Condon, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound junior goalie from Needham, shares time in goal with sophomore Sean Bonar.

A 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior defenseman from Medfield, Pallis anchors the blue line for the Tigers.

The two were rivals in the Independent School League, with Condon tending goal for Belmont Hill School while Pallis suited up for Noble & Greenough School in Dedham. They went head-to-head four times, with Belmont Hill winning three, according to Condon.

“We’re always chirping at each other, sometimes about our private school days, but in a respectful way,’’ said Condon, who helped Princeton complete a 1-0-1 weekend with 27 saves in a 3-3 tie against ninth-ranked Cornell last Saturday night.

“Against Cornell, I just had to blank out any negative thoughts going into the third period,’’ Condon said, after Princeton (6-10-5 overall, 5-8-2 ECAC) had erased a 3-0 Cornell lead. “As a goalie, you have to think ahead and clean the slate.’’

The day before, the Tigers defeated 12th-ranked Colgate, 6-2.

“Derrick and I are good friends, and we share a lot in common, including the five-hour ride home and back,’’ said Condon, a Globe All-Scholastic and ISL MVP during his stint at Belmont Hill.

“I really value his friendship, and he’s been critical to my success and happiness here, starting with e-mails we shared after I committed to Princeton. Derrick is a cerebral player who moves the puck real well. He has great hands and great vision and has breakaway capability.’’

Pallis, an assistant captain, has a pair of goals, both on the power play, along with eight assists this season, and collegiate career marks of 16 goals and 36 assists in 116 games.

Condon is 2-4-2 with a .915 save percentage and 2.93 goals-against average in nine games.

“I always enjoyed playing at Belmont Hill, they had good crowds and it was a great atmosphere,’’ said Pallis, who skated for the national champion Junior Bruins, based in Marlborough, in 2006.

He was converted from forward to defense as a youngster by South Shore Kings coach Dan Whitney, whose son, Sean, is a senior defenseman at ECAC rival Cornell.

“I chose Princeton for its academics, met the team and coach and everything seemed to click right away,’’ said Pallis, dubbed “DJ Pally B’’ by his teammates because he records music for pregame warmups.

Pallis and Condon, who grew up in Holliston, were named to the ECAC All-Academic team last season.

“Derrick and Mike have elevated their play over the last few games,’’ said Princeton’s coach, Bob Prier, who was an eighth-round pick by the Boston Bruins in 1996. In his first year at Princeton, Prier had previously coached at St. Lawrence.

“Mike has a .946 save percentage over his last four games. He’s very composed and he’s done it through hard work,’’ Prier said. “Derrick is our only senior on the blue line and one of the top defenseman in our league. They’re great representatives of the Princeton community.’’

Derrick’s father, Kevin Pallis, played hockey at Westwood High. He and Derrick’s mother, Julie, are chiropractors who met at school in St. Louis.

“Both our parents sit together at games, and Mom has made every single game this year,’’ said Pallis. “Last weekend was one of the better weekends our team has experienced, although I wish we had beaten Cornell.’’

As the lone players from the Bay State on the Tigers squad, Pallis said, he and Condon absorb their share of barbs from teammates for their loyalty to Boston’s sports teams.

“But we’re really close, all 26 of us,’’ said Pallis, who began skating on the family’s backyard pond as a 2-year-old. “I feel my role starts in the defensive zone, but I try to contribute offensively with the game changing the way it is.’’

Condon had a 6-5-1 record, 2.76 goals-against average, and .902 save percentage entering this season.

His older brother, Zach, played hockey at Holliston and Needham High. His father, Ted, a Massachusetts State Police sergeant, witnessed Condon’s only career shutout last season against visiting Harvard.

“Condo’’ turned aside what was then a career-high 36 shots in the 1-0 blanking of the Crimson on Alumni Night at Hobey Baker Rink.

“It was a special game for me and for my dad, and we celebrated over dinner afterwards,’’ said Condon.

Now the focus is putting together a strong finish under the direction of a new coaching staff.

“It’s tough when you transition coaches,’’ he said, “but since Thanksgiving break, we’ve really bought into the system. Now we have to build on last weekend’s momentum.’’

Marvin Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@rcn.com.