Facing third-seeded WW/P-S in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals last Wednesday, it looked like sixth-seeded Princeton High boys’ hockey team might not be around long in the tourney.
Getting off to a sluggish start, PHS trailed 3-1 after the first period as the Pirates seemed to be quicker to the puck.
In between periods, the Little Tigers decided to be more aggressive. “After the first period we came together and convened and talked about our plan,” said sophomore forward Brendon McCormick. “We were going to go out and attack and we just executed.”
McCormick took matters into his own hands, scoring two goals in the period as PHS pulled into a 3-3 tie heading into the final period.
“It was to get the puck deep, get a lot of shots, crash the net, and try to get on the goalie because he was playing well,” said McCormick.
Neither team scored in the third period and the game was deadlocked at 3-3 heading into overtime. With both teams getting power play chances in the extra session, PHS cashed in on a goal by senior John Reid with 3:44 left in OT to earn a 4-3 win and book a spot in the semis against second-seeded Notre Dame on February 18.
“We got lucky going into OT, we started on a power play to get up our momentum,” said McCormick, reflecting on the win which improved PHS to 10-8-2.
“That was a big key because that started the ball rolling. We got a little frustrated. They got a scary one there, hitting the post. We just pulled together. John had a great play.”
With the Little Tigers needing to lift their record to .500 to earn a berth in the upcoming state public tournament, the team has thrived with its back to the wall.
“The past few weeks we have been battling,” said McCormick. “It has been like a playoff atmosphere around our team so we were prepared for this game. Going into OT, we were ready with the great mindset. It is a sense of urgency. Coach has been telling us we have got to win this one, and then the next one. We just go out there and win it because we need to.”
McCormick has shown urgency in the MCT, tallying seven points on five goals and two assists as PHS topped Nottingham 10-0 in an opening round contest the day before his big effort against WW/P-S.
“I feel like I am playing better,” said McCormick. “I had a slower start to the season, now I am playing with John on a line and he is really helping me out. We are helping each other out.”
PHS head coach Terence Miller appreciated the work he got from McCormick in the win over WW/P-S.
“Brendon just never seems to get tired; his heart and his legs never stop,” said Miller. “We really had to lean on him at the end, killing off those penalties and on the power play. He was huge, his engine just never seems to stop.”
The Little Tigers displayed huge resolve in rallying for the win over the Pirates.
“I think we have shown some resiliency here, especially falling down early 3-1,” said Miller.
“We have fallen behind a few times this year and we have battled back so that speaks to the character of the group, especially our senior leaders, John (Reid) and Connor (McCormick). When it got to 3-1, we knew we had to get the next one and not let the game get out of hand. Our guys showed a lot of heart, battling back.”
Miller acknowledged that the heart-stopping overtime jangled his nerves. “Sawyer (Peck) came up with some big saves for us, they had a shorthanded breakaway,” said Miller.
“We were dead even in shots. They are a well coached team, they play hard and this game clearly could have gone either way. By that overtime period it was just hold your breath and hope you can get the next one.”
In Miller’s view, it was fitting that senior co-captain Reid notched the winning tally.
“John Reid was buzzing, he is a guy we bump back to defense when we need him there, he is on the penalty kill, he is on the power play,” said Miller.
“I was happy for him to get that game winner. He has had to carry us all year, through a lot of ups and downs. He was due, I am glad he got it.”
Looking ahead to the MCT semis, Miller is confident his squad can keep up its resilient play.
“Hopefully this can catapult us into the semifinal,” said Miller. “We know we are going to get another tough test there with one more shot to get back into the final. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into the next one.”
McCormick, for his part, believes the Little Tigers are going to be tough to knock out.
“I think we can put a good run together,” said Reid. “We have been working hard. We want to keep going as long as we can go for the seniors and keep their season alive for the last time.”