| 1/6/2006 9:37:18 PM
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POTSDAM, NY – Clarkson University (11-6-2) scored three unanswered third period goals to break a 2-2 tie and defeat RIT (5-13-2) by a score of 4-2 on Friday night in front of 2,050 fans at Cheel Arena.
First-year forward Matt Isbister broke the tie with 13:55 left in regulation for Clarkson, as he deflected a bad-angle shot by Shea Guthrie past RIT netminder Jocelyn Guimond (St.-Edouard-de-Lotbiniere, PQ/Williams Lake) (Quebec City, PQ) to give the Golden Knights a lead they would not relinquish. The goal was Isbister’s first of his collegiate career.
The Tigers had a golden chance to get back to even, as Guthrie took a five-minute checking from behind penalty and was ejected from the contest with 9:35 left. Unfortunately for the Tigers, not only did they not score with the extended man-advantage, but Chris D’Alvise scored a short-handed goal with 8:18 left on a breakaway to put Clarkson up two goals.
Although pleased with his team’s effort, RIT head coach Wayne Wilson thought the play of the two teams during the five-minute power-play in the third period was the difference.
“We were very sloppy and tried to be too cute with that man-advantage,” said Wilson. “That’s where we need to be mentally stronger, step up and take advantage of that one key moment in the game, where they allowed us to get back in.”
Nick Dodge closed out the scoring with an empty-net tally, coming with 18 seconds left to finish the scoring.
Clarkson jumped out to the quick 1-0 lead just 1:22 in as Brodie Rutherglen got behind the RIT defense and tapped in a rebound off a shot from D’Alvise for his fourth goal of the year. D’Alvise came into the zone and took what looked like a harmless wrist shot from the left wing on the rush. Guimond could not handle the initial shot and Rutherglen slammed home the rebound.
RIT came right back and almost tied the game, as Simon Lambert (Ste.-Therese, PQ/Cumberland Grads) (Ste. Therese, PQ) received a great pass from Jesse Newman (Westbank, BC/Trail) (Westbank, BC) and found himself in front of the Golden Knights net. David Leggio came up with the big point blank save for Clarkson.
Guimond settled down after the first goal and made a handful of tremendous saves, the best of which came when Clarkson was on a 5-on-3 power-play midway through the period. Guimond slid across the net to rob Shea Guthrie, who received a goal mouth pass, as he was parked to the left of the cage.
The Golden Knights made it 2-0 less than a minute later, as on a 4-on-3 power-play, David Cayer slammed home a loose puck at the left side of the net after Guimond made a handful of saves during the sequence. The goal was Cayer’s sixth of the year.
Darrell Draper (Tigard, OR/Cowichon Capitals) (Tigard, OR) just missed putting RIT on the board with less than two minutes left in the opening period. Draper broke in on a 3-on-2 break, took a pass from Lambert and rung his shot over the glove of Leggio, but off the crossbar.
Clarkson out-shot RIT 18-4 over the opening 20 minutes of play.
RIT got themselves right back into the game, scoring the only two goals of the second period to tie the game at 2 after 40 minutes of play.
After Brad Harris (Winnipeg, MB/Leamington Flyers) (Winnipeg, MB) became the second Tiger to beat Leggio but have his shot ring off the crossbar, the Tigers finally got on the board. Draper got his eighth tally of the season at the 6:31 mark, on the power-play to cut the Clarkson lead to 2-1. Lambert got the puck up ice to Steve Pinizzotto (Mississauga, ON/Oakville Blades) (Mississauga, ON) who led a 3-on-1 break into the Golden Knights zone. His cross-ice pass was on the money, finiding a wide open Draper all alone at the side of the net and he tipped the puck past Leggio.
Less than four minutes later, Lambert tallied his 11th of the year, also on the man-advantage, tying the game at 2. Marc Hyman (Thornhill, ON/Thornhill Rattlers) (Thornhill, ON) ripped a shot from the point that Leggio stopped. The rebound came to first-year forward Brennan Sarazin (Nepean, ON/Nepean) (Nepean, ON) in front of the net. His shot was deflected right to Lambert at the left side of the net, and the sophomore forward showed why he is among the leading scorers in the nation, burying the puck into the top corner of the net to knot the score.
Clarkson came right back with a handful of opportunities, but Guimond was up to the task, making a few big saves, including two off the stick of Nick Dodge right in front of the Tiger net to keep the game tied at 2.
Clarkson out-shot RIT 10-8 in the period, but Wilson thought RIT played very well over the middle 20 minutes.
“We did a very good job in the second period and in general, I was much more pleased at how we played tonight, as opposed to last weekend, when we got a point at Air Force,” said Wilson. “We’re getting closer, knocking on the door against these good teams. Now we just have to break the door down and win these close games.”
The line of Rob Tarantino (Oakville, ON/Oakville Blades) (Oakville, ON), Ricky Walton (Hamilton, ON/Hamilton Red Wings) (Hamilton, ON) and Matt Smith (Toronto, ON/Kitchener Dutchmen) (Toronto, ON) opened the third period with a bunch of great scoring chances, but were unable to break the 2-2 tie.
The Golden Knights out-shot RIT 41-17 in the contest. Guimond made 36 saves in net for RIT. Leggio stopped 15 Tiger shots to pick up his seventh win of the season.
Lambert recorded a goal and an assist for the Tigers, giving him 26 points on the year. RIT went 2-for-6 with the man-advantage, while Clarkson went 1-for-7 on the power-play.
The Golden Knights improve to 7-2-1 all-time versus RIT. Before tonight’s game, the two had not met since November 22, 1989. RIT and Clarkson played each other nine times in a seven-season span (1983-1989).
RIT is back in action on Saturday evening, as they conclude their weekend road trip versus #8 Cornell University at 7:30 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the two schools.
