MISKOVIC, PETIZIAN HELP SAINTS TO 4-2 WIN OVER #9 CLARKSON

Dec. 1: Junior defenseman Zach Miskovic scored one goal and assisted on another and sophomore goaltender Alex Petizian made 37 saves as St. Lawrence University snapped a seven-game home ice winless streak with a 4-2 ECAC Hockey victory over ninth-ranked Clarkson at sold-out Appleton Arena Saturday night.

 

Miskovic (right) was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Week for his performance, the first defenseman to win Player of the Week honors this season and just the second in the last two years.

 

The Saints, now 5-7-3 overall and 2-4-2 in ECAC Hockey, took two out of three in the season series between the two teams and won for the ninth time in the last 11 games in the North Country rivalry at Appleton Arena. Clarkson, now 10-5-0 overall, sustained just its second loss in league play and is 6-2-0 in ECAC Hockey.

 

“That was a tremendous win for us in more ways than one,” said Saint coach Joe Marsh. “We have been playing pretty well for the most part, but haven’t had a lot to show for it. Tonight we got some timely goals and really stepped up big defensively in the third period against a highly skilled offensive team.

 

“I was very proud of the effort tonight from every guy on the ice. We blocked a lot of shots and took away some shooting lanes with the game on the line, and Alex Petizian did a great job in goal against a team that can really put the pressure on.”

 

The Saints opened the scoring just 1:54 into the game as senior wing Charlie Giffin picked up a second rebound at the side of the net and put it back past Clarkson goalie David Leggio as the puck was sent back and forth across the Clarkson crease by the Saints. Giffin’s sixth of the year followed a big glove save by Leggio on Brock McBride’s point blank shot.

 

The Knights tied the game on their first power play chance of the game at 10:46 as senior defenseman Grant Clitsome hit the empty net before Saint goalie Alex Petizian could get back across his crease. It was the first goal of the season for the Clarkson assistant captain. The Saints came back to take a 2-1 lead just under five minutes later when junior Casey Parenteau tapped his seventh of the year into the net after defenseman Jared Ross banked a shot off the end boards and the rebound went right onto Parenteau’s stick at 15:46.

 

St. Lawrence made it a 3-1 game midway through the second as sophomore Sean Flanagan found classmate Mike McKenzie with a goalmouth pass and McKenzie buried it for his first of the season with Miskovic also assisting at 10:15. McKenzie, who had a dozen goals as a rookie and was among the nation’s leaders in game-winning goals, finally got his first 15 games into the current season, and it turned into the game winner.

 

A series of penalties on St. Lawrence gave Clarkson a chance to get back into it early in the third period and the Knights capitalized on a five-on-three power play as Clitsome scored his second of the night at 1:42 of the period, rifling a shot just under the crossbar from the short slot.

 

The Saints rebuilt their two goal cushion at 11:58 when Miskovic worked his way in front of the net and redirected a shot from the point by forward Nick Pitsikoulis past Leggio for his second of the year.

 

St. Lawrence had to weather late Clarkson pressure as the Knights pulled Leggio while on a power play, but the Saint defense and Petizian were able to protect the lead and take the rubber match in the season series between the two teams.

 

Petizian had 16 of his 37 saves in the third while Leggio, who finished with 35 saves, made 30 of them in the first two periods.