With a 27-day break before its next games, the Clarkson University Hockey team will look to regroup, get healthy, and return stronger and more determined for the second half of the 2009-10 campaign.
The Golden Knights, guided by seventh-year head coach George Roll, associate coach Greg Drechsel and assistant coach Jean-Francois Houle, will strive to turn around a disappointing first half when they resume play at the Dodge Holiday Classic on the Olympic ice sheet at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, MN on January 2-3. The Green and Gold face off against Northern Michigan in the first round, beginning at 5:07 p.m. EST, and then battle either host University of Minnesota or Bowling Green in the second round.
Clarkson posts a 4-10-2 overall record and holds a 1-5-2 ECAC Hockey mark. The Knights’ next league games are in Potsdam against central NY rivals Cornell and Colgate on January 15-16.
In its final action of the 2009 portion of the schedule, Clarkson battled archrival St. Lawrence in a home-and-home North Country series on December 4-5. On Friday, the Knights rallied from a 3-1 deficit early in the third period to gain a 3-3 tie against the Saints at Appleton Arena in Canton. Sophomore Corey Tamblyn (Bobcaygeon, ONT) came through with the tying goal with 30 seconds left in regulation.
Watertown Times YouTube Video of Tamblyn's goal
The next night at Cheel Arena, Clarkson saw its four-game unbeaten streak against its rivals come to an end as St. Lawrence scored on the power-play with 1:44 remaining in the third to pull out a 4-3 victory.
Senior right wing Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) leads the Green and Gold in scoring with 16 points, including a team-high eight goals. The Knights assistant captain, with a five-game point-scoring streak (2-7), became the latest Clarkson player to join the Century Club. He recorded three assists in Friday’s game at St. Lawrence to reach the coveted mark. Through 128 career games, Beca has amassed 101 points on 39 goals and 62 assists.
Junior captain Scott Freeman (Whitby, ONT) is also riding a long point streak with nine assists over the past six games. Freeman is the Knights’ leading playmaker with 12 assists and is second in points with 15. Sophomore defenseman Mark Borowiecki (Kanata, ONT) has emerged as an offensive force for the Green and Gold with 13 points (6-7). After scoring just one goal and two points as a rookie, Borowiecki has picked up his offensive play of late with four goals and three assists during a current five-game scoring streak.
Junior assistant captain Brandon DeFazio (Oakville, ONT) has 12 points (5-7) and shares the team lead in power-play markers with three, along with freshman Adam Pawlick (Utica, NY). Junior Louke Oakley (Whitby, ONT), who has sat out the last four games with an injury, also has 12 points (2-10). Oakley is expected back for the tournament. Junior defenseman Bryan Rufenach (Cameron, ONT) rounds out Clarkson’s double figure scorers with 11 points (4-7).
Sophomore Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) has seen the bulk of the action in the Knights’ crease. Starting 12 games, he posts a .893 save percentage, a 3.60 goals against average and a 3-7-2 record. Classmate Richie LaVeau (Arlington Heights, IL) has played in five games and holds a .908 save percentage, a 3.15 GAA and a 1-3 record.
