Icy Forecast

It's officially the second half of the month of August.

If you look at the 10-day forecast for Princeton, you'll see that there is not a single 90-degree day in sight. After last week, that's a it refreshing. 

Are there are many 90-degree days left for this summer? Probably.

Still, the highest forecasted temperature in Princeton in the next 10 days is "only" 86. While it's not quite time to break out the sweaters and coats, it might be a sign that there is an autumn out there on the near horizon.

August is a fascinating month. Most people love the summer, but weeks last last week sort of suggest that cooler temperatures will be a welcome thing. Which month do you like better, June (summer just starting) or August (summer blazing down on you for week after week)?

September has a lot going for it. While January 1 is the official start of a New Year, everything seems to begin again in September - a new school year, a football season, the end of vacation season. 

Plus, around here at least, the weather in September and October is the best weather of the year. Of course, the cold and shorter days are looming beyond there, and it'll soon be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then the New Year. 

If you think TigerBlog is getting ahead of himself here a bit, consider that, as amazing as it might seem, you know what is exactly two months from today? How about the return of Princeton hockey to Hobey Baker Rink. 

Hockey? No. Yes.

It's an exhibition game between the Princeton women and a National Women's Hockey League opponent. And while it might be a game that counts in the standings, it's still a game, one that will be followed shortly after that by the real ones. 

In fact, by the end of October, both the Princeton men and women will have played regular season games. Both teams start on the road, with the women at Yale and Brown Oct. 29 and 30 and the men at Army Oct. 30. 

If you want to see the Tigers play in person, fret not. You'll have plenty of chances in the month of November. Between the two teams, there will be 10 home games on the Baker Rink ice in November.

The 2019-20 COVID shutdown didn't come at a good time for either Princeton hockey team. 

The men had just finished taking out Dartmouth in the opening round of the ECAC playoffs. In fact, the Tigers had swept the Big Green, winning both games in overtime. The momentum from that performance in Hanover would have given the team confidence heading into the quarterfinals, which if TB is recalling correctly would have been at Quinnipiac.

As for the women, they had just won their first ECAC tournament championship, knocking off top-ranked Cornell in overtime in the final. Up next was going to be a trip to Northeastern to start the NCAA tournament, and there is nobody who will ever convince TB that Princeton didn't have as good a chance as anyone at taking home the top prize.

Fast forwarding, the women have been represented on the international level by several current players and recent alums. The men, for their part, have seen another Tiger have his name etched on the Stanley Cup, as Jeff Halpern won a second-straight NHL championship as a Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach.

And now, somewhat amazingly, the new season is just around the corner. Both teams released their schedules for the 2021-22 season last week.

For the men, their schedule is HERE. The women's schedule is HERE. Oh, and the women's schedule includes home games against Northeastern, that would-have-been NCAA opponent, for the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.

One change for this season is that there will be ticket sales for women's hockey. You can get ticket information HERE.

There aren't many places where you can have a better hockey experience than at Hobey Baker Rink. 

Last week's schedule release made the 90-degree weather seem a bit cooler. Call it an icy forecast, and it'll be here soon enough.