Mark Zalewski

No. 18 Princeton Manages MIT 11-9 in Eastern Championship First Round

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. --  Douglas Wigley (Sr., Portola Valley, Calif./Sacred Heart) recorded a hat-trick to lead No. 18-nationally ranked Princeton University to an 11-9 victory over the host Engineers of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The victory advances the Tigers to a 6:00 p.m. meeting on Saturday, November 21 against Bucknell University in the tournament semifinals.

Princeton, which never trailed in the game, used three goals in both the first and second periods to open up a 6-4 lead by halftime.  However, MIT tied the game midway through the third period as Devin Lewis (Sr., San Francisco, Calif./California) and John Preis (Jr., Los Angeles, Calif./Phillips Exeter) registered goals at 7:13 and 3:55 to even the score at 4-4.

The tie lasted for two and a half minutes as Eric Vreeland (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) converted on a man-up chance at the 1:13 mark to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead entering the fourth period.

Princeton iced the game in the first four minutes of the final period as Mark Zalewski (Sr., St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) put home a shot at 6:36 before Wigley chipped in back-to-back scores at 4:56 and 4:18 to make it a four goal lead at 10-6. 

MIT moved to within three goals as Mark Artz (Sr., Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) netted a goal, but Chris Cottrell (So., Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar) countered at 2:27 to make it 11-7 with 2:27 to play.

The Engineers rounded out the scoring with consecutive scores as Lewis added a natural goal at 2:08 and Preis contributed a man-up goal with 52 seconds to play for the 11-7 final.

In cage, Mike Merlone (Jr., Atherton, Calif./The Menlo School) blocked down eight shots for Princeton, while Columbus Leonard (So., San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius) registered 10 saves for the Engineers.

MIT will continue the tournament at 3:00 p.m. on November 20 against Brown University with a berth in the fifth place game on the line.

MIT Goals: John Preis (5); Devin Lewis (2); Brian Gardiner; Mark Artz

Princeton Goals: Douglas Wigley (3); Eric Vreeland (2); Mark Zalewski (2); Jack Ruth; Mike Helou; David de L'Arbre; Chris Cottrell

Saves: MIT - Columbus Leonard (10) ; Princeton - Mike Merlone (8)

Exclusions: MIT - 8 ; Princeton - 3

Advantage Opportunities: MIT - 3-for-3 ; Princeton - 3-for-8

Sprints: MIT - 3-for-4 ; Princeton - 1-for-4