Junior center Steve Zalewski (New Hartford, NY) scored one goal and added one assist to highlight Clarkson University’s 5-3 victory over Brown in ECACHL action before 2,453 fans at Cheel Arena on Friday. Ranked 10th in the country, the Golden Knights broke open a tight 2-2 game after the first period with three goals over a span of 4:32 late in the second stanza to take a commanding 5-2 lead after 40 minutes.
Clarkson improves its record to 18-7-4 overall and moves into second place in the ECACHL with a 10-4-3 league mark. Just two points behind conference front-runner St. Lawrence, the Knights host Yale on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
Zalewski put Clarkson in the lead, 3-2, with his team-high 15th goal of the season, knocking in a perfect feed through the crease by junior captain Nick Dodge (Oakville, ONT) for a power-play marker at 13:03 of the second. At 14:45, junior defenseman Grant Clitsome (Gloucester, ONT) recorded his fifth goal of the year, the game-winner, when his dump-in from center ice took a fortunate bounce off the left-wing glass and into an empty Brown net, after the Bears’ freshman goaltender Dan Rosen went behind the goal in anticipation of handling the puck.
Four seconds after a Clarkson power play ended, at 17:35, senior Mike Sullivan (Stouffville, ONT) knocked in his sixth goal of the season during a scramble in front to give the Green and Gold the three-goal cushion after 40 minutes of play. Junior David Cayer (Longueuil, QUE), with his second assist of the game, and sophomore defenseman Adam Bellows (Lancaster, NY) set up the goal.
Brown (9-10-5, 5-9-3) scored the lone goal of the third period with Eric Slais’s second goal of the year with 1:52 remaining. The Bears’ pulled Rosen for the extra attacker with 96 seconds left, but could not get another goal on the scoreboard.
Clarkson surrendered the opening goal for the sixth straight game when Brown took advantage of two penalties to the Knights in the first 52 seconds of play. Eleven seconds into a 5-on-3 power play, the Bears’ Sean Hurley connected on a slapshot from the top of the right circle at 1:13. Clarkson answered back with a power-play goal at 5:18 when sophomore Chris D’Alvise (Mississauga, ONT) one-timed a pass from senior defenseman Michael Grenzy (Lockport, NY) for his 11th goal of the year.
At 10:17, the Knights went on top when junior Shawn Weller (South Glens Falls, NY) knocked in a rebound off a shot by Zalewski on a 2-on-1 rush. Freshman Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) set up the play for his second assist of the game. Brown came right back 27 seconds later as Jeff Prough scored on a shot from along the right boards that found its way through a screen to tie the game 2-2.
Clarkson out shot Brown 38-31, including a 31-19 margin through the first two periods. Junior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY) made 28 saves for the Knights. Rosen finished with 33 stops. Clarkson, which enjoyed five straight power plays in the second stanza, went 2-of-8 on the man advantage. The Bears finished 1-of-4 on the power play.
