshooting them 12-6,” said Princeton head coach Ron Fogarty. “In the first we had a lot of o-zone time.”

But despite generating those opportunities, the Tigers found themselves down 2-0 heading into the second period.

“They got a turnover in the neutral zone and they capitalized on it,” said Fogarty. “They get up 2-0 on us and we came back. We wanted to at least win the period in the second and we tied it.”

Making it a 3-1 game on a goal by David Jacobs with 1:40 left into second period, the Tigers faltered down the stretch, failing to cash in on two five-minute power plays in the third period on the way to a disappointing 5-1 defeat as they moved to 7-12-2 overall and 5-8-1 ECAC Hockey.

“It is 3-1 and you get a little bit of life with the five-minute major, that is the biggest turning point,” said Fogarty. “You get one goal there — it is 3-2, but you end up taking a penalty and then it is 4-1.”

Jacobs gave the Tigers some life with his hustle all over the ice.

“David Jacobs has been playing great for us, even if he didn’t score, he has been a dog on the puck and battles all of the time,” said Fogarty. “You are never going to get cheated with his shift. He played well.”

Fogarty acknowledged that his squad didn’t play well collectively in the loss to the Big Green.

“It is a very frustrating game, I am frustrated from seeing that,” said Fogarty, who saw starting goalie Ethan Pearson knocked out of the game late in the second period with an injury. “We are better than that. Dartmouth is a good team, but we just didn’t puck-manage in certain times.”

With Princeton playing at Clarkson on February 9 and at St. Lawrence on February 10, Fogarty will be looking for his players to raise the level of their game down the stretch.

“We have to be better, we are better than that; we have a week of practice before Clarkson and St. Lawrence,” said Fogarty. “There are eight games left — we have to bear down and grind it out. We can’t turn the puck over and shoot ourselves in the foot. It is probably three self-inflicted wounds that cost us the game tonight. That is stuff we have got
to work on.”