New coach Grant helps CU goalies

In 1999, Shawn Grant made 46 saves in the ECAC Hockey championship game and helped Clarkson University defeat St. Lawrence University 3-2 in Lake Placid.

Now, 11 seasons later, Grant is again making an impact on the program, working as a volunteer coach two days a week with goalies Paul Karpowich, Richie LaVeau and Cody Rosen.

Last week was the second week for Grant. His work with Karpowich helped him earn the ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week Award, stopping 76 of 80 shots for a .951 save percentage in road games against Dartmouth and Harvard.

Grant, a Potsdam native, didn't want any of the credit, however.

"Absolutely not," Grant said. "That's all Karp. I do what I can to help with little things I can say. But they are the ones that have to do everything out there on the ice."

Karpowich, a St. Louis Blues draft choice, did credit Grant with helping him get out of a slump. It was something Grant noticed on video that made a difference for the sophomore.

"It was really me getting out of the net," Karpowich said. "When I'm at my best, I'm outside the crease and moving well. A lot more pucks hit you when you are out. The weekends before, when I was not playing too well, I was deep in my net and I was struggling with the rebounds. A little thing like that really turned my game around."

Both Karpowich and LaVeau struggled the previous weekend as Clarkson gave up five goals in each game in home losses to Rensselaer and Union.

But Grant sat down with LaVeau in the coaches' office a few days after the Union debacle and calmly went over each little thing he did wrong, encouraging him after every replay.

"It's definitely a little moral support," LaVeau said. "It's kind of nice having someone there that knows what you are going through."

All three of Clarkson's coaches — George Roll, Greg Drechsel and Jean-Francois Houle — were forwards, so Grant's experience as a goalie is much needed.

"We know when (they) let in a bad goal, and that's about it," Roll said. "Technically we try and work with them a little but, but it's difficult as coaches who have not played the position to work with them.

"I think (Grant) speaks the language and he's someone Karp and Richie and Cody can rely on and get down to the specifics of goaltending. I think he's somebody they can confide in and talk with and watch video with and make corrections. I think it's been a huge boost to our program to have somebody that's been through it and speaks the goaltending language."

Grant played two and a half seasons at Clarkson, from 1998-2001. He had to leave the program 12 games into his junior year due to a serious knee injury.

He played in 72 games with his best season coming as a freshman in 1998-99,when he went 25-10-1 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.

"He's got a great history with the program," Karpowich said. "It's too bad the way his career ended here with his knee."

Grant has dabbled in coaching since his playing days ended and is enjoying the chance to put on the green sweat suit and take part in practices a few days a week. He watches home games from the press box.

"It's very exciting, especially to come back to your alma mater," Grant said. "All three (goalies) come each day ready to work and are willing to learn."

Grant was asked if he told the trio anything about his own career. "The way these guys work they can find that stuff on the Internet a lot easier. It's not about me, it's about them."

BOSTON COLLEGE REUNION

What was once an ECAC rivalry and then an annual series in nonconference play with Boston College had all but disappeared for Clarkson.

For a few years in the 1990s, the Eagles and Boston University played Clarkson and St. Lawrence as travel partners, but that ended after the 1998-99 season.

When Roll returned to Clarkson as head coach in 2003-04 the series was revived, largely because Eagles coach Jerry York was his coach at Bowling Green. York is also a former Clarkson head coach.

Boston College played at Cheel Arena on Jan. 5, 2008 and lost 4-2. Tonight's game will be Clarkson's return for that visit.

"A lot of teams just don't want to make the trip up here," Roll said. "Jerry will do it because of the relationship he has with Clarkson. They are very limited in their nonleague schedule. It's because of our relationship ship with Jerry that they came here."

Sportswriter Cap Carey covers Clarkson University men's hockey for the Times. For more coverage, visit the "Knights Tales" blog online at www.watertowndailytimes. com. You may reach him at ccarey@wdt.net.