Princeton Day boys hockey defeats Seton Hall Prep in Non-Public 1st round

Ringblom's hat trick leads No. 9 Princeton Day over No. 8 Seton Hall

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Less than a week after dropping their regular season finale to the Pirates, No. 9 seed Princeton Day boys hockey defeated No. 8 seed Seton Hall Prep 5-2 in Tuesday's Non-Public first round matchup. Fred Ringblom scored a hat trick for the Panthers, who will next play at No. 1 seed Delbarton in Thursday's quarterfinals.

Why it matters

This playoff win for Princeton Day marks a strong rebound after their regular season finale loss to Seton Hall Prep, setting up an intriguing quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Delbarton as the state tournament continues.

The details

Princeton Day led 1-0 after the first period on a goal from James Winkler. The second period saw a flurry of scoring, with Ringblom netting two goals for the Panthers and Dylan Mesler and Connor Jewell scoring for Seton Hall Prep to make it 3-2 Princeton Day after two. The Panthers then added an insurance goal from EJ Wiston late in the third period before Ringblom completed his hat trick with an empty-netter.

  • Princeton Day defeated Seton Hall Prep 5-2 on Tuesday, February 25, 2026.
  • The game was the first round of the Non-Public state tournament.

The players

Fred Ringblom

A player for Princeton Day who scored a hat trick in the team's 5-2 win over Seton Hall Prep.

James Winkler

A player for Princeton Day who scored the team's first goal in their 5-2 win over Seton Hall Prep.

Dylan Mesler

A player for Seton Hall Prep who scored one of the team's two goals in their 5-2 loss to Princeton Day.

Connor Jewell

A player for Seton Hall Prep who scored one of the team's two goals in their 5-2 loss to Princeton Day.

EJ Wiston

A player for Princeton Day who scored an insurance goal late in the third period of their 5-2 win over Seton Hall Prep.

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What they’re saying

“Ice is normally the last thing we would want think about after this weekend's storm, but the exception is for some state playoff hockey action!”

— Ryan Sudol, Author (jerseysportszone.com)

What’s next

Princeton Day (5-15) will next play at No. 1 seed Delbarton in Thursday's Non-Public quarterfinals.

The takeaway

This playoff win for Princeton Day sets up an intriguing quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Delbarton, as the state tournament continues. The Panthers will look to build on their strong performance against Seton Hall Prep and pull off an upset against the tournament's top seed.