Schenectady, NY - Freshman Shawn Weller’s (South Glens Falls, NY) goal with 1:42 left in overtime lifted the Clarkson University Hockey team to a 4-3 victory over Union College on Sunday night ending the ninth longest game in Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League (ECACHL) history and sending the Golden Knights to the next round of the league playoffs. Clarkson, which defeated the Dutchmen two games to one in first round action in Schenectady, will now travel to Ithaca to battle the conference’s regular season champion, Cornell in the quarterfinals.
In the best-of-three game series against Union, the Knights won the first game 1-0 in overtime on Friday before losing 2-1 in another extra session contest on Saturday at Achilles Center. Clarkson, seeded ninth in the playoffs, owns a 13-21-3 overall record and opens the quarterfinals at Lynah Rink on Friday beginning at 7:00 p.m.
In Sunday’s deciding game, Weller closed out the contest after 78:18 of play when he redirected a shot from the point by junior defenseman Chris Brekelmans (London, ONT) at the top of the crease for his third goal of the season and first tally since scoring twice in his first collegiate game on October 29. Freshman Nick Dodge (Oakville, ONT) also assisted on the goal, which came shortly after the Green and Gold had killed of a Union power play, the only man-advantage opportunity for either team in the extra period.
The Knights opened the scoring at 16:58 of the first on Brekelman’s second goal of the year on a shot from the blueline that found its way through traffic in front. Sophomore defensive partner Matt Curley (Madrid, NY) assisted. Union came back to tie it late in the first with Olivier Bouchard’s power-play marker at 19:04. The Dutchmen took their only lead of the contest when Jordan Webb made it 2-1 at 4:10 of the middle frame.
Clarkson, however, battled back with a pair of goal less than two minutes apart midway through the second to grab a 3-2 advantage. The Knights’ leading scorer, senior assistant captain Jay Latulippe (Saratoga Springs, NY) netted his team-high 15th goal of the season when he chipped in his own rebound in front for a power-play marker at 8:52. Junior Jeff Genovy (Kalamazoo, MI) and freshman Grant Clitsome (Gloucester, ONT) set up the goal. At 10:47, sophomore Max Kolu (Turku, Finland) connected for his first goal of the season when he took a pass from blueline partner Michael Grenzy (Lockport, NY) at the right point and scored on a hard slap shot.
Union pressured in the third and finally tie it 3-3 on Bouchard’s second power-play goal of the night, at 16:27 to force the third straight overtime in the playoff series.
Clarkson out shot the Dutchmen 44-34. Junior Dustin Traylen (Kirkland, QUE) made 31 saves. The Knights were 1-of-4 on the power play, while Union was 2-of-7 with the man advantage.
Last season as the number nine seed, the Knights stunned Cornell in the quarterfinal round at Lynah Rink by winning the last two games in the best-of-three series. After losing game #1, 5-1, Clarkson took game #2, 5-4, and game #3, 5-1, to advance the semifinal round.
