With the 2020-21 season still months out, it’s time to take a look at teams from all over the State of Hockey and examine what happened this past season and what’s ahead. The next team we’re breaking down is Princeton.
How last season went
It would have been easy for the Tigers to be discouraged after four games. They were 0-4. But that didn’t stop Princeton from making a nice run the rest of the season. The Tigers went on a 12-7-1 run and put themselves in the conversation for the Mississippi 8 Conference title.
Princeton eventually finished third in the conference race while picking up wins against the likes of Pine City, Breck and North Branch. One of the wildest wins came as the Tigers defeated St. Francis in overtime, 8-7.
In a wild Section 5A, Princeton was the No. 5 seed. After a 15-1 win against Moose Lake in the play-in round, the Tigers pulled off the 5-2 upset against St. Francis in the quarterfinals before succumbing to Monticello in the semifinals with a 5-1 loss.
Who’s back and who’s gone
Dylan Cook posted some eye-popping numbers for Princeton and is set to return. His 27 goals and 50 assists is an impressive stat. That included 10 points against Cambridge-Isanti.
Meanwhile, Jack Southard Jack Southard Forward Princeton | 2020 State MN (38 goals, 32 assists) and Tyler Danielson (13G, 11A) both graduated, which means there will be some holes to fill next season.
Players likely to fill that void include the likes of Cade Pazdemik (15G, 13A). Devon Day will also be an expected returner to improve as he posted a .908 save percentage in five appearances.
Day’s netminding counterpart, Hunter Bunan, graduated after 23 appearances where he posted a .906 save percentage.
What to expect next season
Last season, the Tigers relied on a powerful offense. They seem to have the returning talent to replicate that style of play. The question is whether that can lead to an improvement for Princeton.