BAGNALL SCORES TWO AS SAINTS SWEEP WEEKEND

Nov. 4: Senior defenseman Drew Bagnall scored two goals and freshman goaltender Alex Petizian won his third straight start as St. Lawrence University held off a Harvard comeback for a 5-4 ECAC Hockey League win in Cambridge Saturday night and a sweep of the opening weekend of league play.

 

St. Lawrence, now 4-3 overall and 2-0 in the ECACHL, won at Harvard in the regular season for the first time since 2000 as Petizian came through with a 33-save night including several big ones in the final minutes as Harvard rallied from 2-0 and 5-2 deficits to make it exciting at the end.

 

“Both tonight’s game at Harvard and last night’s at Dartmouth were great hockey games, and the fans had to get their money’s worth,” said Saint coach Joe Marsh. “I am very pleased with the way we played tonight and the way we handled Harvard’s pressure. We made some mistakes, but we were able to recover from them. It was a weekend we can really take a lot out of. I think the young guys now know what it takes to play and be successful on the road.”

 

The Saints couldn’t have asked for a better start in a building that has not been kind to them over recent seasons. Senior Max Taylor scored his first goal of the year 4:41 into the game and the Saints cashed in on a five-on-three power play just 3:07 later for a quick 2-0 lead.

 

Andrzej Sandrzyk set up Taylor’s goal with a pretty cross-crease pass and Taylor, who was all alone at the far post, simply redirected it past Harvard goalie Justin Tobe. Drew Bagnall scored the power play goal, his second of the year, as he crashed the crease with the two man advantage and snapped the puck past Tobe with Mike McKenzie and Kyle Rank assisting at 7:48.

 

Petizian continued his sharp play in the Saint net, robbing Tyler Magura on a shorthanded bid with just under six minutes gone and then coming up big on a pair of Crimson power plays late in the period.

 

“Alex has the hot hand and that’s why we decided to stick with him for both games this weekend. He played very well again tonight and made some big saves in key situations,” said Marsh.

 

Harvard battled back to tie in the first half of the second period as Dylan Reese put the Crimson on the board on a power play rebound at 7:29 and Jon Pelle finished off a two-on-one with his first of the year at 10:41.

 

The Saints shrugged off the Harvard comeback and regained the lead in the final four minutes of the period. Sophomore Casey Parenteau scored his first collegiate goal when he intercepted a bad clear by a Harvard defender and snapped a shot over Tobe’s shoulder at 16:40 to give the Saints a 3-2 lead. Brock McBride, who has had some great scoring chances denied thus far this season, scored his first of the year at 18:38 as he snapped a shot toward the goal and a Harvard defender tried to bat it down with his glove, but instead redirected it past Tobe to make it 4-2. The Saints then scored their second power play goal of the game with 11 seconds to go in the period as Charlie Giffin was hammered by a defender but slid the puck to Bagnall who was coming down the slot and Bagnall ripped his second of the night between Tobe and the post with Rank also assisting.

 

The Crimson made things interesting in the third, pulling to within two on goals by Bill Keenan at 5:47 as he banged one past Petizian in traffic after the puck got caught up in defenders skates right in front of the goal, and Ryan Maki, who scored at 8:48 with a delayed penalty being indicated against the Saints and an extra attacker on the ice.

 

Petizian and the Saint defense was able to hold Harvard off the rest of the way to complete the sweep although Harvard did pressure with Tobe pulled for an extra attacker in the final minute.