The Clarkson University Hockey team's bid to generate some momentum for the second half of the season was put in reverse by St. Lawrence University on Saturday night as the Saints defeated the Golden Knights 7-2 before the eighth-largest crowd ever at Cheel Arena (3,755).
Clarkson, which dropped its second consecutive game, falls to 6-14-2 overall and to 2-7-1 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League (ECACHL).
St. Lawrence, benefiting from three power plays in the first period dominated the opening 20 minutes and grabbed a 3-0 lead. Stace Page started the Saints’ run when he picked up a loose puck in the Saints end and skated in on a 2-on-1 where he choose to keep the puck and fired in a shot from the right circle for his eighth goal of the season at 7:12. Mike Madill connected for a power-play marker at 10:54. With just 49 seconds remaining in the first, Kyle Rank tallied on a quick shot in front for his third goal of the season.
Clarkson got on the scoreboard at 5:24 of the second when senior Chris Blight (Cambridge, ONT) picked up a rebound off a shot by classmate Jay Latulippe (Saratoga Springs, NY) at the top of the crease and lifted in his fifth goal of the season. With 1:50 remaining in the second, the Saints regained their three-goal lead as T.J. Trevelyan scored on a breakaway for his team-high 14th goal of the year, giving SLU a 4-1 advantage.
The Saints padded their lead in the third by out scoring the Knights 3-1 over the final 20 minutes. Madill tallied his second of the game at 1:54 of the third. Latulippe netted a power-play marker for Clarkson at 6:40, but St. Lawrence answered back with power-play goals by Bagnall at 12:43 and Josh Anderson at 16:02 to complete its third straight win over its North Country neighbor.
Clarkson held a 42-33 shot advantage, but St. Lawrence’s senior goaltender Mike McKenna was up to the task with a 40-save effort. Sophomore Kyle McNulty (Wakefield, RI) (9) and junior Dustin Traylen (Kirkland, QUE) (17) combined for 26 saves in the Knights’ net. The Saints were 3-of-8 on the power play, while Clarkson was 1-of-6 with the man advantage.
