Dec. 20, 1999

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Princeton hockey team used three power-play goals and a 38-save night from sophomore Dave Stathos to complete a two-game sweep of Notre Dame, 4-2, in non-conference action Monday night at the Joyce Center Fieldhouse.

Notre Dame (7-11-2) again was forced to play with just 10 forwards, due to junior national team commitments, injury and illness (Junior defenseman Ryan Clark also missed his fourth straight game due to injury). The Irish held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 but failed to match Princeton's special-teams success, as the Irish went just 1-for-11 on the power play-despite 24 PP shots on goal.

Princeton (4-7-3) trailed 1-0 at the first intermission before striking for three goals in the second period . Seven PU players factored into the scoring, led by three assists from sophomore defenseman David Schneider.

After giving up an early goal in the first period, Stathos stopped 34 of the next 35 Irish shots en route to his fourth victory of the season.

Notre Dame entered the series as the lowest-penalized team in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (15 penalties minutes per game) but the Irish totaled 54 penalty minutes in the two games, including 22 on Monday. The Tigers scored four power-play goals in the series, including the game-winning 5-on-3 score in Sunday's 4-3 game and a 3-for-10 effort on Monday (with another 5-on-3 score).

The Irish lost for the second straight night after scoring the game's first goal, after entering the series with a 20-2-4 record over the past two seasons when scoring first.

Despite some solid penalty-kill moments this season (including a 35-for-38 streak before Monday's letdown), Notre Dame has fell victim to some costly opponent power-play goals, as seven of the 10 Irish margins of defeat have been due to opposing PPGs (including the last three losses).

Junior left wing Dan Carlson and freshman defenseman Evan Nielsen accounted for the Irish scoring while junior Kyle Kolquist made 21 saves in his first career start while allowing just one even-strength goal.

SCORING RECAP:

• The Tigers roared to the lead on a power-play chance in the closing moments of the second period, with junior center Shane Campbell picking up his fourth goal of the season ... Schneider sent a pass from the top of the slot to the bottom of the right c circle and junior right wing Kirk Lamb gathered in the puck before sliding a pass to the top of the crease ... Campbell then sent a shot under the lunging Kolquist for the 3-2 Princeton lead (17:31)
• Princeton added to its lead with a 5-on-3 goal in the third period, with sophomore center David Del Monte rocketing a shot from the top of the right circle inside the far left post, with Schneider picking up the assist on Del Monte's third goal of the season (5:13).
• The visitors had forged the second tie of the night at the 11:47 mark of the second period, just moments after the Irish had claimed a 2-1 lead ... senior right wing Benoit Morin and Schneider set up the score by exchanging power-play passes back-and-forth at the blue line ... Morin then skated towards mid-ice and dropped the puck into his vacated spot at the top of the right circle ... senior left wing Brad Meredith had plenty of time to eye his shot before sending a shot over Kolquist's right shoulder and under the center of the crossbar (11:47).
• Notre Dame claimed a 2-1 lead midway through the second period, after a scramble in front of the Princeton net ... junior left wing Jay Kopischke set the play in motion by streaking down the left side and sending a low shot on net ... Stathos made the stop and the puck disappeared amidst a pile of players ... junior right wing Matt Van Arkel nudged the puck before Nielsen fired through the mass of bodies for his third goal of the season (11:01).
• Princeton forced a 1-1 tie midway through the second period, on a rebound goal by junior right wing Chris Corrinet ... the Irish tried to clear the puck around their own net but Lamb kept the puck in the Irish zone near the left corner before sending a tough-angle shot at Kolquist ... the Irish goalie made the save but the puck kicked between the circles to Corrinet, who swiped a low shot into the net for his team-leading seventh goal of the season (7:30).
• Notre Dame capitalized on a 5-3 chance to notch the night's first goal ... junior right wing Ryan Dolder sent a shot from the right point and Stathos made the stop but senior center Ben Simon beat a crowd to the puck and knocked it into the air ... Carlson was in position as the puck hit the ice and quickly snapped a shot past Stathos for his fourth goal of the season and first in 11 games (5:17).

NOTES: The Irish are just 7-8-2 in the last 17 overall home games (including CCHA playoffs), being outscored 49-40 in those games ... senior LW Andy Jurkowski appeared in his 72nd consecutive game (longest streak by any current Irish player) ... Simon has points in each of the last five games (3G-4A) and 113 career points (37G-76A) in 123 games ... Dolder had 3G-3A in the last six games ... Kopischke has totaled three points in his last three games played (2G-1A), after totaling just nine in his first 77 career games.

PRINCETON   (4-7-3)    0    3    1    -    4
NOTRE DAME (8-10-2)    1    1    0    -    2

1st: ND 1. Carlson 4 (Simon, Dolder), 5-3, 5:17.
2nd: PU 1. Corrinet 7 (Lamb), ND 2. Nielsen 3 (Van Arkel, Kopischke) 11:01, PU 2. Meredith (Schneider, Morin), PP, 11:47, PU 3. Campbell 4 (Lamb, Schneider), PP, 17:31.
3rd: PU 4. Del Monte 3 (Schneider),5-3, 5:13.
Shots: PU 7-10-8/25, ND 18-11-11/40.
Saves: PU (Stathos) 17-10-11/38, ND (Kolquist) 7-7-7/21.
Power Play: PU 3-for-10, ND 1-for-11.
Penalties: PU 12 for 24:00, ND 11 for 22:00.