Senior David Cayer (Longueuil, QUE) scored with 47.7 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Clarkson University Hockey team to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Brown at Meehan Auditorium in Providence, RI on Friday night.
With losses by Princeton and Quinnipiac on Friday, the Golden Knights extended their league-lead in ECAC Hockey to four points with a 12-3-2 conference mark. Ranked 11th in the nation, Clarkson improved its overall record to 17-9-3. The Knights, who own an eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2) in league action, play at Yale in New Haven, CT on Saturday.
Trailing 2-0 midway through the first period, Clarkson rallied back with three unanswered goals to hold a one-goal advantage early in the third period. The Bears (3-17-4, 3-11-3) forced the extra session with their third goal at 15:04 of the third stanza.
Playing in its second straight overtime contest, and its sixth of the season, Clarkson gained the win when Cayer connected on a one-timer off a pass from junior defenseman Adam Bellows (Lancaster, NY) for his seventh goal of the year, which cleared the Golden Knights’ bench in a celebration at center ice. Senior captain Nick Dodge (Oakville, ONT) started the play by winning the faceoff in the Brown zone.
Despite holding an 18-10 shot advantage in the first period, the Knights found themselves in a 2-0 hole after Aaron Volpatti and Devin Timberlake scored a 1:31 midway through the stanza.
Clarkson made it a one-goal game just three minutes later when junior Shea Guthrie (Carleton Place, ONT) beat Brown goaltender Dan Rosen on a wrap around from the right side of the net at 13:25 for his eighth goal of the year. Senior defenseman Grant Clitsome (Gloucester, ONT) and freshman Scott Freeman (Whitby, ONT) assisted.
The Golden Knights held a slight, 6-4, advantage in shots during the middle period and tied the game at 2-2 when junior Chris D’Alvise (Mississauga, ONT) scored during a four-on-four situation in the 16th minute for his 10th goal. Guthrie assisted.
Clarkson earned a 3-2 lead at 6:09 of the third when the team’s leading goal scorer, senior Steve Zalewski (New Hartford, NY) connected on the power play. Zalewski tallied his 16th of the season, knocking in a rebound off of sophomore Matt Beca’s (Mississauga, ONT) shot for the go ahead goal. Clitsome earned his second assist of the night on the goal.
Brown made it 3-3 with Volpatti’s second goal of the game with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.
The Bears had chances to win early in the extra period, but senior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY) stopped back-to-back shots by Jordan Pietrus and Sean Muncy to keep the score tied.
Clarkson out shot the Bears 34-29. Leggio finished with 26 stops, including 12 in the third frame.
The Knights went 1-of-3 on the power play and killed Brown’s lone man-advantage opportunity.
