POTSDAM, N.Y. – Sophomore Sheldon Rempal recorded a hat trick to lead the 13th-ranked Clarkson University men’s hockey team to a 6-0 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Friday night at Cheel Arena. With the win, the Golden Knights improve to 5-3-1 overall (1-0-0 ECAC Hockey), while the Engineers drop to 1-4-2 (0-3-0 ECAC Hockey).
Junior Aaron Thow (Toronto, ON/Cedar Rapids RoughRiders) opened the scoring just 55 seconds in, firing a shot from the left corner that caught the glove of RPI junior goaltender Chase Perry (Andover, MN/Wenatchee Wild) before deflecting into the net off the right post. The unassisted tally was Thow’s first of the year.
Clarkson made it 2-0 at 7:14 of the period, when Rempal (Calgary, AB/Nanaimo Clippers) beat Perry to the near post after receiving a feed below the goal line from senior defenseman Kelly Summers (Golden Lake, ON/Carleton Place Candians). Rempal lofted the puck over Perry’s right should from close range. Senior Terrance Amorosa (Kirkland, PQ/Sioux City Musketeers) picked up the secondary assist on Clarkson first power play goal of the evening.
Rempal returned the favor at 17:56, setting up Summers for his second goal of the season. Once again on the man advantage, Clarkson worked the puck around the zone to Rempal in the right circle, who found Summers with a cross-ice feed for a one-timer that snuck past RPI freshman goaltender Linden Marshall (Victoria, BC/Trail Smoke Eaters) for a 3-0 lead.
The Golden Knights netted the only goal of the second period, as Rempal finished a back door feed from senior Tyko Karjalainen (Helsinki, Finland/Jokert U20) for his second of the night and sixth of the season. Rempal found Karjalainen at the top of the left circle before fading the back post for the one-time tally.
???????Rempal completed the hat trick at 10:03 of the third period, receiving a pass in the middle of the shot and ripping home Clarkson’s fifth goal. Freshman Josh Dickinson (Georgetown, ON/Georgetown Raiders) capped the scoring at 16:03 with his first collegiate goal, sticking home a centering feed from behind the net by classmate Jack Jacome (Caledon, ON/Georgetown Raiders).
Clarkson sophomore goaltender Jake Kielly (Eden Prairie, MN/Tri-City Storm) made 17 saves for the shutout, while Perry (6) and Marshall (27) combined to stop 33 for the Engineers.
Rensselaer is back on the ice tomorrow night, when they visit St. Lawrence University (7pm). The Golden Knights host Union College tomorrow (7pm).
