Scrappy Apps backs up 'D'

So many faceoffs occur in any given men's hockey game that only in rare late-game situations does a single one affect the outcome of the game.

But any hockey coach will tell you that over the course of a game, the team that dominates the faceoff circle will usually dominate the game.

Often, the difference between a win and a loss can be the outcome of that night's play in the circle.

And when the game pivots on the referee's drop or the team just needs to come up with the puck in its own end, Princeton head coach Don Cahoon sends junior center Syl Apps into the circle to do battle for Princeton.

While many centers and forwards will face off during the course of a contest, the Unionville, Ontario, native has emerged as the Tigers' top faceoff specialist. He takes virtually all the faceoffs in the Princeton defensive zone and the most crucial drops elsewhere. Indeed, Apps' ability in the circle often serves as a momentum swing in favor of the Tigers.

Taking charge

"He wins it probably 80 percent of the time," junior center Brian Horst said. "It takes a big weight off of (the team's) shoulders. He makes it so much easier to be in control of the game."

"In winning faceoffs, more important than us gaining possession of the puck is not letting the other team get possession," Cahoon said. "Faceoffs are a vital part of the game."

After Princeton's first 3-2 loss to Eastern College Athletic Conference-leading Yale on Dec. 6, Cahoon cited Apps' gutsy work in the circle as one of the reasons the Tigers were able to remain in the game and take a late stab at the Bulldogs' lead in the third period.

With the possible exception of a clean breakaway, the faceoff exists as the only situation in which the game becomes a one-on-one contest. Apps thrives on this unique facet.

"The referee drops the puck, and it's you and the other centerman," Apps said. "I kind of like that. It's a little game within the game because you're going to be facing (the other team's best center) a lot of times during the game. I like taking faceoffs. I enjoy the pressure of it."

Facing off is not simply a natural ability for Apps, though he grew up playing hockey in Ontario, learning the tricks from a professional center - his father.

In the Apps family, hockey is not just a game, it's a birthright. Apps' father, Sylvanus Apps, played professionally in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings before retiring in 1980. From the previous generation, Sylvanus Apps, Sr., is a member of the NHL Hall of Fame as a player and was recently named to the NHL's 50 greatest players list.

"He has one of the richest legacies in Canadian hockey," Cahoon said. "His father has had a great influence on Syl. His father has gotten him to look at the finer points of the game."

Included among those finer points are many skills other than simply taking faceoffs.

The youngest Apps has made his presence felt on the ice that lies outside of the faceoff circle as well. Since his arrival at Princeton, Apps has established himself as one of the preeminent defensive forwards in the league.

He was nominated for the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year award in each of his first two seasons, and last year he was a finalist for the ECAC best defensive forward award.

"I definitely have a responsibility to take care of my own end," Apps said.

Easy choice

It is Apps' physical presence behind the Tigers' blue line that has made him a fixture on the ice for Princeton. Yet his small size initially enabled him to consider a college career.

At 16, Canadian hockey players must decide whether to turn pro and enter the minor league system or wait and try to be recruited by an American university.

The choice was simple for Apps, who stood as tall as 5-foot-6 and weighed 160 pounds.

He continued to play for his high school, Upper Canada College.

In order to compensate for his diminutive stature, he had to increase his physical strength and thickness.

Apps then grew into a hefty six-foot frame and attracted the notice of Cahoon, among other college coaches.

"He is real physical on the ice," Horst said. "He can get on defensemen and hold them off (the puck). Most people don't notice that he is a pretty good forechecker."

Cahoon and the rest of the Tigers will need Apps to continue his solid play at both ends of the ice as the team enters the NCAA regionals.

And if there comes a crucial faceoff late in a game on which the season rests, everyone knows the Tiger who will be in that circle: Syl Apps.

03-24-98