ECAC Hockey Takes Center Stage

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ALBANY, N.Y. - ECAC Hockey will take center stage Sunday as Clarkson and St. Lawrence kick off the 2007-08 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Season in a North Country battle that will be televised live on ESPNU.

The first regular-season contest of the NCAA men's hockey season and the first of three meetings between the two rivals will begin at 4 p.m. at historic Appleton Arena in Canton, New York. The Golden Knights and Saints also will face-off in League play October 20 at Clarkson and December 1 at St. Lawrence.

Clarkson, the No. 1 team in both the League coaches and media preseason polls, enters the contest ranked No. 7 nationally in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Coaches Poll and the USCHO.com/CSTV Networks polls. The Golden Knights officially commence their 2007-08 season Saturday when they host Arcadia University in an exhibition contest at 4 p.m. at Cheel Arena in Potsdam, New York.

St. Lawrence, the No. 3 team in both the League coaches and media preseason polls, enters Sunday's televised contest as the No. 16 team in the USCHO.com/CSTV Networks poll. The game versus Clarkson marks the opening game of the season for the Saints.

Guided by head coach George Roll, Clarkson enters the campaign seeking to improve upon last season's performance in which it posted a 25-9-5 overall record and a 13-5-4 ECAC Hockey mark that garnered second-place in the final regular-season standings. The Golden Knights went on to claim the ECAC Hockey Championship title, advancing to NCAA Championship competition for the first time since 1999.

Clarkson returns an experienced squad of 17 lettermen, led by senior captain Nick Dodge, senior assistant captains Grant Clitsome and Steve Zalewski, and goaltender David Leggio. Leggio and Dodge were selected to the preseason all-League teams as voted upon by the coaches and media.

Dodge, a 2008 Hobey Baker Award candidate, returns after enjoying a tremendous 2006-07 campaign that included all-America accolades. Dodge is two points shy of 100 career points with 40 goals and 58 assists through 111 games.

The Saints, who are led by head coach Joe Marsh, the dean of League coaches, seek to defend their 2006-07 regular-season title and once again garners berths in the League Championship finals and NCAA Championship Tournament. St. Lawrence posted a 23-14-2 overall mark and League-best 16-5-1 mark in 2006-07.

St. Lawrence returns seven of its top-10 scorers from last season, all four of its goaltenders and five of six defensive regulars. Leading the way for the Saints are captains Justin Pesony, Shawn Fensel and Jared Ross. Pesony is the first goaltender to wear the captain's "C" since Bill Sloan in 1955-56 and Fensel and Ross are just the eighth and ninth players in program history to captain the team as juniors.

Junior Kevin DeVergilio is the leading returning scorer for the Saints after a nine-goal, 23-assist sophomore season and sophomore Mike McKenzie returns after posting 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in 31 games. Junior Brock McBride (9-16-25) and senior Charlie Giffin ( 8-9-17), who missed 14 games with injury, will also be key offensive components in the upcoming campaign.

About ECAC Hockey
ECAC Hockey boasts elite student-athletes and teams from 12 of the nation's most prestigious institutions - Brown University, Clarkson University, Colgate University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, Quinnipiac University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, St. Lawrence University, Union College, and Yale University.