GOAL-ORIENTED: Princeton University men’s hockey player Kai Daniells (No. 7) goes after the puck in recent action. Junior forward Daniells came up big as the Tigers topped St. Lawrence 7-4 last Friday and then edged Clarkson 4-3 a day later. Daniells scored five goals in the win over St. Lawrence, matching the program’s single game record. He chipped in a goal and an assist in the victory over the Golden Knights. He was later named the ECAC Hockey Forward of the Week. The Tigers, now 5-2 overall and 2-2 ECACH, play a two-game set at Bowling Green on November 28 and 29. On Friday night, junior forward Daniells exploded for five goals to tie a program single-game record set by John Cook in 1962 to help Princeton pull away to a 7-4 win over visiting St. Lawrence. A night later, Daniells had the Hobey Baker Rink fans cheering again, tallying one goal and one assist as the Tigers overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Clarkson 4-3, improving to 5-2 overall and 2-2 ECAC Hockey. As Daniells hit the ice on Saturday, he was fired up to build on his record-setting performance. “I had a lot of excitement, a lot of confidence,” said Daniells, a 6’1, 185-pound native of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. But it was Clarkson that played with confidence as it jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. “It was definitely a slow start; Clarkson played good, they smothered us for the first 40 minutes,” said Daniells. With the Tigers trailing 2-1 heading into the third period, Daniells and his teammates were confident they could turn the tables on the Golden Knights. “We knew that was the best they had,” said Daniells. “Talking with my line in the intermission, we said if we stick to our game, we are too good to not break through. That is what we did ultimately and we were able to get the job done.” Daniells played a key role in helping the Tigers get the job done as he assisted in a goal by Kevin Anderson that knotted the game at 2-2 and then scored Princeton’s fourth goal which turned out to be the game winner. On his assist, Daniells stayed patient to set up Anderson. “It was part of our game plan to have the center low, I was in that spot and I got a nice little feed from Wanger (Brendan Wang) through the middle,” said Daniells. “The middle opened up so I found a nice spot there. My linemates were changing, I had a burst of energy there at the end of my shift and I chipped it in. I went to finish my hit and then next thing I knew the puck was there and I saw Kevin coming in late so I was able to hit him there. It was a great finish by him.” As for his goal, Daniells fought off a hit in the crease area to find the back of the net. “It was just a low battle we had been playing low all night,” said Daniells, who was later named the ECAC Hockey Forward of the Week. “I remember getting crunched on my shoulder and I was hoping I was OK. I snapped out of it and they kind of gave me a lane. I took it to the far side and I saw some daylight on the right side there so I was able to put it in.” The win over Clarkson marked the second straight night that the Tigers finished strong as they outscored St. Lawrence 4-1 in the third period on Friday and then had a 3-1 final 20 minutes on Saturday. “It is just sticking to our structure; we know that when we play our game, we are just as good as anyone in this conference,” said Daniells. “We have confidence in each other, we were building momentum the whole game. This is just a testament to our group.” Having overcome a shoulder injury that limited him to 17 games last winter, Daniells is gaining more and more confidence as the season goes on. “It was a long road for sure with a lot of uncertainty,” said Daniells, reflecting on his recovery. “I feel good. I was definitely a little scared on that one in the third but I was able to be fine. Stuff like that is a good confidence builder to know that you are alright and that I am able to play a much more physical game with or without the puck. I can lean on guys to protect it and to incorporate that into my game much more this year which is a great sign because that is the way I need to play. My shoulder is feeling a lot better. I am really happy.” Princeton head coach Ben Syer was happy with the physicality and savvy displayed by Daniells against Clarkson. “Everybody is going to talk about Kai Daniells and the goals that he scored and that’s great but he made two unbelievable plays,” said Syer. “He delayed the puck down in the offensive zone and let his linemates change and then go to work. That is why he got the hard hat tonight. It was not because he scored goals but doing that stuff that leads to momentum. We get a change, we get fresh bodies and we go to work.” The offensive production from Daniells this weekend certainly gave the Tigers momentum. “He has skill; he knows that, we know that,” said Syer. “When he plays hard, he is a different player. He earned those goals this weekend. He didn’t cheat the game. He played it the right way and set the tone for our entire group in the right way. Being healthy, that is certainly part of it. It is also a will and a determination too.” Princeton showed determination collectively against Clarkson with its third period outburst. “I am proud of them, they competed and didn’t quit,” said Syer. “They fought it for whatever it was for five, seven minutes in the first period. They stayed with it. They did it together and they bonded. They celebrated blocked shots. They celebrated good plays.” Syer is proud of the grit his players have displayed in producing their 5-2 start. “I am happy that the guys fought this weekend,” said Syer, whose team plays a two-game set at Bowling Green (5-4-3) on November 28 and 29. “We didn’t play as well as we needed to on the road, it was frustrating. We put ourselves behind the eight-ball. We came back and fought in league play. I am not looking at any type of record, I am just looking at the fact that we are grinding every game. Our league is hard and points are at a premium so to be able to get a few this weekend was nice.” Daniells, for his part, is looking forward to the weekend in Ohio. “It is going to be a crazy trip for us but we are excited,” said Daniells. “I have a couple of buddies on that team from back home so that will be exciting. We have some school time off, so we are excited to get out there and get on the road and play some hockey.”.
https://www.towntopics.com/2025/11/26/junior-star-daniells-explodes-for-6-goal-weekend-as-pu-mens-hockey-sweeps-st-lawrence-clarkson/