This weekend the Golden Knights host Princeton on Friday, Feb. 9, and the defending national champion Quinnipiac Bobcats Saturday, Feb. 10. Clarkson awaits a couple of powerful offenses as they look to get back into the win column. The Knights offense enters the weekend scoring 2.6 goals per game, allowing 2.8 goals per game. Their power play struck twice in their most recent game, converting on 16.5 percent of their chances this season, with their penalty kill stopping the opposition at 82.2 percent. The Knights are now fourth in the ECAC standings, trailing Cornell by four points and Colgate by three points. Union, in fifth, is one point behind Clarkson followed by Yale and Brown three points behind.

Princeton is a team that can score goals quickly and in large quantities, but also can allow goals at that rate. Their offense scores 3.0 goals per game while they have allowed 4.1 goals against per game. The Tigers have the second best power play in the nation, scoring on 33.3 percent of their chances, but their penalty kill has only been successful 73.1 percent of the time. The Tigers are at the bottom of the ECAC Standings with 14 points.

Quinnipiac is the defending national champion. They are the best team in the ECAC, and are ranked fifth in the nation. Their powerful offense is accompanied by an even better ranked defense. The Bobcats offense ranks fourth in the nation, scoring 4.1 goals per game. Their defense is ranked second in the nation, allowing only 1.9 goals against per game. Quinnipiac's power play has converted on 20.8 percent of their chances this season, their penalty kill has stopped 87.0 percent of the opposing chances which ranks fifth nationally.

Clarkson (13-12-1, 7-6-1)

The Knights lost both games on the road last weekend against Colgate and Cornell. Cogate led Friday's game 2-0 entering the final period thanks to a pair of second period goals. Ryan Richardson cut into the lead 3:28 into the third, but Colgate scored a power play goal two minutes after. Tristan Sarsland got the Knights back within one halfway through the period. Colgate was able to hold off the offensive push from Clarkson, adding a goal with three minutes remaining in regulation to go ahead 4-2.

Saturday, Cornell scored two quick goals around a tripping penalty to Noah Beck. The first came on the delayed penalty with the extra attacker, the next on the ensuing power play. The Golden Knights received a 45 second 5-on-3 power play, which included a 5-minute major penalty. Anthony Romano scored early in the 5-on-3, followed by Mathieu Gosselin later in the major power play to tie the game 2-2. The Big Red scored five more goals in the final 40 minutes to win 7-2.

Princeton (7-12-2, 5-8-1-1)

The Tigers are coming off of a one game weekend, where they were beaten by Dartmouth 5-1. After a difficult January that saw losses in six of their seven games, Princeton finished the month beating Army in overtime 4-3. Dartmouth scored the first three goals Friday. Princeton got their first of the game with 1:40 left in the second period from David Jacobs, assisted by Jack Cronin and Mike Kennedy. Dartmouth added two more goals in the third period to close the victory. 

Quinnipiac (19-6-2, 12-2-1)

The Bobcats have won four straight, including the CT Ice title over Yale and UConn, and a weekend sweep over Harvard and Dartmouth last weekend. Last weekend marked their first games at home since Dec. 30. Quinnipiac opened the scoring Friday, finding the first two goals. Davis Pennington scored first, twelve minutes into the game, followed by a second period goal by Christophe Tellier that stood as the game winner. Harvard scored a goal late, but were unable to complete the comeback as the Bobcats won 2-1.

Saturday, the Bobcats opened a commanding four goal lead thanks to three in the first period from Collin Graf, Mason Marcellus, and Sam Lipkin on the power play, and another in the second period from Travis Treloar on the power play. Dartmouth scored their only goal halfway into the third period on the power play, before giving up another power play goal to Quinnipiac's Jacob Quillian. Quillian, Graf, and Treloar each recorded three point outings with a goal and two assists.

Quinnipiac is the top ranked team in the ECAC Standings with 38 points. The defending champs are ranked 5th nationally in the USCHO Poll, the highest ranked team in the ECAC.

This will be the first meeting between these teams this season. Last year, the Golden Knights split the season series with Princeton and lost both games to Quinnipiac. The Knights traveled on the road in early December, 2022. Princeton won 6-2 in the Friday game, Quinnipiac won 6-3 Saturday. Clarkson hosted the travel partners during COGO Weekend in February, 2023. Quinnipiac won 3-0 on Friday, but the Knights bounced back Saturday with a 4-1 win over Princeton.

Clarkson is led in scoring by Ayrton Martino. Martino has 19 points this season from six goals and 13 assists in 23 games played. He assisted on both Golden Knight goals in the loss to Cornell last Saturday. Mathieu Gosselin is second on the team with 18 points from six goals and 12 assists in 22 games played. Gosselin enters the weekend riding a seven game point streak, including four goals and four assists, as well as recording 12 points over his last 11 games since returning to the lineup in December. Eric Ciccolini and Ryan Taylor lead the team in goals scored with eight. Cicciolini dazzled the Route 11 Rivalry with a natural hat trick in the home win over St. Lawrence. Taylor returned to the lineup  Jan. 27 after missing multiple weeks due to injury, his last goal came on the overtime game winner over UMass during the Adirondack Winter Invitational.

Princeton is led in scoring by Adam Robbins. Robbins has recorded 20 points in 21 games played, featuring eight goals and 12 assists. Robbins also leads the team in shots with 58. Jack Cronin leads the Tigers in goals and is second on the team in scoring. Cronin has 10 goals and eight assists this season for 18 points in 21 games played. David Jacobs is third on the team in points with 16, including four goals and 12 assists.

Quinnipiac is led by a trio of players with over 30 points this season. Collin Graf is their top scorer with 36 points in 22 games from a team leading 15 goals and 21 assists. Graf is on a three game point streak with five points over that span. Sam Lipkin and Jacob Quillan both have the same stat-line, tied for second on the team in scoring with 12 goals, 18 assists, and 30 points in 27 games played. Both players recorded points in both games last weekend. Mason Marcellus is part of a three-way tie for second on the team with 12 goals, he has three goals in the past four games and four points over that stretch.