PETIZIAN, TAYLOR COME UP BIG AS SAINTS WIN AT CORNELL

ITHACA —Max Taylor scored on a power play rebound with 6:13 to play and Alex Petizian turned in a huge performance which included a save on a penalty shot as St. Lawrence tipped Cornell 2-1 in a key ECAC Hockey League game Saturday night to earn a split of their weekend road series and a big two league points.

 

The Saints won in Cornell’s Lynah Rink for the first time since January of 2001 and swept the season series with the Big Red also for the first time since the 2000-01 season. They also remain at the top of the ECACHL standings with a four-game home stand coming up.

 

“That was a huge game for us,” said Saint coach Joe Marsh. “It was a great performance across the board and a very big win, particularly in the light of the way things went last night. It is always a little harder to be successful on the road, and there aren’t many places tougher to play than Lynah Rink, but thanks to Alex and a couple of big plays at the other end of the ice, we were able to come away a winner.”

 

Taylor, who had several great chances during the game, scored the game winner on a Saint power play as he collected a rebound of a shot by Brock McBride and snapped it back past Cornell goalie Ben Scrivens for his ninth of the season. Kevin DeVergilio also assisted on the play which capped off the Saints’ sixth power play of the game.

 

It was far from over after Taylor’s goal, however, and Petizian had to come up with some big saves and the Saint defense some big plays as Cornell was awarded a power play with 2:26 to play and pulled Scrivens for the extra attacker with just over a minute left, but key faceoff wins in the defensive zone by Kyle Rank and great work along the boards by the Saint defense prevented Cornell from tying it.

 

The Saints jumped back into first in the ECACHL with an assist from Brown, which upended Quinnipiac on Saturday night. SLU, 15-11-2 overall and 11-4-1 in the league now has a one point lead on Quinnipiac with Clarkson third. Cornell, 11-9-3, 7-6-3 remains in the thick of the battle for a first-round bye.

 

The Big Red jumped out to the early lead in the game as sophomore center Michael Kennedy put back a rebound of a shot off the stick of Mitch Carefoot at 11:03 of the first period. Saint goalie Alex Petizian, who had a solid first period, stopped the initial shot but the Saints couldn’t clear the short rebound and Kennedy jumped on it for his fifth of the year.

 

The Saints managed sporadic pressure in the Cornell end in the first period with Scrivens coming up big on Taylor off DeVergilio’s set up with 7:05 gone in the period. The Saints also had a couple of great chances on rebounds, but Saint players were tackled before they could get to the free puck.

 

The Saints battled back to tie it in the second period, getting the equalizer less than a minute after Petizian made a brilliant save on Blake Gallagher’s penalty shot. Gallagher, the son of former Saint player Paul Gallagher, was hauled down after he broke in on Petizian and was awarded the penalty shot. The freshman center came in on Petizian, faked him and seemed to have a wide open net to shoot out, but Petizian dove back across to his left and robbed Gallagher with a glove save.

 

Petizian has now stopped three penalty shots this season...against Niagara, Boston University and Cornell.

 

Jordan Hack tied the game for the Saints with his second goal of the weekend as he picked up a loose puck and snapped it past Scrivens at 5:39. Zach Miskovic started the play when he took a pass from Travis Vermeulen and fired a shot which hit skates in front. Hack pounced on the puck before the Cornell defense could react to score his third of the year.

 

“That was a great performance by Petizian,” said Marsh. “He didn’t play badly at Colgate, and he obviously didn’t it get to him the way he played tonight. It was also a very big night by Shawn Fensel, who fought off the flu and played a tremendous game despite probably not being at full strength.”