Potsdam, NY – Five different Golden Knights scored goals, highlighted by freshman Brandon DeFazio’s (Oakville, ONT) first collegiate tally, and senior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY) put in another solid effort in goal with 23 saves as Clarkson University defeated Rensselaer 5-2 before 2,856 fans at Cheel Arena on Friday night.
The Knights, who extended their unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1), upped their record to 14-7-2 overall and improved their first-place ECAC Hockey mark to 9-3-1.
Clarkson hosts Union on Saturday.
Rensselaer suffered its school-record 10th straight loss to fall to 8-15-3 overall and to 3-7-2 in the conference. The Engineers play at St. Lawrence on Saturday.
Clarkson broke open tight one-goal game with two scores in the final two minutes of play to post it highest offensive output in 13 games.
Rensselaer cut the Knights’ lead to 3-2 on senior Andrew Lord’s power-play goal at 6:17 of the third, for the Engineer’s first man-advantage goal in six games. Clarkson, however, sealed the victory with a pair of goals late in the game.
Sophomore Tim Marks (Brownville, NY) connected off a feed from junior Chris D’Alvise (Mississauga, ONT) at 18:11 for his 7th goal of the season. Junior Dan Tuttle (Augusta, ME) also assisted on Clarkson’s fourth goal.
With 19 second remaining, junior Shea Guthrie (Carleton Place, ONT) tallied on the power play to close out the scoring with his 6th goal of the year. Junior defenseman Adam Bellows (Lancaster, NY) and Marks assisted.
After a scoreless first period, Clarkson took a 2-1 lead in the second stanza. Sophomore Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) put the Knights on the scoreboard first with a shorthanded marker at 5:22. Beca connected for his fifth goal of the season and second shorthanded tally of the campaign on a wrist shot from the right circle after senior Steve Zalewski (New Hartford, NY) blocked a shot at the Clarkson blueline and dropped a backhand pass to his linemate. It was Clarkson’s sixth man-down goal of the season and the ninth shorthanded goal allowed by RPI on the year.
The Engineers tied it at 11:59 when freshman defenseman Bryan Brutlag scored his second goal of the season off assists from classmates Tyler Helfrich and Scott Halpern.
At 15:26, Clarkson regained the lead when DeFazio won the puck along the left boards in the Clarkson zone, skated into the RPI end and snapped off a quick wrist shot from the top of the left circle for an unassisted marker.
The Knights came out strong in the third to take a 3-1 lead. After the Engineers’ Christian Jensen rang a shot off the post, the Knights picked up the rebound and converted on a 2-on-1 rush to take the two-goal lead. D’Alvise took a pass across the slot from Guthrie and connected for the eventual game-winner, and his 8th goal of the season. Marks also assisted.
Clarkson out shot Rensselaer 31-25. Mathias Lange made 26 saves for the Engineers. The Knights went 1-of-3 on the power play, while RPI was 1-of-3 with the man advantage.
