Third-Period Goal Gives Saints Tie
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NEW HAVEN, CT - Alex Petizian matched his season high with 36 saves and Kevin DeVergilio scored a game-tying power play goal at 3:18 of the third period as St. Lawrence and Yale skated to a 2-2 overtime tie in ECAC Hockey in New Haven on Saturday night.
The Saints finished off a three-point weekend and head into a five-game home stand with a 11-9-2 overall mark and a 3-5-2 ECAC record. Yale, ranked 19th nationally, salvaged a point out of the weekend and is now 11-5-1 overall and 6-3-1 in league play.
"The fans got their money's worth in that one," said Saint coach Joe Marsh. "There were a lot of chances for both teams, and while both of us would have preferred the win, it is probably fitting that the game ended in a tie.
Petizian had 36 saves for the second time against Yale this season as the Saints went 1-0-1 against the Elis in two league games. The Saints have allowed only five goals in their last four games, and Saturday's effort came against a potent Yale offense.
"Alex played very well...you can't fault him on either goal and he had a couple of stretches in which he not only made a big first save, but then came back and made a couple more. Both of our goaltenders have been outstanding since the start of the New Year," Marsh added. "Our penalty kill also did an outstanding job in both games this weekend. It was a well-earned three point road trip."
The Saints and Elis played end-to-end hockey for the first 15 minutes of the game with the Saints enjoying a slight edge in shots on goal, but Yale struck for a pair of goals just 48 seconds apart to take the early lead.
Freshman Kevin Limbert got the first one when defenseman Jimmy Martin sent the puck into a tangle of players in front of Saint goalie Alex Petizian. It bounced off a Saint defender and right to Limbert who hit the empty side of the cage with Petizian screened for his third of the year at 15:57. Defenseman Ken Trentowski then intercepted a Saint pass in the neutral zone and sent Brian O'Neil l in on a one-on-one with Petizian. O'Neill fired his eighth of the season just inside the post to make it a 2-0 game at 16:45.
The Saints came back with a big goal in a four-on-four to get right back into it. Kevin DeVergilio and Casey Parenteau broke into the Yale zone after Matt Generous had sent DeVergilio away and DeVergilio sent a cross crease pass to Parenteau who scored his eighth of the year before Yale goalie Billy Blase could get back across his crease to cover the open side of the net at 19:31.
Neither team was able to score in a fast-paced second period as both goalies came up with a number of big saves. Petizian had to make them in bunches in two stretches of Yale pressure , finishing the period with a dozen, while Blase came up with big stops on two Saint power plays in the period and finished the period with 11.
Other than DeVergilio's power play goal early in the third the rest of the game was goaltending and defense as the Saints killed off three Yale power play chances in the third period and Yale was able to kill off one Saint man advantage. Petizian came through with three big saves right after a Yale power play had expired and then made a game saver on Matt Nelson in the slot with 10 seconds to go in regulation.
Petizian came up big again as Yale scoring leader Sean Backman had a chance from the slot with 2:31 in overtime while Blase had to throw the pad out to stop Parenteau with 25 seconds to go in the extra session.
