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Top 10 Clarkson Highlights - #2 Clarkson Men's Hockey Rattles Off 14 Straight Wins and Returns to NCAA Tournament

Three losses in four games in late October hardly had the Clarkson University Men's Hockey team reeling. The Golden Knights still were 4-3-1 in the first four weekends of the season and the team had displayed its ample talent level with wins over a few nationally-ranked teams. However, not even the most ardent supporter of Green and Gold clad skaters could have predicted what would happen next.

It all started harmlessly with a home weekend sweep against Rensselaer and Union in early November, but the Golden Knights winning ways would not stop for another 11 weeks as Clarkson authored the third-longest winning streak in program history, notching 14 straight wins from November 3rd all the way through January 13th. Only a 16-game winning streak in the 1956-57 season and the 23 straight wins in 1955-56 surpassed Clarkson's streak in 2017-18.



In outscoring opponents 56-15 during the streak, Clarkson won 10 games against ECAC Hockey foes, defeated both Rensselaer and Providence five time zones away at the Friendship Four in Belfast, Ireland, and ascended from 13th in the national polls all the way to second, receiving five first-place votes in the January 15th USCHO.com poll.

The streak allowed Clarkson to almost immediately clinch home ice in the first round of the ECAC Hockey Tournament, and the Knights eventually did settle into third place with a 12-5-5 mark in league play, earning a first-round bye for the first time in a decade. In early March, Clarkson dispatched Colgate to reach the ECAC Championship Tournament in Lake Placid, where the Knights proved that the magic was not ready to end.

Down 4-1 to Harvard University just a few ticks into the third period, a Clarkson partisan crowd erupted due to the scoring barrage displayed by the Knights. The Green and Gold responded to the Crimson's early third-period goal with one of their own just nine seconds later on a score from Nic Pierog. Devin Brosseau pulled the Knights to within on less than a minute later and Dylan Gareau tied the score at 4-4 at the 4:02 mark in the third. Though Clarkson could not win the game in regulation, sophomore Sheldon Rempal tipped in a backhand from Nico Sturm at 11:38 in overtime to give the Knights the win.

Clarkson ended its season with back-to-back one-goal losses against Princeton (2-1, OT) and Providence (1-0), but the latter game also saw the Knights achieve something they had not in 10 years: reach the NCAA Tournament. Clarkson earned an at-large bid to the national tournament and battled the Friars for the third time during the 2017-18 season. Though Clarkson came away with wins in the first two meetings against Providence, it was unable to complete the trifecta and advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Both Rempal and defenseman Kelly Summers earned All-American honors for the Knights, the first duo to gain the recognition for Clarkson since 1998-99 when future NHL players Eric Cole and Willie Mitchell were so awarded. Rempal's 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) also were the most by a Clarkson player in more than two decades (Todd White, 1996-97). More than anything, Clarkson's defense was the key to the team's success as the Knights ranked second in the nation in goals allowed per game (1.88).

All told, the Golden Knights enjoyed one of their most successful seasons of the 21st century and are firmly back in the picture as an annual contender in both the ECAC and on the national scene.

TOP 10 2017-18 Clarkson Athletic Department Highlights

The Top 10 Clarkson University Athletic Department Highlights of 2017-18 were carefully selected by the Clarkson Sports Information Staff. Top 10 Clarkson highlights will be posted on Mondays throughout the summer.

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Players Mentioned

Devin Brosseau

#14 Devin Brosseau

F
6' 1"
Sophomore
Dylan Gareau

#15 Dylan Gareau

F
6' 0"
Senior
Nic Pierog

#6 Nic Pierog

F
6' 1"
Senior
Sheldon Rempal

#11 Sheldon Rempal

F
5' 10"
Sophomore
Nico Sturm

#17 Nico Sturm

F
6' 3"
Sophomore
Kelly Summers

#5 Kelly Summers

D
6' 1"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Devin Brosseau

#14 Devin Brosseau

6' 1"
Sophomore
F
Dylan Gareau

#15 Dylan Gareau

6' 0"
Senior
F
Nic Pierog

#6 Nic Pierog

6' 1"
Senior
F
Sheldon Rempal

#11 Sheldon Rempal

5' 10"
Sophomore
F
Nico Sturm

#17 Nico Sturm

6' 3"
Sophomore
F
Kelly Summers

#5 Kelly Summers

6' 1"
Senior
D