PRINCETON, N.J. — The nation's No. 1-ranked team visits Northwell Health Ice Center on Saturday night to face the LIU men's hockey team.

And the Sharks had a tune-up against another top-tier ECAC Hockey team on Friday, falling to host Princeton, 5-2, at 100-year-old Hobey Baker Rink.

LIU goaltender Vinnie Purpura turned away a second-period penalty shot from Mackenzie Merriman. Chris Pappas soon thereafter at the other end finished the ricochet of a shot off the back boards to cut the Sharks' deficit to one goal.

But Liam Gorman answered for the Tigers with 5.1 seconds remaining in the second period to restore Princeton's two-goal lead. Gorman added a shorthanded goal early in the third period.

TICKETS FOR SATURDAY'S 7 P.M. GAME AGAINST NO. 1 QUINNIPIAC AVAILABLE HERE

Still, LIU continued to push. Noah Kane's goal with 14:23 remaining in regulation pulled LIU within 4-2. The Sharks then enjoyed nearly two full minutes of 5-on-3 advantage, but could not claw within a goal.

The game had a high degree of chippiness, particularly in the first period.

Patriks Marcinkevics was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct late in the first period, although LIU ended up with a 4-on-3 advantage midway through that major due to a pair of Princeton minor penalties.

LIU now turns its attention to No. 1 Quinnipiac, which visits the Sharks on Saturday at 7 p.m. in East Meadow.

It will mark the LIU program's first-ever meeting with a top-ranked opponent.

The teams played to a 2-2 tie on Oct. 9 in Hamden, Conn., when Quinnipiac was ranked seventh in the nation.