Potsdam, NY - In a match up between the top two teams in the conference, Clarkson University edged Princeton 4-3 to win the ECAC Hockey regular-season title before 3,382 fans at Cheel Arena on Friday night. Four different Golden Knights scored goals and senior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY) made 26 saves as the Green and Gold claimed the program’s 10th conference regular-season crown, clinching the title for the first time in Potsdam since 1981.
Ranked 9th in the nation, Clarkson won its first regular-season championship since 2001 with a 14-4-3 ECAC Hockey mark. The Knights, who close out the regular season on Saturday against Quinnipiac, own a 19-10-4 overall record. Princeton, which will finish second in the league, owns a 17-11-0 overall record and a 14-7 ECAC Hockey mark.
Trailing 3-2 entering the third period, Clarkson scored twice over the final 20 minutes to gain the one-goal victory over the 12th-ranked Tigers.
The Knights tied the game early in the third as junior defenseman Phil Paquet (Quebec City, QUE) took a behind-the-net pass from freshman Lauri Tuohimaa (Helsinki, Finland) and sent a fluttering shot past Princeton’s sophomore goaltender Zane Kalemba for his first goal of the year to make it a 3-3 game 1:12 into the final frame. Beca also assisted.
Midway through the third, Clarkson’s captain, senior Nick Dodge (Oakville, ONT) came through with the game-winner. Position in front while on the power-play, Dodge redirected a shot from the point by senior defenseman Grant Clitsome (Gloucester, ONT) for his 11th goal of the season. Senior David Cayer (Lonqueuil, QUE) also set up the man-advantage goal.
Playing at home for the first time in two weeks, Clarkson took the initial lead of the contest at 13:31 of the first when sophomore Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) took a pass across the slot from senior Steve Zalewski (New Hartford, NY) and fired in his ninth goal of the season to put the Green and Gold on top. Freshman defenseman Tom Pizzo (Rochester, NY) also assisted.
Boasting the highest scoring offense in the league, the Tigers came right back with a pair of specialty teams goals to take a 2-1 lead after the first. Matt Arhontas scored the first Princeton goal with a power-play marker at 15:19. At 17:27, Lee Jubinville put the visitors in front when he stole the puck at Princeton’s blueline and raced in for an unassisted shorthanded marker, lifting in a shot up underneath the crossbar for his 11th goal of the season.
On the power play to start the second, Princeton came out strong in the middle frame and fired seven shots on goal in the opening 2:30 of play in the stanza, but Leggio, who posted 13 saves in the period, came up with several big stops to keep the Knights within one.
Zalewski made it 2-2 at 17:26, scoring his team-high 18th goal of the season with a shot from the bottom of the left circle with linemates Beca and Tuohimaa assisting.
With just 59 seconds left in the period, the Tigers connected for their second power-play goal. Captain Mike Moore snapped off a quick wrist shot from the high slot for his fourth goal of the year to give Princeton a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes. Cam MacIntyre and Brett Wilson assisted.
Princeton held a slight 29-27 shot advantage. The Tigers were 2-of-4 on the power play, while the Knights were 1-of-6 with the man advantage.
