For the second consecutive game, the Clarkson University Hockey team overcame a two-goal, third-period deficit to pull out a victory. On Saturday at Meehan Auditorium in Providence, RI, the Golden Knights rallied past Brown to gain a 4-3 overtime win to complete a four-point weekend on the road. On Friday at Yale, the Green and Gold defeated the Bulldogs by the same score in New Have, CT.
Clarkson, which improves to 5-13-4 overall and to 3-6-1 in ECAC Hockey, opens a four-game home stand at Cheel Arena next weekend hosting Union and Rensselaer.
“I thought tonight was one of our better efforts,” stated Clarkson head coach George Roll. “I give our guys a lot of credit. We found a way to get it done. Matt Beca played real hard today. He had an outstanding game, and not just because he scored two goals. He created a lot of opportunities. This weekend, that line of Beca, Guthrie (Shea) and D’Alvise (Chris) had it going, They made a difference. They generated so many chances today. We did what we had to do this weekend, and we have to keep moving up the standings. Now we have a four-game stretch at Cheel, and hopefully we can have some success on our home ice.”
Junior Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) scored the game’s final two goals to complete Saturday’s comeback. The Knights dominated in the extra sesssion and their pressure paid off when Beca connected down low off assists from seniors Chris D’Alvise (Mississauga, ONT) and Shea Guthrie (Carleton Place, ONT) for the game-winner at 2:31 of overtime, the Knights' seventh straight victory over Brown.
Clarkson forced its sixth overtime game of the season when Beca scored during a scramble in front while the Green and Gold had the extra attacker on after pulling freshman goaltender Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) late in regulation. Beca knocked in a rebound off a shot by senior defenseman Phil Paquet (Quebec City, QUE) with just 14 seconds remaining in the third. Guthrie also assisted.
Sophomore defenseman Bryan Rufenach (Cameron, ONT) started the third-period rally when he took a pass along the right boards from classmate Scott Freeman (Whitby, ONT), skated to the circle and fired in a low shot for his fourth goal of the year at 15:22.
Similiar to Friday’s game at Yale, Clarkson scored first in the opening stanza and then fell behind 3-1 in the second period.
Senior defenseman Adam Bellows (Lancaster, NY) tallied his second goal of the weekend to start the scoring against Brown (1-12-4, 1-7-3). Bellows picked up a rebound off the backboards by senior Jon Marshall (Victor, NY) and lifted in his second career goal at 11:07. Freshman Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) also assisted.
For the second time this weekend and for the fourth time this season, the opponent tallied a shorthanded marker when Matt Vokes evened the score on a breakaway man-down opportunity at 14:41.
Brown went on top 3-1 in the middle frame netting a pair of goals 1:24 apart. Jeff Buvinow scored on a 2-on-1 rush at 14:06, and Vokes picked up his second goal of the contest, scoring just 12 seconds into the Bears’ first power play at 15:30.
Clarkson out shot the Bears 40-30. Karpowich posted 27 saves, including 10 third-period stops, to pick up his fourth win of the year. The Knights were 0-of-3 on the power play, while Brown was 1-of-2 with the man advantage.
