In a tight defensive game before 3,015 fans at Cheel Arena on Friday night, the ninth-ranked Clarkson University Hockey team extended its unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1) with a 1-1 overtime tie against Colgate in ECACHL action. The Golden Knights, who own 13-5-2 overall record and a 5-2-1 ECACHL mark, host Cornell on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
Clarkson opened the game scoring on its first shot just 17 seconds after the initial faceoff. The Golden Knights’ leading goal scorer, junior Steve Zalewski (New Hartford, NY), tallied his team-high 12th goal of the season to give the Green and Gold the early lead. Zalewski picked up a loose puck in front of the Colgate net after a dump in by sophomore defenseman Philippe Paquet (Quebec City, QUE) took an odd bounce off the back boards, that eluded the Raiders’ netminder, and into the slot where Zalewski was able to beat the Colgate back checkers to the puck.
Both teams had excellent chances to put another goal on the scoreboard in the second period. Clarkson junior David Cayer (Longueuil, QUE) hit the post with 6:30 left in the stanza and sophomore Shea Guthrie (Carleton Place, ONT) was robbed on a diving save with 1:30 remaining in the period. Colgate (9-11-3, 3-4-2) had a flurry of chances around the crease on a power play late in the stanza, but junior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY), with a couple of sprawling saves and some standout play by the penalty killers, was able to turn aside all of the Raiders’ efforts.
Jason Williams finally put the Raiders on the scoreboard at 14:46 of the third with a quick shot from the slot that deflected in off a pair of skates in front and past Leggio for the tying score.
Clarkson out shot Colgate 29-22, including a 5-1 margin in the five-minute overtime session. Leggio made 21 saves, including eight in the third period. Mark Dekanich posted 28 saves for the Raiders, who extended their unbeaten streak over the Knights to four games (1-0-3).
Clarkson, playing without junior captain Nick Dodge (Oakville, ONT) who was sitting out Friday’s game after receiving a DQ in the Knights’ last game, went scoreless on the power play for the first time in nine games, going 0-of-5 with the man advantage. The Knights extended their penalty-killing streak to 14 straight after snuffing out all five of Colgate’s power plays.
