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ECAC Hockey action begins for the Clarkson University Hockey team this weekend as the Golden Knights play at Quinnipiac University on Friday at 7:00 p.m., and at Princeton University on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Guided by seventh-year head coach George Roll, associate coach Greg Drechsel and assistant coach Jean-Francois Houle, the Golden Knights will be out to prove the league’s preseason coaches’ poll wrong after being picked to finish 11th in the 12-team conference. 

Sophomore Jake Morley (Ogdensburg, NY) scored Clarkson’s lone goal on Friday against UMD, while junior assistant captain Brandon DeFazio (Oakville, ONT) and sophomore defenseman Mark Borowiecki (Kanata, ONT) supplied the goals on Saturday. Sophomore Richie LaVeau (Arlington Heights, IL) got the start in goal on Friday and responded with a career-high 46 saves. Classmate Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT), ECAC Goaltender of the Week on October 26, was Saturday night’s starter making 40 stops.

The Knights are 3-0 at home with wins over Niagara (4-3 in overtime) and RIT (5-3), and a non-conference triumph over archrival St. Lawrence (4-1). Clarkson, however, is 0-4 on the road. Along with the sweep at Minnesota-Duluth this past weekend, the Green and Gold also suffered season-opening defeats at Michigan State (6-1, 4-3) on October 9-10.

Quinnipiac begins a four-game home stand at the TD Banknorth Center with Friday’s ECAC Hockey opener against Clarkson. The Bobcats, guided by 16th-year head coach Rand Pecknold, are ranked 21st in the country, owning a 4-1 overall record. Quinnipiac had outscored its opponents 15-5 during its first four games before allowing eight goals in a loss to Robert Morris on Saturday. On Friday, Quinnipiac posted its first shutout of the season with a 5-0 white wash of Robert Morris on the Colonials’ home ice before losing 8-5 the next night. The Bobcats lone game in Hamden, CT this season was a 3-2 overtime victory against Bentley on October 17.

A preseason favorite to challenge for the ECAC Hockey title, Princeton has enjoyed great success under ninth-year head coach Guy Gadowsky. The Tigers, who won the league’s 2008 tournament title, are ranked 13th/14th in the nation. Princeton, officially opened its season with a 1-0 overtime non-league victory against Brown at Hobey Baker Rink this past Friday. On Saturday, the Tigers fell to defending ECAC Hockey champion Yale 5-2 in New Jersey. Princeton hosts St. Lawrence on Friday to begin conference play.

Quotes From the Coach:
"I thought it was a good weekend for us," stated George Roll about the Golden Knights trip out to Minnesota-Duluth. "Even though we lost two, it made us a better team. They are a real quality team. We were fighting the flu bug and some injuries, and the first night we did not play with the intensity we needed. We came back with a very good effort the second night. The difference was the specialty teams. At five-on-five, we were pretty even."

On the opening weekend series of ECAC play, Roll remarked, "Both Quinnipiac and Princeton will be looking to begin league play with wins on their home ice. It will be two battles. We want to play better on the road and get the momentum back we lost this past weekend. In both road series, we spent a lot of time in the penalty box. We were shorthanded a lot at Michigan State and again this past weekend at UMD. We have to play with more discipline on the road."

The Series:
Clarkson has won six of 11 games against Quinnipiac in their brief series that began with a 4-0 victory for the Golden Knights on February 8, 2000 in Northford, CT. The Bobcats, however, swept their first regular-season series from the Green and Gold last year, winning 4-2 in Potsdam and 5-3 in Hamden, CT. Clarkson has lost its last two games at the TD Banknorth Center, also falling 3-2 during the 2007-08 campaign. The Knights won the first meeting at Quinnipiac’s new home, posting a 4-1 victory on February 24, 2007. Clarkson’s last win over the Bobcats was an overwhelming 8-0 win at Cheel Arena on March 1, 2008. The Knights claimed the program’s fifth ECAC Hockey Tournament title when they defeated the Bobcats in the 2007 title game, coming from behind for a 4-2 victory at the Times Union Center in Albany. Lauri Tuohimaa (2-4) and Matt Beca (1-5) each have a team-high six points in the series. Paul Karpowich posts a .886 save percentage, a 4.10 GAA and a 0-2 record against Quinnipiac. George Roll is 4-5 against Quinnipiac, while Rand Pecknold is 5-6 against the Knights.

Clarkson holds a decisive 69-25-5 edge in the all-time series against Princeton, which began with an 8-5 Knight victory in New Jersey on January 17, 1928. The Tigers, however, have won four of the last six meetings, including a sweep of the 2008-09 campaign. Princeton won 4-2 at Cheel last November 11 and 5-3 at Hobey Baker Rink on February 13. Clarkson won both games in 2007-08 and claimed the program’s 10th conference regular-season crown with a 4-3 victory in Cheel Arena on February 29, 2008 for its last win in the series. Matt Beca (2-4) leads the way offensively against the Tigers with six points (2-4). Paul Karpowich and Richie LaVeau are both 0-1 against the Tigers. George Roll is 9-5 against Princeton, while Guy Gadowsky is 5-7 against the Knights. 

Knights Notes:
Clarkson is 3-0 in Potsdam and 0-4 on the road. The Knights play six of their next eight games away from Cheel Arena, beginning with their ECAC Hockey opener at Quinnipiac on Friday … Clarkson has yet to trail after the opening 20 minutes, but has been out scored 12-3 in the second period …Richie LaVeau posted a career-high 46 saves on Friday, while Paul Karpowich made 40 stops on Saturday … Karpowich recorded his second career stop on a penalty shot when he shut down Drew Atkins in the second period of Saturday’s game. All four of UMD’s goals on Saturday came on the power play when they had 15 man-advantage opportunities …. Three Clarkson players were whistled for 5-minute majors over the weekend. Defenseman Bryan Rufenach will have to sit out Friday’s game after receiving a game disqualification at the end of the first period last Saturday at UMD…The Knights’ leading scorer, sophomore Louke Oakley (Whitby, ONT) has matched his season point total from last year with nine points on one goal and a team-high eight assists … Along with being tied for second in points with seven (1-6), Brandon DeFazio holds a team-high +5 plus/minus rating … Sophomore Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) also has seven points (1-6) after recording his third two-point game of the season with two assists on Saturday … Mark Borowiecki shares the Knights’ scoring lead, with Rufenach, from the blueline with two goals and three assists. Borowiecki, who has a four-game point streak, tallied one goal and one assist through 33 games last season … Freshman defenseman Nik Pokulok (Vaudreuil-Dorion, QUE) picked up his first collegiate point by assisting on Clarkson’s lone goal on Friday at UMD … The Knights are unbeaten in their last 58 games (54-0-4) when leading after two periods, including a 3-0-0 mark this year … Clarkson is 0-4-0 this year when trailing after 40 minutes.