Princeton in ‘great hands’ with Ben Syer as new coach

Ben Syer has taken the reins of Princeton hockey,

Princeton University men’s hockey is starting over.

Longtime Cornell University assistant coach Ben Syer was tabbed in April as the 18th head coach in Princeton history. He succeeds Ron Fogarty, who guided the Tigers over the past 10 seasons and is now head coach with Asiago in Italy.

Syer, 49, spoke in September as he continued to prepare for his first season at the central New Jersey school and township of the same name.

“I think it’s gone well,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun, nice and sunny every day in Princeton. It’s a great campus, staff and group of guys.”

A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Syer is a graduate of Western Ontario, where he earned an honors degree in urban development. He then began his college coaching career at Ohio University (ACHA) while earning his master’s degree there. A first-time college head coach, he takes over a Princeton club that finished 10-16-4 overall last season, and ninth in ECAC Hockey with an 8-11-3 conference mark.

“He has a proven track record of recruiting and developing student-athletes and positioning them for success on the ice and in the classroom,” said Princeton director of athletics John Mack upon Syer’s hiring. “He has been part of championship teams throughout his entire coaching career, navigating one of the toughest conferences in college hockey year-in, year-out.”

Syer spent the past 12 years as associate head coach at Cornell, following one year there as an assistant coach. He helped the Big Red to an ECAC Hockey tournament championship last year, its first Whitelaw Cup since 2010, while overseeing a defense that allowed a nation-low 1.86 goals per game.

Syer helped Cornell to seven NCAA tournament appearances, seven Ivy League crowns and three ECAC Hockey regular-season titles in his 13 years in Ithaca. He also posted an unofficial 13-6-4 record overall while serving as interim head coach on several occasions for Big Red head coach Mike Schafer, who himself will retire following the 2024-25 campaign.

“To be associated with a program like that, and to be around Coach Schafer and the other guys I worked with, definitely made me a better coach before I got there, that’s for sure,” admitted Syer.

Some of his previous players would agree.

“Benny is easily the most detailed coach I’ve had,” said former Cornell defenseman Sam Malinski, now with the Colorado Avalanche. “There are so many little details that he taught me throughout my four years under his wing that made my transition to professional hockey much easier. The importance of stick detail, gaps and communication are what he focused on the most. He allowed me to use my skill to make plays while also teaching me when to make the simple play.”

“Ben is a phenomenal coach and an even better person. His attention to detail and enthusiastic personality are infectious, and helped establish a winning culture during my time with him at Cornell,” said Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron. “He genuinely cares for his players, staff and community, and I know he’ll continue to positively impact their lives at Princeton, just as he has mine.”

Syer decided the time was right this year to test the waters behind a bench of his own, after he initially was courted by Princeton.

“John Mack and (deputy director of athletics/CFO) Chris Brock reached out to me, and I had the opportunity to come down and visit,” he recalled. “It was a fantastic opportunity to become a head coach in college hockey, and my family and I jumped at the chance.”

Prior to coaching at Cornell, Syer served nine seasons as an assistant at Quinnipiac University, the last two of those as associate head coach. In his time there, he helped the Bobcats in their move from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference/Atlantic Hockey to ECAC Hockey, and from the community-based Northford Ice Pavilion to the modern on-campus M&T Bank Arena. Quinnipiac won a total of 151 games in all in Syer’s time in Hamden, Conn., while also claiming a winning record each season, two conference regular-season titles, and one NCAA tournament berth that was the first in the program’s Division 1 history.

“He is a passionate recruiter, an innovative tactician and a commanding leader inside the locker room,” added Mack. “Under his guidance, I am confident that Princeton’s best days on the ice are ahead of us.”

Six years ago, Syer was honored with the Terry Flanagan Award, which is bestowed annually by the American Hockey Coaches Association upon an assistant coach “in recognition of his superior body of work over a career.” He also has served as a head coach at USA Hockey Select Festivals since 2016.

“Ben’s career of success speaks for itself. He is an outstanding coach, leader and person,” said Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde (Brasher Falls, N.Y.). “He has not only established himself as one of the most respected recruiters in college hockey, he recruits the right young men. Princeton is in great hands with Ben Syer.”

Syer inherited a Princeton squad that lost four of its top 10 scorers from a year ago to graduation or the transfer portal, including leading scorer Adam Robbins (New York, N.Y.). The Tigers still return a trio of key players who attended NHL development camps this offseason, in sophomore goaltender Arthur Smith (Farmington, Conn.), junior forward Brendan Gorman and top-scoring senior defenseman Noah de la Durantaye. The three skated with Philadelphia, San Jose and Detroit, respectively, over the summer.

The Princeton power play hit at almost 29 percent in ECAC Hockey play last season, while the penalty-killing was next to last in the conference at just under 74 percent. The Tigers scored just 89 goals over 30 games.

Syer plans to make the Tigers tough to play against every time they hit the ice, whether it’s at home at venerable Hobey Baker Memorial Rink, or somewhere on the road.

“We want to be a relentless, hard-working group, night in and night out,” he explained. “To be hard to play against is something we can control and want to get accomplished early on.”

He said he and his assistants — Tommy Davis, Shane Talarico, and newcomer Connor Jones — had been learning about this season’s Princeton players, initially on video, while noting the philosophy of forging a team that was difficult to skate against was “still at the forefront in the minds of our staff.”

Syer added that Princeton’s coaching staff had been able to take to the ice with the players a few different times at Baker Rink following the start of the new school year, to see what they have on hand before the season opens with a home exhibition game against Waterloo on Oct. 26. This year’s Tigers roster also includes no less than six newcomers, including freshman forward Jake Manfre (Smithtown, N.Y.) and rookie blueliner Pat Reilly (Avon, N.J.).

“We’re excited about the group returning,” said Syer, “and about the group coming in, too.”

Also assisting Syer in his new position is his remaining in ECAC Hockey for an 18th consecutive campaign, rather than starting over elsewhere.

“It gives you familiarity, with the arenas and teams and recruits coming in, instead of changing leagues, no question,” he admitted.

Princeton last claimed the ECAC Hockey playoff championship in 2018, the last year it also posted a winning record and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Syer plans to start turning things around in his first season in Old Nassau day by day, game by game.

“You go back to expectations and battle level, to compete and focus on a daily basis — Monday, Tuesday, game day,” he related.

“(Having) expectations of the group in place gives an element of consistency, to bring in more wins and success in the short term in practice, and to carry over into the weekends.”