The Clarkson University Hockey team’s bid to gain a weekend sweep on the road in Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League (ECACHL) action came up short on Saturday night as the Golden Knights were edged by Yale 2-1 at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, CT.
Clarkson, which defeated Princeton 3-2 at Hobey baker Rink in new Jersey on Friday, owns a 6-13-2 overall record and is tied for 10th in the ECACHL with a 2-6-1 league mark. The Knights return home to Cheel Arena this coming Saturday to host arch-rival St. Lawrence in a 7:00 p.m. contest.
One week after routing Yale 8-1 in the consolation game of the Badger Showdown in Wisconsin, the Knights could only create one goal against the Bulldogs on their home ice despite eight power-play opportunities against the worst penalty-killing unit in the country. After a scoreless first period, Yale broke the deadlock with a pair of goals 87 seconds apart early in the middle frame. Brad Mills scored an unassisted shorthanded marker while the Bulldogs were killing off a five-minute major at 7:14 and Robert Burns connected on a 2-on-1 break at 8:41. With 1:45 left in the second, Clarkson’s standout freshman center Steve Zalewski (New Hartford, NY) answered back with a shorthanded tally and his eighth goal of the season to give the Knights live.
The Knights, who were out shot 20-19 through the first two periods, came out strong in the final 20 minutes and out shot the Bulldogs 14-6 in the stanza. Clarkson, however, could not put the tying goal past Yale goaltender Matt Modelski and the Bulldogs held on for their fifth straight league win over the Green and Gold.
Making his third consecutive start in the Clarkson goal, sophomore Kyle McNulty (Wakefield, RI) posted 24 saves, including 12 in the first period when Yale enjoyed four straight power-plays. Clarkson extended its penalty-killing streak to 23 straight by holding Yale scoreless in its six man-advantage opportunities. The Knights were 0-of-8 on the power play against a Yale shorthanded unit which came into the game with a 65% penalty kill.
