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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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Paquin's Productivity in Return Sparking Tiger Men's Ice Hockey
By Bill Alden
Luc Paquin is determined to make the most of every moment this winter as he plays in his final season with the Princeton University men's ice hockey team.
After being exiled from the team last season due to personal reasons and finding himself at odds with former coach Len Quesnelle, the defenseman from Le Gardeur, Que. was welcomed back to the program with open arms this season by new coach Guy Gadowsky.
Paquin has paid major dividends for Gadowsky, leading the Tigers in assists with 12 and tying with Dustin Sproat and Grant Goeckner-Zoeller for the team lead in points with 15.
In the wake of notching four assists in Princeton's 6-3 win over Yale last week, Paquin made it clear how much he is enjoying being back on the ice for the Tigers.
"I'm so excited to be back," said the 6'1, 195-pound Paquin with a grin. "I'm happy to be back on the team and contributing. I feel like I have to make up for last year so I have to give it all I've got."
Paquin's experience last year fueled his motivation coming into this season. "I had some tough times," said Paquin, recalling his year away from the team.
"My father passed away last September before the season started. It was a mix of personal reasons and disagreements with the coach. I worked really hard this summer so that I would be able to get back. So far, so good. I'm going to keep working hard."
Getting the chance to play in Gadowsky's system has helped Paquin blossom offensively. "I just shoot hard and try to cause rebounds," explained Paquin, who came into this season with a total of 10 points in his previous 46 games.
"I know the forwards are taught to go to the net so if I put it out there for them they can get the rebound and put it home. Coach has given me the green light to do what I can do best which allows me to get some numbers offensively."
Gadowsky, for his part, isn't surprised at the production he has gotten from Paquin. "Luc has been great all year," said Gadowsky in assessing Paquin's performance so far this season. "He is a very intelligent hockey player. He plays like he loves the game; he's fun to watch."
The coach, however, would like to see his team become more fun to watch. "We're not disciplined right now," said Gadowsky, whose team lost 7-1 to Yale last Saturday to fall to 4-5-1 overall and 4-4 in ECAC Hockey League play.
"We are not playing smart hockey right now which is surprising because they are such bright individuals. They pick up concepts so well that I'm surprised that we can't do a better job of staying out of the box. It's difficult to get momentum when you are consistently killing penalties."
Gadowsky, though, is confident that his club has the smarts to build momentum as it looks to improve on the 5-24-2 record the program posted last season.
They amaze me everyday, they are just so intelligent," said Gadowsky, whose club plays at Colgate on December 3 and at Cornell on December 4. "It's really amazing to watch them in practice, they are just so sharp and bright. We just have to do a better job at the areas we control."
Paquin believes the team is moving in the right direction. "I think we are playing a more offensive system," explained Paquin.
"I think the team is improving in terms of the system. There are a lot of positive things to get out of the last few games. We're definitely off to a much better start than in the last two years. I think that is very important for the team's confidence." It certainly helps the team's confidence to have a productive Paquin back in the fold.
