Closing out 2024 in style!
Princeton scored early and defended throughout to extend its winning streak to five games with a 1-0 win at Army West Point.
Arthur Smith made 24 saves to record his second career shutout, making 12 saves in the second period and another 10 in the third to stymie all thoughts of a Black Knight comeback.
Smith has now picked up the win in all five of Princeton's wins during the streak, allowing a total of five goals during the run.
Jake Manfre had the goal for Princeton, tipping home a power-play goal in the first period to net his fourth goal of the season overall and third on the power play.
The victory now matches Princeton's longest winning streak since a five-gamer from January 13 through February 9 during the 2017-18 ECAC Championship season.
Princeton needed a few minutes to settle in to open the game, but found its footing midway through the opening stanza via a power play opportunity which led to an opening Jake Manfre goal 7:47 into the game.
The Tigers cycled well on the man advantage, with David Jacobs ultimately funneling a pass along the wall back to Noah de la Durantaye who then sent a wrist shot towards goal that Manfre got a stick on to direct through JJ Cataldo and in for a 1-0 lead.
Army tilted the ice in their favor in the second period, sending 12 shots on goal but Arthur Smith turned aside the entire dozen and kept the Tigers in front by a 1-0 margin after two periods of play.
The biggest shot of the period wasn't one of the 12 Army landed on goal, though. Instead, it was a shot from Dylan Wegner midway through the period that was originally ruled a goal on the ice before a successful coaches challenge from Ben Syer and the ensuing video replay showed that it merely clanged off the elbow where the crossbar meets the post and rang out.
The Tigers return to Baker Rink to ring in 2025 with a home series against New Hampshire, hosting the Wildcats on January 3 (7 p.m.) and January 4 (4 p.m.) to open a run of playing seven of their next eight games at home.