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ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (2-3-0) dropped a close contest, 2-1 to visiting Princeton (1-0-0) in a battle of the Tigers as part of RIT's Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend in front of 1,350 fans at Ritter Arena on Friday evening.

With the game tied a 1-1 in the third, Sally Butler put home a rebound on a power-play with 6:56 left to give Princeton the lead. RIT pressured hard over the final two minutes and had a handful of great chances, but could not get the equalizer. #Tenecia Hiller (Brampton, Ontario/Brampton Thunder)# had two glorious chances in front with just under a minute left, but could not get clean shots off.

Butler scored a goal and an assist for Princeton and was named the game's third star. Gabie Figueroa also scored for the Tigers. In net, Kimberly Newell was brilliant, stopping 33-of-34 shots and was named the game's first star.

#Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy)# scored RIT's lone goal, midway through the second period. RIT goaltender #Laura Chamberlain (Norco, CA/LA Selects)# was strong in net, stopping 32-of-34 shots to be named the contest's second star.

Both teams fired 34 shots on net. The difference was special teams, as Princeton was 2-for-4 with the man-advantage, while RIT was 0-for-3.

RIT Assistant Coach Shivaun Siegl was happy with how the Tigers played, despite the loss.

“I was really impressed with our effort this evening,” said Siegl. “The girls played really well and we are hoping to build off tonight's effort for tomorrow's game against Yale at Blue Cross Arena.”

Princeton scored the lone goal in a evenly played first period, with each team firing 11 shots on goal.

Princeton got off to a fast start, firing six of the game's first seven shots, but Chamberlain made a few big saves early on to keep the game scoreless.

Figueroa scored the lone goal of the period at the 11:24 mark, as she took a feed from Sally Butler after a turnover in the RIT zone on the power-play and ripped a shot from point-blank range past Chamberlain. A Tiger defender was hooked and went down at the right half-wall, with the puck going to Brianna Leahy, who tipped a pass to Butler. That created a 2-on-1 down low with Butler making a perfect feed to Figueroa.

RIT dominated the final five minutes of period, but could not get on the board. Newell made her best save in the period with about two minutes left as she slid across the crease to rob Hiller from point blank range. She then made a great save on #Erin Zach (Elmira, Ontario/Cambridge Fury)# in the final minute.

RIT came out and played a strong second period, out-shooting Princeton, 16-8, while scoring the only goal of the period.

In the opening minute of the frame, Newell robbed Zach from the doorstep, as #Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning)# put a perfect pass in front from behind the net.

The Tigers got on the board at the 9:20 mark, as hard work from Brown, Zach, and #Katie Hubert (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas)# paid off, as Brown tapped in a loose puck in tight after the original shot from Zach was stopped by Newell. Hubert fed the puck in front from behind the net to Zach. The line kept coming until Brown slid the puck just over the goal line from the side of the net.

Butler scored the decisive goal for Princeton on the power-play, as a shot by Denna Laing was stopped by Chamberlain. The rebound came to the front, where Brianna Leahy got a piece of the puck before Butler jammed it in from in close past a diving Chamberlain for the goal.

RIT is 2-7-2 all-time against Princeton The Tigers last played Princeton in 1993-94 and last defeated them in 1988-89.

The Tigers are right back in action on Saturday, as they host Yale at Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester. The puck drops at 2:30 p.m.