Senior assistant captain Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) scored two goals and sophomore goaltender Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) posted 42 saves to highlight the Clarkson University Hockey team’s 5-3 win over Rochester Institute of Technology before 3,310 fans at Cheel Arena on Saturday night.

The Golden Knights, who completed the weekend sweep in their home openers after defeating Niagara 4-3 in overtime on Friday, stand at 2-2 overall. The Green and Gold host North Country rival St. Lawrence University in a non-league game in Potsdam next Saturday.

“Matt is off to a great start in his senior year,” stated Clarkson head coach George Roll about the Knights' leading scorer. “I thought he was our best player out at Michigan State, and again this weekend. Along with his offense, he is doing all the little things well and has been solid at both ends.”

On the play of Karpowich, Roll remarked, “Paul was awesome tonight. He had a rough weekend out at Michigan State, but tonight he was on top of his game. He was more aggressive, and when he plays that way he is at his best.”

In an evenly played first period, Clarkson skated away with a 2-1 lead. Beca started the scoring, knocking in a rebound off sophomore Louke Oakley’s (Whitby) shot. Junior Brandon DeFazio (Oakville, ONT) also assisted.

The Tigers (1-3) came right back at 12:17 to tie it when Chris Tanev scored off a quick wrist shot from the top of the left circle.

While killing a penalty late in the stanza, Clarkson regained the lead. Junior captain Scott Freeman (Whitby, ONT) knocked a puck out of the air in the Knights’ defensive end and raced into RIT’s zone where he flipped a shot past the Tiger’s goaltender for his first goal of the season and the Green and Gold’s first shorthanded marker of the year. Oakley picked up his team-high fourth assist.

The Knights went on top 3-1 early in the second on a power-play tally by freshman Adam Pawlick (Utica, NY). Pawlick picked up his second goal of the season when he one-timed a pass from sophomore Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) at 4:44. Sophomore defenseman Mark Borowiecki (Kanata, ONT) also assisted.

Senior Tim Marks (Brownville, NY) gave Clarkson a three-goal lead at 4:43 of the third, finishing off a pass from Tremblay with a wrap-around shot for his second goal of the season. RIT answered back with a power-play marker from Cameron Burt at 10:18, to cut the Knights’ lead to 4-2.

At 13:51, Beca scored again, capitalizing off the hard work of linemates DeFazio and sophomore Julien Cayer (Lonqueuil, QUE) by stuffing in a shot in close for his fifth goal in the first four games of the season.

The Tigers’ made it close with their third goal coming with 49 seconds left as Burt tallied his second of the game.

RIT out shot the Knights 45-29, but Karpowich was strong throughout the game, making 11 saves in the first, 12 more in the second and equaling a career-best 19 saves in the third. Jared DeMichiel finished with 24 saves for the Tigers.

Both teams went 1-of-5 on the power play.