PRINCETON, N.J. - With the game tied at 3-3 in the third period, senior alternate captain Nikolai Jenson (Cold Spring, Minn.) scored the game winner for the Wildcats as the No. 20 University of New Hampshire men's hockey team defeated Princeton, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at Hobey Baker Rink in the final non-conference game of the regular season for UNH. The Wildcats swept the two-game series versus the Tigers which included a 3-0 win on Friday.
UNH concluded its non-conference schedule with an 8-1-1 record, including a 4-1-1 mark against the ECAC.
Senior defenseman Jack Babbage (Tully, N.Y.) sophomore forward Jason Siedem (Madison, N.J.) and sophomore forward Ryan Conmy (Alexandria, Va.) also each scored for the Wildcats. Junior forward Morgan Winters (Osprey, Fla.) and senior captain Alex Gagne (Bedford, N.H.) each had a multi-point game with two assists.
Junior goalie Jared Whale (Calgary, Alberta) made 12 saves to earn the win.
The Wildcats, who have won three straight and are 6-0-1 over their last seven games, improve to 10-4-3, while the Tigers fall to 6-6-1.
UP NEXT:
- Next up for the Wildcats will be a home-and-home series versus UConn on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11 on ESPN+. The game on Friday is at the Whitt at 7 p.m. with a UNH men's hockey calendar giveaway for the first 500 fans and hot dogs will be just $1 with a maximum of five per order, while the contest on Saturday is at Toscano Family Ice Forum at 4 p.m.
- Tickets can be purchased at UNHWildcats.com/BuyTickets or by calling the ticket office at (603) 862-4000. Don't miss the most exciting family entertainment in New Hampshire.
Score: #20 New Hampshire 4, Princeton 3
Records: UNH (10-4-3, 2-3-2 Hockey East); Princeton (6-6-1, 3-4-1 ECAC)
Location: Princeton, N.J. (Hobey Baker Rink)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead at 4:45 of the first period when Babbage scored his first goal of the season when his shot from the blue line was deflected by a Tiger defender to the back of the net. Senior defenseman Luke Reid (Warman, Saskatchewan) and sophomore forward Marty Lavins (Riga, Latvia) each posted an assist.
- At 9:28, UNH increased the lead to 2-0 as Siedem scored from right outside the crease off a pass by sophomore forward Nick Ring (Hingham, Mass.). The goal was the third of the season for Siedem. Winters also tallied an assist.
- Then at 17:24, Conmy extended his point streak to 11 games with his 10th goal of the season to make it a 3-0 contest. He sent a shot from the right faceoff circle glove side. Junior forward Cy LeClerc (Brentwood, N.H.) and Gagne each recorded an assist on the goal.
- The Tigers responded with three straight goals during the second period to tie the game at 3-3 as Brendan Gorman (:45), Tyler Rubin (5:40) and David Jacobs (9:58) each found the back of the net.
- But at 8:34 of the third period, Jenson gave the 'Cats a 4-3 advantage when he sent a shot from the right faceoff circle glove side for his second goal of the year. Gagne and Winters each posted an assist.
- The Tigers went with an empty net with 1:15 remaining in the third period, but were unable to score the equalizer for the 4-3 final.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- UNH outshot Princeton, 30-15.
- Each team went 0-1 on the power play.
- Whale tallied 12 saves to improve to 10-4-3, while Ethan Pearson posted 26 saves for the Tigers and is now 1-4-1.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- The Wildcats are now 17-2-0 all-time versus the Tigers and have won 10 straight in the series.
- The last time the Wildcats went seven games without a loss was Feb. 14-Mar. 7, 2015 when UNH was 7-0-0.
- UNH has scored 33 goals over the last seven games outscoring the opposition 33-15.
- Conmy extended his point streak to 11 games with six goals and eight assists for 14 points, while he has at least one point in 15 of the 16 games he has played in this season with 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points.
- LeClerc moved his point streak to five games. He has one goal and eight assists for nine points during the streak.
- For the second straight game Winters posted two assists and now has seven career multi-point games.
- Gagne recorded his sixth multi-point game
- Reid is currently on a four-game point streak with four assists for four points.
- The game winner by Jenson was his second this season.
- Lavins is now on a three-game point streak with a goal and two assists for three points, while Jenson also has a point in three straight with two goals and one assist for three points.
