Potsdam, NY – In a showdown between the top two teams in ECAC Hockey, league-leader Clarkson University, behind a 32-save effort from senior David Leggio (Williamsville, NY), came out on top over second-place Cornell, defeating the Big Red 4-1 before 2,785 fans at Cheel Arena on Friday.
The Golden Knights, who won their eighth consecutive home game against league foes at Cheel, hold a three-point lead in the standings with an 11-3-1 ECAC Hockey mark. Overall, 13th-ranked Clarkson stands at 16-9-2.
Cornell, which saw an unbeaten streak come to an end at four games (3-0-1), lost for the first time on Friday night in the 2008 portion of the schedule to fall into fourth place in ECAC Hockey with a 9-5-1 league mark. The Big Red are 11-8-3 overall.
Cornell started the game strong, out shooting the Knights 6-0 in the opening four minutes, and held a 13-7 margin through the first period. The Big Red took the initial lead when Colin Greening (St. John’s NF) redirected a shot from the point by sophomore Brandon Nash (Kamloops, BC) for a power-play marker at 12:10. Freshman Riley Nash (Kamloops, BC) also assisted.
Behind four different goal scorers, the Knights rallied back to tie it late in the first, connected for the game-winner early in the second, and added two more goals in the third to extend their ECAC Hockey unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-1).
Clarkson started its rally with an opportunistic goal by freshman Scott Freeman (Whitby, ONT). During a scrum in front of the Big Red crease, Freeman, back in the lineup after missing the previous six games with an injury, fought through a Cornell defenseman and knocked in a centering pass from junior Shea Guthrie (Carleton Place, ONT) at 15:34 for his third goal of the year. Junior Chris D’Alvise (Mississauga, ONT) also assisted.
Clarkson gained the lead early in the second period as the Knights’ captain, senior Nick Dodge (Oakville, ONT) broke out of a lengthy scoring drought for the game-wnner. Dodge flipped in a rebound for a power-play marker at 3:41 for his first goal in nine games and his first league goal of the season. Senior defensman Grant Clitsome (Gloucester, ONT) fired a shot on net from the point, and Dodge, positioned at the left side of the net, picked up the rebound and lifted in a shot underneath the crossbar for his eighth goal of the season. Senior David Cayer (Longueuil, QUE) also set-up Clarkson’s first power-play goal in four games.
At 6:02 of the third, sophomore Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) put the Green and Gold on top 3-1 with his sixth goal of the year and third shorthanded tally of the season. Beca took a pass from junior defenseman Tyrell Mason (Dawson Creek, BC) at the left circle, battled past a Cornell defenseman and connected on a wrist shot for the Knights’ seventh shorthanded goal of the season.
Cornell pulled sophomore goaltender Ben Scrivens (Spruce Grove, ALB) for the extra with 1:50 to play, but Clitsome scored into the empty net at 18:41 to seal Clarkson’s first league sweep of the Big Red since the 1998-99 campaign. Dodge and junior defenseman Adam Bellows (Lancaster, NY) assisted on Clitsome’s fourth goal of the year.
Cornell out shot the Knights 33-25. Clarkson was 1-of-5 on the power play and killed off six of seven Big Red power-play opportunities.
