FAIRFIELD, Conn. (December 8, 2023) – "That certainly was not the response we were looking at as a group tonight, coming off Saturday's game at AIC."
 
Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey head coach C.J. Marottolo summed things up rather succinctly on Friday night. The Pios had 12 shots through two periods, and just 21 for the game, as they dropped a 4-0 decision to visiting ECAC member Princeton.
 
In front of a crowd north of 3600 at Martire Family Arena, SHU (8-7-0) could muster just five shots in the first period, against 10 for Princeton. The Pios did hold the opposition to just one in the frame though, as the Tigers struck at the 10:29 mark. Noa de la Durantaye took a shot from the left point, which was deflected en route by Brendan Gorman, who picked up his third of the season.
 
Princeton (5-5-1) posted a 13-7 edge in shots in the second period and nabbed the only goal of that frame as well, at 16:44. Off a draw in the left-wing circle, Adam Robbins won the puck to Gorman, coming off the half wall. Gorman's first shot hit his own man, Ian Murphy, but the puck came right back to Gorman's stick. He buried the second chance from between the hash marks for his second of the night.
 
"Basically, that game came down to net fronts; they got to our net front, and we could not get to theirs," continued Marottolo. "They did a terrific job at keeping us to the outside; we will have to watch the tape and watch how we can get inside. We did not have much going for us on offense tonight."
 
SHU came up empty on a pair of second-period power-play chances, which did not help the cause. In fact, the Pios generated just three shots on the man-advantage all night, despite five opportunities.
 
Princeton found the dagger early in the third period, with another deflection goal, at 3:13. Mike Kennedy had the initial shot this time, from the right point, and Robbins tipped it home for his fourth of the campaign. The Tigers added an empty-net goal at 17:00, as Jack Cronin picked off a pass at his own blue line and sent it the other way into the gaping net.
 
Chase Clark (Williamsville, N.Y.) made 21 saves against 23 shots and suffered the loss (8-7-0) before departing after the second period. Cullen DeYoung (Canton, Mich.) stopped six of seven while making his collegiate debut in the third period.
 
Arthur Smith (4-2-0) turned aside all 21 shots on his goal to post his first career shutout, as SHU was outshot, 31-21.
 
The two teams wrap up the weekend series, and the first half of their respective seasons, on Saturday at Princeton. Puck drop is 7 p.m. at Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton, N.J.