A slow start combined with a sluggish finish led to the Clarkson University Lacrosse team’s first Liberty League loss of the season as the Golden Knights fell 12-8 at Skidmore College on Saturday afternoon in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Clarkson, which falls to 3-1 in the conference, was out shot 12-2 in the first quarter by the Thoroughbreds and trailed 4-1 after the opening 15 minutes. The Knights picked up their pace in the second stanza and cut the deficit to 5-4 at the half. Skidmore (5-6, 4-0), however, out scored the Green and Gold 7-4 in the second half and tallied five of the last six goals to put an end to Clarkson’s three-game winning streak.
Clarkson fought back from an early three-goal deficit to tie the game 7-7 on sophomore Brian Hoey's (Auburn, N.Y.) man-up goal from classmate Greg Gibbons (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) with 4:54 to play in the third quarter before Skidmore went on its late-game run.
Gibbons led all scorers with seven points, including a team-high four goals. Gibbons, who broke into Clarkson’s “Century Club” now has 104 career points on 71 goals and 33 assists through 28 games in his two years with the Knights. He has 52 points this season, including 37 goals.
Hoey tallied two goals and one assist, while classmates Jon Cathcart (Homer, NY) and Erik Hilfinger (Ann Arbor, MI) chipped in one goal apiece. Junior Steve Kennedy (Niskayuna, NY) set up two goals.
Chuck McNeil paced Skidmore with five goals.
The Thoroughbreds outs shot the Knights 48-20 and controlled groundballs 31-38. Junior Greg Lamb (Baldwinsville, NY) started in the Clarkson goal and posted four saves while allowing five goals. Sophomore Eric Wolery (Cincinnati, OH) played the final 37:48 for the Knights and made 12 saves on 19 shots on goal.
Junior Corey O’Connor (Sandwich, MA) picked up a team-high five groundballs and won nine of 21 faceoffs.
At 5-8 overall, Clarkson, which has clinched a spot in the upcoming Liberty League playoffs, returns home to battle arch-rival St. Lawrence in a key conference game at Hantz Field on Wednesday, April 25, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
