Quinnipiac University jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead to start the game, relied upon strong goaltending in the second period and held off a late charge by the Golden Knights in the final minutes to hand Clarkson University a 6-4 loss in ECACHL action before 2,602 fans at Cheel Arena on Friday night. Last year’s ECACHL Rookie of the Year, Bryan Leitch led the Bobcats offensively with two goals and one assist.
Quinnipiac extended its unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2) to improve its record to 5-2-2 overall and to 2-0-1 in the ECACHL. The Golden Knights, who lost for the first time in four games, fall to 6-2-1 overall and to 2-1 in the league.
Quinnipiac opened the game with a flurry, taking a 2-0 lead just over two minutes in with a pair of goals 30 seconds apart. The Bobcats put intense pressure on the Knights right from the opening faceoff and connected for the first goal at 1:39 when Dan Henningson finished off a flurry in front for his first goal of the year. At 2:09, Quinnipiac struck again with David Marshall netting his sixth goal of the season.
Clarkson fought its way back at 7:20 when junior David Cayer (Longueuil, QUE) finished off a perfect centering pass from freshman Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) for his team-high fifth power-play marker of the year. The Knights’ leading scorer, junior Steve Zalewski (New Hartford, NY) started the play. The Knights kept themselves in it late in the first by killing off seven straight minutes in penalties, including a five minute major.
Penalty trouble early in the second period cost Clarkson when Leitch nudged a shot just over the goal line for a power-play goal at 1:50 to give Quinnipiac a 3-1 lead. Clarkson came right back, however, 37 seconds later as sophomore Shea Guthrie (Carleton Place, ONT) tipped in a centering pass from freshman Tim Marks (Brownville, NY) to once again make it a one-goal game. Sophomore Chris D’Alvise (Mississauga, ONT) also assisted.
The Bobcats went back on top by two goals with Marshall’s second goal of the game at 15:57 on a quick wrist shot from the slot off a pass from Henningson.
Zalewski opened the third, connecting on the power play off assists from Guthrie and Beca for his team-high 9th goal of the season at 1:15 to pull the Knights to within one at 4-3. At 10:11, Quinnipiac was awarded a penalty shot and Leitch made it count with his fourth goal of the year to give the Bobcats a two-goal lead once again.
While killing off its second five-minute major of the game, Clarkson closed the gap to 5-4 when senior defenseman Matt Curley (Madrid, NY) one-timed a pass from junior Shawn Weller (South Glens Falls, NY) from the top of the circle for a shorthanded goal at 14:29.
Quinnipiac sealed the victory with an empty-net goal from Brandon Wong with 12 second remaining.
The Bobcats out shot Clarkson 34-22, including a 19-5 margin over the first 20 minutes. Junior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY) made 28 saves for Clarkson, while Bud Fisher posted 18 stops, including 12 in the second period.
The Knights were 2-of-5 on the power play, while Quinnipiac was 1-of-8 with the man advantage. Clarkson was whistled for a season-high 67 minutes on 13 penalties, including three, five-minute majors, three 10-minute game misconducts and one 10-minute game disqualification.
Clarkson hosts Princeton, 5-4 losers at St. Lawrence on Friday, in a 4:30 game at Cheel on Saturday afternoon.
