Clarkson Opens Regular Season with Road Tests at UMass Lowell and No. 9 Providence

Men's Hockey 10/9/2026 8:51:00 AM

Clarkson Opens Regular Season with Road Tests at UMass Lowell and No. 9 Providence

The Clarkson University Men's Hockey team opens the 2026–27 regular season this weekend with a challenging two-game road trip through Hockey East, facing UMass Lowell on Friday, October 9, before traveling to Providence College for a Saturday night matchup with the nationally ranked Friars.

The Golden Knights begin their third season under Head Coach JF Houle looking to build on last year's postseason success, which saw Clarkson advance to the ECAC Hockey semifinals in Lake Placid for the second consecutive year. Clarkson finished the 2025–26 campaign with an 18-17-3 record, highlighted by a postseason upset of top-seeded Quinnipiac that sent the Knights back to Lake Placid.

Clarkson got its first taste of game action last Saturday with a 5-2 exhibition victory over the University of Ottawa at Cheel Arena. The Golden Knights will now turn their attention to regular-season competition, opening with two Hockey East opponents on consecutive nights.

Friday: Clarkson at UMass Lowell

October 9 | 7:15 p.m. | Tsongas Center | Lowell, Massachusetts
Clarkson opens the weekend against a UMass Lowell team looking to rebound from a 13-22-0 season in 2025–26. The River Hawks are entering their 16th season under Head Coach Norm Bazin and will be playing their first regular-season game of the new campaign.

UMass Lowell enters the season with a mix of returning players and newcomers as the River Hawks look to establish themselves in Hockey East. The program will also be celebrating its 60th season of hockey, with Friday's contest serving as its home opener at the Tsongas Center. For Clarkson, the opener will provide an early opportunity to evaluate a lineup that features a combination of returning veterans and new additions. The Knights return several key contributors from last year's postseason run while welcoming a talented group of freshmen and transfers.

Saturday: Clarkson at No. 9 Providence

October 10 | 6:00 p.m. | Schneider Arena | Providence, Rhode Island
The Golden Knights will face an even bigger challenge Saturday when they travel to Schneider Arena to take on nationally ranked Providence College.

The Friars enter the season ranked ninth nationally and are led by veteran Head Coach Nate Leaman. Providence is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025–26 and will be looking to establish itself among the nation's top programs once again.
Providence opens its regular season Friday night against St. Lawrence before welcoming Clarkson on Saturday, giving the Friars back-to-back matchups against ECAC Hockey opponents. Saturday's contest will provide Clarkson with an early test against nationally ranked competition and an opportunity to measure itself against one of Hockey East's established programs.

Clarkson Looking to Build on Postseason Success

The Golden Knights return a solid core from last season's team, led offensively by sophomore Owen Van Steensel, who recorded 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points during his freshman campaign. Senior Talon Sigurdson also returns after contributing eight goals and 10 assists last season.

Rémi Gélinas, Maël St-Denis and Justin Côté are among the returning forwards expected to take on expanded roles, while newcomers Alex Pharand, Hayden Reid, Sebastien Gervais and senior transfer Tyler Wallace provide additional options up front.

On defense, Clarkson returns Jack Sparkes, Ty Brassington, Tate Taylor and Bryce Sookro, while transfers Michael Craig and Adam Cardona bring collegiate experience. Freshmen Nikolas Young, Axel Dufresne and Zach Sandhu add depth to the blue line.

In goal, Shane Soderwall returns after starting 35 of Clarkson's 38 games last season. Soderwall finished the year with 17 wins, a 2.54 goals-against average, a .905 save percentage and two shutouts. Newcomers Dawson Labre and Ben Gaudreau give Clarkson additional options in the crease.

With two road games against Hockey East opponents to begin the regular season, Clarkson will have an immediate opportunity to test its depth and develop chemistry before returning to Cheel Arena next weekend. The Golden Knights will host Canisius on October 16 and 17 for their first regular-season home series before beginning ECAC Hockey play in November. Schedule alert for Clarkson Fans, the Saturday game on Oct. 17th vs Canisius will be a 4:30 start.

How to Follow the Knights

Both games this weekend will be streamed live on ESPN+, with radio coverage available on B99.3 FM. International viewers can stream on HockeyEast.TV

Weekend Schedule