Despite a record-setting outing by junior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY), the Clarkson University Hockey team’s season came to a close on Friday afternoon in Rochester, NY as the Golden Knights fell 1-0 in overtime to UMass in the first round of the NCAA East Regional.
Clarkson, which won its fifth ECACHL Tournament title last weekend in Albany and advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 1999, ended the 2006-07 campaign with a 25-9-5 record.
After skating to a 0-0 tie in regulation, the Knights and Minutemen continued their scoreless battle into the opening seven minutes of sudden-death overtime before UMass ended the contest when Kevin Jarman lifted in a rebound at 7:40 mark for the only goal of the contest.
The ECACHL’s Goaltender of the Year, Leggio was on top of his game throughout the NCAA contest at the Blue Cross Arena, making 13 saves in the first period and another 16 in the third stanza. Leggio finished with 37 saves and set a new Golden Knight record for saves in a season with 1,037 stops through 39 games, breaking the old mark of 1,034 set by Dan Murphy in 1995-96.
The Minutemen out shot the Knights 38-33. Both teams were 0-of-4 on the power play.
UMass (21-12-5) advances to play Maine in the finals of the East Regional on Saturday. The Black Bears defeated St. Cloud 4-1 in the other game on Friday.
