Howe, Clarkson Shutout No. 7 Saints in Opener, 1-0

Home › Women's hockey ›

in
by: 
Gary Mikel
St. Lawrence fell to Clarkson on Friday evening by the score of 1-0.

Oct. 5: The puck dropped on the 2012-13 women's ice hockey regular season on Friday evening, as Clarkson University scored on its first shot then relied on goaltender Erica Howe for a 32-save performance, backstopping the Golden Knights to a 1-0 victory over St. Lawrence University at Appleton Arena.

Clarkson's Jamie Lee Rattray scored the game-winning goal a mere 1:42 into regulation as the visitors improve to 1-0-0, while the Saints fell to 0-1-0, losing to Clarkson at home for only the second time in program history.

"I love the way we played tonight," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells. "Clarkson did a great job on the penalty kill in the first period and were able to limit our second chance opportunities."

With the Saints working the puck through the neutral zone, Carly Mercer tipped it away from a St. Lawrence defender right to Rattray, who moved in one-on-one with goaltender Carmen MacDonald. Rattray used a slick move in the slot to beat MacDonald on the backhand to give Clarkson a 1-0 lead.

St. Lawrence had three consecutive power plays in the first period, but came away empty with the Knights doing well to not allow rebound chances. The Saints nearly tied the game with 4:45 left in the first, when a shot from inside the left circle got behind Howe and trickled towards the goal line. However, a Golden Knight defender was able to clear it from the crease before it crossed the line.

St. Lawrence, which closed with a 32-22 advantage in shots on goal, had the better of the play throughout a fast-paced second period. However, Howe turned back all 12 shots she faced, keeping her team ahead 1-0 through 40:00 minutes.

The Saints' best chances in the final frame came with MacDonald on the bench in favor of an extra skater. Though senior captain Kelly Sabatine had a bid from the slot and rookie Kailee Heidersbach pounced on the rebound, Howe stood her ground to keep the shutout intact, ensuring the 1-0 victory.

After allowing a goal on the opening shot, MacDonald was solid in her net as well, making 21 saves to keep the Scarlet and Brown within striking distance. St. Lawrence was 0-for-5 on the power play, while Clarkson was 0-for-1.

The two North Country rivals will square off in a rematch tomorrow, Saturday, October 6 at 3:00pm in Cheel Arena in Potsdam, NY.