By scoring four of the final five goals the Clarkson University Hockey team earned one of its biggest victories in recent years with Saturday’s 4-3 win on the road over 5th-ranked UMass-Lowell at the Tsongas Center.
The Golden Knights, who tied 15th-ranked Providence 3-3 in Rhode Island on Friday, move above the .500 mark with a 3-2-1 record. Clarkson closes out season-opening, non-conference play next weekend hosting Big 10 powers Minnesota and Wisconsin at Cheel Arena.
Postgame audio from Head Coach Casey Jones
Four different Knights scored in the win to help the Green and Gold hand UMass-Lowell its first loss of the season. Senior captain, defenseman James de Haas capped off the night with the game-winning goal on a power-play blast from the blueline with 4:04 left to play.
The River Hawks outshot the Knights 31-25, including a 16-8 margin through the opening 20 minutes. Freshman Jake Kielly was solid again in the Clarkson crease, especially in the first period to keep the Knights in the game. Kielly finished with 28 saves.
Once again specialty teams were a key to the game as Clarkson enjoyed its best night of the season on the power play with a 2-of-4 effort. The Knights killed off five of UMass-Lowell’s six man-advantage opportunities.
Trailing 2-0 after the first period, Clarkson came out strong to start the second frame and carried the play throughout the final 40 minutes to gain the key road win against a Top-5 ranked opponent, and snapped a nine-game losing skid to UMass-Lowell.
Freshmen Devin Brosseau, the reigning ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week, started the Knights’ comeback when he scored his first career goal 6:31 into the middle frame. Junior Sam Vigneault picked up the assist.
Clarkson evened the score 2-2 on senior Jordan Boucher’s goal at 14:52 of the period. Junior Nic Pierog won an offensive zone faceoff back to classmate Brett Gervais, who tapped the puck over to Boucher. The veteran forward fired in a shot from the top of the right circle for his third goal of the year and 20th career score.
The Green and Gold continued their surge in the third period and took their first lead of the night on senior A.J. Fossen’s power-play goal at 2:30. Fossen, who led the Knights in power-play tallies last year with five, finished off assists from Boucher and Vigneault for his second goal of the season.
The River Hawks came back to tie the game at 3-3 at 11:31, scoring two seconds after a Clarkson penalty ended, on C.J. Smith’s second goal of the game.
Clarkson, however, continued to press and came through with the deciding goal when de Haas’s slap shot from the top of the slot found its way through a Fossen screen in front and just inside the post for his first goal of the season.
