Backman, Arcobello Tally Twice in 6-3 Win
Feb. 3, 2007
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Sean Backman and Mark Arcobello each had two goals and Matt Modelski stopped 32 of 35 shots as the Yale men's hockey team defeated Princeton 6-3 before 3,125 at Ingalls Rink.
The Bulldogs, who had a season-high offensive output, scored the first four goals of the game and never looked back until Princeton (9-11-3, 6-8-2), which outshot Yale 35-34, started pulling its goalie at times throughout the final frame trying to climb back.
Backman finished with three points and nearly had his second hat trick of the weekend but his open-net try in the final seconds sailed off the post.
Modelski, who stopped 20 of 23 shots in the third period, won his first start since Nov. 22, 2005, a win over Mercyhurst by the same score at Ingalls Rink. He got help from a Yale power play that converted a season-high three goals and a defense that smothered (12 shots) Tiger shooters for the first two periods.
"It's been so long it felt like freshman year all over again," said Modelski about his first start of the year. "I was really excited and the guys were really excited for me. They did a great jump in front of me. It was a real team effort."
Yale (9-11-3, 6-9-1 ECACHL) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period while putting just seven shots on target. Sean Backman notched his fourth goal in two nights be cashing in on a 5-on-3. Blair Yaworski passed the puck to up the boards to Matt Cohen who saw Backman open low in the right circle. The Yale captain hit Backman with a perfect feed and the freshman winger banged it inside the near post at 16:53.
Less than two minutes later Will Engasser re-directed a Tom Dignard shot from the point that caught B.J. Sklapsky (28 saves) by surprise to make it 2-0 at 18:31. Yaworski won the draw and moved it to Matt Nelson, who kicked it over to Dignard. The freshman blueliner quickly threw it toward the net. Engasser was camped in the low slot and got his stick on the shot enough to change the angle into the back of the net for his sixth tally of the year.
The Bulldogs made it 3-0 early in the second by converting another power play. This time it was Brad Mills one-timing a perfect feed from Chris Cahill for his first goal of the season. Cahill made the pass from behind the net and hit Mills in the right circle near the dot.
Mark Arcobello (8th goal) got into the scoring act to make it 4-0 at 15:03 of the middle frame. Matt Nelson gathered in a loose puck at the Yale blueline and quickly led Arcobello heading into the Princeton end. The freshman forward entered the right circle before firing inside the near post.
The Tigers, taking a risky chance on grabbing their first goal, pulled Skalpsky with a man-advantage to make it a 5-on-3 early in the third. The gamble paid off as blueliner Max Cousins (3rd) blasted a low shot from the point at 5:59 to make it 4-1.
Princeton head coach Guy Gadowsky continued to find times to pull his goalie (Sklapsky was on the bench for five minutes) in hopes of pulling closer but it eventually backfired. Backman (16th) stole the puck at mid ice and raced the distance to deposit it in the back of the net at 10:37 for a 5-1 advantage.
"We rebounded well tonight [from loss to Quinnipiac on Friday] knowing this game was so important. We won a lot of the little races to the puck, won the battles and played well on the power play," said Backman, who had a five-goal weekend. "It was great to see Modo [Modelski] come off the bench like that. We are all happy for him."
The Elis continued to pour it on as Arcobello (9th) converted a pretty feed from Backman to up the lead to five at 12:14. Backman was in the opposite corner and saw his linemate streaking toward the net and put the puck in the perfect spot.
Less than a minute later, Mills was taken down as he broke free with the puck heading for the goal and the Bulldogs were given a penalty shot. However, Sklapsky came out and poked the puck away from the Bulldog forward before he could make his move.
The visitors made it 6-3 with a pair of power-play goals. Darroll Powe banged in his own rebound on the power play and then Lee Jubinville's put back 43 seconds later brought the Tigers to within three. All three of the Princeton goals in the third came with an extra skater, and Modelski was as busy as any Yale goalie all season.
"I had been wanting to get him in for a while and this was a good opportunity," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Hockey. "I thought he would respond. You could tell he was focused and he really helped his cause by not allowing many second chances."
Yale, which jumped from 11th to a ninth-place tie with Brown in the ECACHL and is four points from fourth place, travels to first-place St. Lawrence and third-place Clarkson next weekend.
Report filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director
Video Highlights:
- Modelski makes a nice save during a Princeton power play
- Backman makes it 1-0 off the nice pass from Cohen
- Boucher checks a Tiger
- Engasser deflects in a goal off the Dignard shot to make it 2-0
- Mills scores off the one-timer with the feed coming from Cahill
- A glove save by Modelski
- Arcobello makes it 4-0 in the second period
- Modelski makes a key save in the third period
- Backman makes it 5-1 with his second of the game and fifth of the weekend
- Off the pass from Backman, Arcobello scores just minutes later during a power play to make it 6-1
- Allain on the difference in the team from yesterday's loss at Quinnipiac
- Allain on Princeton's resurgence in the 3rd period
- Allain on his team's several scoring opportunities on the night
- Allain on the play of Modelski, who got the start in goal
- Allain on Mills, who scored his first goal of the season
