CLARKSON TIPS SAINTS IN THRILLER

Dec. 5: Shea Guthrie snapped a 1-1 tie with 7:29 to play and Clarkson added an empty net goal with 35 seconds left to edge St. Lawrence 3-1 in the first ECAC Hockey League meeting of the year between the two North Country rivals at Clarkson’s Cheel Center Tuesday night.

 

Guthrie’s goal decided an outstanding goaltending duel between Clarkson’s David Leggio and the Saints’ Kain Tisi as the goaltenders made goals a premium despite 11 power play chances between the two teams. Tisi finished with 20 saves for the Saints while Leggio had 31 for Clarkson.

 

The Saints, now 8-6-0 overall and 5-2-0 in the ECACHL are now tied with Clarkson 11-5-1, 5-2-0 in the league standings. SLU will play at New Hampshire on Friday and a Sunday afternoon game with Lowell to start a string of three non-league games before the break for the exams and the holidays.

 

Tisi made his third start in the last four games and second straight after a 28-save night in a 5-2 win at Yale on Saturday night. The Saints went into Tuesday’s game having won six of the last nine regular season league games between the two teams, but had to play shorthanded in the third period due to injuries to forwards and couldn’t cash in on seven power play chances.

 

“It was a great college hockey game,” said Saint coach Joe Marsh. “It is one we certainly would have liked to have won, and I think we played well enough to win, but Clarkson was able to cash in when it got a break.”

 

The big break came on the decisive three-on-one break just after a Clarkson power play had expired. Max Taylor took the puck deep into the Clarkson zone as the power play expired, but lost an edge and fell. Clarkson broke out and Michael Grenzy fed Guthrie, who snapped a shot up high past Tisi from point blank range at 12:31 to give the Knights the lead.

 

The Saints played the third period down two forwards as Brock McBride and Kevin DeVergilio were both injured in the second period. McBride was not on the bench for the third and while DeVergilio was on the bench, he did not play.

 

Clarkson had earlier had a goal indicated on the power play, but a video review overturned the goal, which never went into the net.

 

The Knights added an empty netter by Shawn Weller, his second goal of the night, at 19:35 for the 3-1 final.

 

While the Saints dominated the first period, Clarkson came out with the lead, striking on a power play rebound goal with seven seconds to go in the period. SLU had a 12-3 edge in shots on goal and several quality scoring chances, but the Golden Knights’ second power play of the first period paid off.

 

Tisi made two big saves as Clarkson worked the puck down low, but Shawn Weller finally picked up a rebound of a shot by Nick Dodge and flipped it into the net at 19:53 for the game’s first goal.

 

Both teams played things close to the vest in the early going, but the Saints had the upper hand when it came to scoring chances. Leggio made a dozen first period saves and while he did give up a couple of rebounds, the Saints couldn’t cash in on them. Alex Curran had one great chance, but shot just wide with 6:45 to go in the first and Charlie Giffin had another shot to give the Saints the early lead, but also missed the far post.

 

The Saints had a big shot advantage in the second period as well, but still couldn’t dent the scoreboard as Leggio made 13 second period saves. SLU had five power play chances in the period including nearly 45 seconds of five-on-three, but couldn’t cash in.

 

Mike McKenzie had the best shot at tying the game, but his shot on a power play went off Leggio’s shoulder and then off the crossbar and stayed out of the net early in the period.

The Saints tied it up early in the third period as Travis Vermeulen picked the puck off the sideboards as Clarkson was setting up in its own zone on a power play and snapped a shot which went in off Leggio’s glove at 3:33 for an unassisted shorthanded goal.

“Both teams played a solid game tonight,” said Marsh. “It was the kind of game you expect in this rivalry and it is something I think our guys can learn from.”