Clarkson Scores Late to Pull Out 5-2 Win over American International

Ben Sexton scored on the power play for the Knights' game-winning goal against AIC - photo by Chris Lenney

A flurry of three goals over the final 10 minutes lifted the Clarkson University Hockey team to its third straight victory as the Golden Knights defeated American International 5-2 before 2,361 fans at Cheel Arena on Friday night.

Clarkson, which stands at 3-1-1 overall, will host the Yellow Jackets (0-4-0) again on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. contest to close out the non-league weekend series against the Atlantic Hockey foe.

Audio Casey Jones Postgame

After AIC tied the game 2-2 at 8:16 of the third period, Clarkson regrouped and tallied three unanswered goals, including two in a 45-second span, to pull out the win. The Knights’ power play, which has been clicking early in the season, connected again at 11:33 when sophomore Allan McPherson (Kinburn, ONT) scored his second goal of the game 19 seconds into the man-advantage for the game-winner. Freshman Sam Labrecque (Grandby, QUE) and senior Louke Oakley (Whitby, ONT) assisted. Clarkson has scored a power-play goal every game this season and is 8-of-27 (29.6%) through the first five games

Audio McPherson's second Goal

At 12:18, senior Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) and Oakley worked a give-and-go out of the corner with Tremblay finishing off the play with a shot under the crossbar for his second goal of the season.

Audio Tremblay Goal

With 4.1 seconds remaining, senior Corey Tamblyn (Bobcaygeon, ONT) scored into an empty net on a shot along the boards from center ice with senior Jake Morley (Ogdensburg, NY) assisting to seal the win.

Clarkson came out strong to start the game and took a 1-0 first-period lead. Shortly after killing off an AIC power play, the Knights got on the scoreboard with McPherson’s first goal of the season. Tamblyn won a loose puck along the boards and fed a pass to Morley, who put the puck on the stick of McPherson in the slot. McPherson slipped in a shot past AIC’s goaltender at 4:10, just 13 seconds after the Yellow Jackets’ power play ended.

Audio McPherson's first Goal

Working on a delayed penalty, Clarkson made it 2-0 in the middle frame with an extra attacker goal by sophomore Matt Zarbo (Grand Island, NY) at 5:51. Zarbo tallied his first of the year, deflecting in shot from the right circle by senior Julien Cayer (Longueuil, QUE). Junior Andrew Himelson (Monroe, NY) also assisted.

Audio Matt Zarbo Goal

Just 67 seconds into the third period, AIC got on the scoreboard when Jon Puskar knocked in a loose puck at the side of the net to make it a 2-1 game. Mike Penny and Steve Mele assisted. With 16 seconds left in a five-minute major penalty to the Knights, the Yellow Jackets tied the game on Mele’s goal off a quick shot from the bottom of the left circle at 8:16.

Clarkson regained control, scoring twice in a 45 second span to take a 4-2 lead with under eight minutes to play.
AIC held a slight 28-to-27 advantage in shots. Senior Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) posted 26 saves for the Knights. Making his first start of the season, Ryan Kerpan posted 22 stops for the Yellow Jackets.
Both teams were 1-of-4 on the power play.

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