Team Notes: Clarkson Returns to Union to Start Playoffs
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The following article appeared March 3 on the Clarkson Web site.
Playing on the road for the first round of the ECAC Hockey
playoffs was not what the Clarkson University Hockey team
envisioned prior to the start of the 2008-09 campaign. The Golden
Knights, defending conference regular season champions and a Top-15
ranked team in the preseason, had high hopes for their 87th season,
but struggled in the first half, hampered by injuries, bad luck and
poor play.
In the 2009 portion of the schedule, however, Clarkson began to
live up to its lofty potential and made a serious run down the
stretch for a home-ice bid in the conference’s postseason
action. The Green and Gold, who were in last place in the ECAC
Hockey standings with a 1-6-1 conference mark to start the New
Year, went 7-4-3 in the second half, but fell just short of home
ice. The Knights suffered a 2-1 loss at Union in the final game of
the regular season this past Saturday to finish in a tie for eighth
place with the Dutchmen. Union, however, because of one more league
victory gained the final home-ice berth with the eighth seed.
Guided by sixth-year head coach George Roll, associate coach Greg
Drechsel and assistant coach Jean-Francois Houle, Clarkson will
face Union in Schenectady in the first round of the ECAC Hockey
playoffs for the third time in the past six seasons. Led by senior
captains Phil Paquet (Quebec City, QUE) and Tyrell Mason (Dawson
Creek, BC), the Knights, who own a 10-17-1 overall record and
posted an 8-10-4 mark in the conference.
Complete article can be accessed via the Clarkson Web site by clicking here.
