60 Days. 60 Teams. 600 Words (or Less): Princeton

Princeton

2018-19 Record: 10-18-3 (8-12-2, 9th in ECAC)
Head Coach: Ron Fogarty, 6th Year
Top returning scorer: Jackson Cressey (6G-17A)
Top returning goaltender: Ryan Ferland (Jr.)

A few years ago, as Princeton began to turn the corner, head coach Ron Fogarty told me after a win his team hadn't had the ability in recent years to keep luck on their side. The Tigers, who won a combined nine games in Fogarty's first two seasons, at that point had as much success as keeping Hobey Baker Rink warm and toasty in mid-December.

It's a quote that comes to mind after the season Princeton had in 2018-19.

Despite how the Tigers entered with high expectations following a hot second half and ECAC postseason championship, even the most bullish would expect Princeton to finish closer to the top of ECAC than the conference cellar. A pair of high-scoring forwards and a defender with NHL interest all returned. The biggest question mark entering the year - replacing Colton Phinney - was answered.

Instead, the train did not run to Princeton during the season. Hopes of a return NCAA Tournament trip seemed out of reach by mid-December. An early November victory over RPI to advance to 3-1-1 was the final win until late December. Twice Princeton lost in overtime to teams who made the 2019 NCAA Tournament. A third-period comeback against Penn State ended in a tie. Luck was not on the Tigers' side.

What's New: The loss of some familiar faces. The entire line of Ryan Kuffner-Alex Riche-Max Veronneau all graduate with Kuffner (Detroit) and Veronneau (Ottawa) signing NHL contracts. The Tigers also lose Josh Teves, who signed with Vancouver after his senior season.

Being in a new spot without familiar players can be difficult, but no one in Division 1 NCAA men's hockey received more offense from its senior class than Princeton. On a team that averaged 2.68 goals per game, 1.61 of it came from its seniors. Kuffner leaves after scoring 70 goals over the past three seasons. He (4.71) and Veronneau (4.00) were among the nation's top-six players in shots on goal per game.

In more uplifting news, Princeton travels to Belfast, Northern Ireland over Thanksgiving for the Friendship Four.

Closing Thoughts: With apologies to the previous section, the season marks the start of something new in Princeton. That happens, win or lose, when several top players come back for one more bite at the postseason apple. Seven freshmen join the team.
Not surprisingly, five of the seven are forwards (in addition to a defender and goalie).

As disappointing as not making a final NCAA run with the Kuffner/Veronneau/Teves trio has to be, the Tigers do get the dinky train running again to Princeton with 14 players on the roster who were on the 2018 NCAA Tournament team. They know how to keep some luck on their side. At the end of the day, that will be what drives this year's results.

Whether it's Ryan Ferland bouncing back from a bit of a sophomore slump or Jackson Cressey getting closer to the 13G-25A he had in 2017-18, there are openings to step up throughout the Tigers lineup. No one returns with an average of 2 SOG per game.

Fortunately, the only loss on the blue line is Teves, which helps some with a season that unluckily begins at St. Cloud State and Harvard.

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