Potsdam, NY - Five different Golden Knights scored goals and freshman Eve Grandmont-Berube (Drummondville, QUE) made 19 saves as the 11th-ranked Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team showcased a balanced effort in a 5-1 victory over Yale in ECAC Hockey action before 404 fans Saturday afternoon at Cheel Arena.
With two games remaining in the regular season, Clarkson is in third place in the ECAC standings with a 12-5-3 league mark. Overall, the Knights, who own a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2), post a 21-6-5 record, one victory shy of the single-season school mark for wins in a year. The Knights close out the regular season next weekend at home, hosting Quinnipiac and Princeton. Clarkson is one point ahead of fourth-place Dartmouth, and leads fifth-place Princeton by four points.
Winless in its last six games (0-4-2), Yale falls to 6-10-4 in the conference and to 9-12-6 overall. The Bulldogs, who host Union and Rensselaer next weekend in New Haven, CT, are in ninth place in the league standings.
Benefiting from five power plays to start Saturday’s game, the Knights dominated the opening 20 minutes, out shooting Yale 17-7, but could not convert on their numerous chances in the scoreless stanza.
Clarkson’s offense found its momentum early in the second period and rolled from there, scoring twice in the middle frame and three more times in the final period.
Shortly after Clarkson’s sixth power play came to and end, the Knights finally broke through with their first goal at 2:37 of the second period. The Green and Gold’s leading, scorer, sophomore Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) fired a shot from the left circle underneath the crossbar for her 17th goal of the season. Freshmen Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) and Daris Tendler (Verwood, SASK) assisted.
At 16:37, Clarkson made it 2-0 with a power-play marker from Waldie, who knocked in her 18th goal of the season by redirecting in a shot by sophomore Genevieve Lavoie (Delson, QUE). Selina also assisted for her team-high 42nd point of the season.
Clarkson added two more goals one minute apart in the third frame for a 4-0 lead.
Senior captain Katie Morrison (Ridgefield, CT) picked a up loose puck off the back boards and tucked in a quick shot behind the Bulldogs’ goaltender for her third goal of the season at 8:23. Seniors Amanda Dittmer (Chatham, ONT) and Brooke Beazer (Kingston, ONT) assisted.
At 9:23, Beazer, positioned in front of the Yale crease, tipped in a shot from the point by sophomore defenseman Carlee Eusepi (Oakville, ONT) for her fifth goal of the season. Junior Marie-Jo Gaudet (Sherbrooke, QUE) also assisted.
The Bulldogs spoiled the Knights’ shutout at 11:41 when Crysti Howser capitalized on a Clarkson turnover in front of the Green and Gold’s net and slipped in her ninth goal of the season.
Clarkson quickly regained its four-goal lead at 13:21 as the Knights’ leading goal scorer, Gaudet, got behind the Yale defense and fired in her 20th goal of the season. Freshman Courtney Olson (Great Falls, MT) assisted.
Clarkson out shot Yale by more than a 2-to-1 margin, 44-20. The Knights went 2-of-9 on the power play and killed off the Bulldogs’ only two chances.
