RPI tops Clarkson for rare win at Cheel
POTSDAM — Just when the Clarkson University men's hockey team thought they were back in Friday night's game against Rensselaer, the Engineers responded.
RPI blew a 2-0 lead in the second period, but scored the game-winning goal less than two minutes later and went on to produce a 5-2 victory over the Golden Knights before 2,868 in an ECAC Hockey game at Cheel Arena.
The Engineers (7-3-1 overall, 3-0 ECAC Hockey) had not won a game in Potsdam since Jan. 22, 2005, and no member of the current roster had ever defeated Clarkson.
"The seniors hadn't won here and we wanted to do it for them tonight," said RPI junior defenseman Bryan Brutlag. "It was really nice to come out and play well and get this win tonight. This is my favorite (road arena). I love coming in here. They have a great crowd here. I love hearing what they have to say and all the chants and stuff."
Brutlag started RPI off well by scoring a power-play goal at 5 minutes, 34 seconds of the first period on a shot from inside the blue line that beat Clarkson goalie Paul Karpowich to the lower left corner.
RPI added another goal at 5:01 of the second period on a shot from inside the blue line by defenseman Jeff Foss that trickled over Karpowich's shoulder.
Clarkson (3-7, 0-3) was playing a sluggish game until it scored two power-play goals 65 seconds apart in the second period to tie the score.
Freshman Adam Pawlick scored while Clarkson had a two-man advantage, one-timing a pass from Matt Beca at 8:37. Brandon DeFazio tied the game with another power-play goal at 9:42.
But just 27 seconds after the tying goal, Clarkson's Jake Morley was called for elbowing and RPI took advantage, scoring the go-ahead goal at 11:38 on a shot from Marty O'Grady, off a nice pass by Patrick Cullen.
"That Patty Cullen to O'Grady goal was a great response," said Engineers coach Seth Appert. "That was a really good play by Patty to attack the seam on the power play and Marty had a great read to go to the back door. I thought that was a big turning point in the game."
While RPI was happy to pounce on the opportunity, Clarkson was frustrated that a big rally had not amounted to the game changing course.
"I thought we definitely were going to build off that momentum for sure," said DeFazio. "That's sometimes the way things go."
Three of RPI's goals were scored in part because the Engineer forwards were doing an effective job screening Karpowich, who did not appear to see the shots until it was too late.
"That's intentional by design of how we want to play all the time," said Appert. "We're not always as good at it as we were tonight. I thought we made the game tough for Karpowich tonight. It seemed like the majority of shots we had he was looking sideways and trying to find pucks. That makes it tough on goalies. It really does."
Said Clarkson coach George Roll, "The little things beat us tonight. We got the two goals and got a penalty right after and it takes the momentum away and they score. Those are the things when things aren't going well that you have to stay away from. In a lot of respects they played well, but in a lot of respects we did a lot of little things that cost us tonight."
RPI's Jerry D'Amigo scored at 15:23 of the second period to make it 4-2 and Chase Polacek ended the scoring with an empty-net, shorthanded goal at 18:20 of the third period.
Clarkson has now lost five straight games since defeating St. Lawrence University 4-1 in a nonconference game Oct. 24.
The Golden Knights host Union College at 7 tonight, but then go on the road for four straight games. Clarkson had a stretch last season where it went 0-9-2.
"It's huge," DeFazio said of tonight's game. "We're not going back to last year. I don't even like talking about that. We're at home. We know we have to win here. We lost one tonight and we'll come back with a better effort (today)."
Said Roll, "Every game is important, but obviously we have to come back against a good Union team and come back with a better effort and execute a little better. You hate to say it's a huge game at this stage of the season, but for us I think it's very important."
