SLU Prepares for Clarkson and Other Updates

Some good things this Wednesday afternoon on the SLU front.

• For starters, coach Joe Marsh was peppy after an off-day yesterday. Players did they're own workouts and the ice was available. Most just lifted or stretched.

• Marsh said Jacob Drewiske, who left Friday night's game with a knee injury and didn't play on Saturday, looked much better on Monday and “seems all right.”

• Freshman Mac Stratford has been cleared by the NCAA to start playing. There was a hang-up with credit transfers at the start of the season, which kept him sidelined. He'll be ready to go come Saturday against Clarkson. Marsh said it will depend on the situation if Stratford actually sees the ice.

• Alex Petizian has recovered from the flu, which kept him out of last weekend's games. Marsh said Petizian will probably start against Clarkson, but won't know until Friday or possible Saturday morning. “I think there a good chance he'll play,” Marsh said. “At this point, we'll go back with him, but I thought Moss did a good job. He had a big night on the first night.”

• Marsh had this to say about former SLU player Rich Peverley, who just signed a 2-year contract extension with the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers: “I think it's great. He came to us as such a young player. You could just see he had all the tools — quick hands, can shoot and had a real natural ability. As he got older and stronger, you saw him progress and progress. You had a feeling his better days were ahead of him.

• The Saints aren't doing anything different in practice this week as the team prepares for a nonleague game with Clarkson on Saturday. The only concern is stopping second-chance efforts. “We'll work on covering up rebounds so we don't have to rely on the goalie quite as much,” Marsh said. “We've got to be really good in transition and defense and obviously on special teams. The deeper we get into the season, the more that's a big factor. I think (Clarkson) is obviously our toughest test of the year so far.”

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And now some bad news for me :-(.

I will not be covering the Clarkson-St. Lawrence game this weekend. Our Clarkson beat writer, Cap Carey, is covering it. He will have some "ambiance" videos and quotes from both sides up on his blog: Knights Tales. I am covering the Syracuse home football game with Akron on Saturday. I will post what videos Cap took upon my return. This should be the only SLU home-ish game I miss.

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