Knights Fall in Game 1 of First-Round Series

Photo by Gary Mikel

Boxscore

The Clarkson University Hockey twice held leads over Union College in Game 1 of the ECAC Playoffs first round series Friday night at Messa Rink in Schenectady, but the Dutchmen tallied three unanswered goals through the second and third periods to pull out a 5-3 victory. The Golden Knights will need to win Game 2 on Saturday if they want a chance to advance to the quarterfinal round.

Clarkson, which owns a 10-18-7 overall record, needs to defeat Union (17-15-3) on Saturday to force a deciding third game on Sunday in the best-of-three series. The Golden Knights have lost two straight to the Dutchmen.

Sophomore Scott Freeman (Whitby, ONT) gave the Knights their first lead when he picked up a loose puck along the right boards and skated in on a breakaway, snapping in a low shot for his fifth goal of the season and team-high 27th point of the season at 12:04 of the first period

Union responded, however, with a pair of goals late in the period to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Mario Valery-Trabucco tied the game at 14:14 with a shot from the right circle that deflected off the shoulder of Clarkson's freshman goaltender Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT). Just 3:13 later, Union went in front as the Dutchmen's leading scorer Adam Presizniuk connected during a scramble in front.

After putting just four shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes, Clarkson came out full of steam to start the second, scoring twice in the opening two minutes to take a 3-2 lead. Senior Chris D'Alvise (Mississauga, ONT) took a pass from junior Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) at the Union blueline, made a strong rush down the right wing and lifted in a shot over the glove-side shoulder of the Union goaltender, just underneath the crossbar to tie the game with his team-high 13th goal of the season 73 seconds into the stanza. Senior Shea Guthrie (Carleton Place, ONT) followed with the Knights' third goal 49 seconds later, scoring in front off a pass from sophomore defenseman Bryan Rufenach (Cameron, ONT).

Once again, however, the Dutchmen rallied back to tie the game. Just 1:47 seconds after Clarkson went on top, Jason Walters made it 3-3. Union added two more goals in the third to gain the upper hand in the series. Stephane Boileau came through with the game-winner at 7:05 of the final frame, and Valery-Trabucco connected for his second goal of the night, a power-play marker at 17:06 to seal the win.

Union out shot Clarkson 35-21. Karpowich finished with 30 saves, including 23 through the first two periods. The Knights did not score on their lone power play of the game. The Dutchmen went 1-of-3 with the man-advantage.