By Aaron Todd <[email protected]> —
Anna Segedi scored two goals off assists from Julia Gosling to lead the St. Lawrence University women’s hockey team to a 2-1 win over ninth-ranked Clarkson in an ECAC Hockey contest at Appleton Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The win, the Saints’ second one-goal victory over the Golden Knights in as many days, has solidified the playoff matchups for the ECAC Hockey semifinals. Colgate has earned the No. 1 seed and will host No. 4 Quinnipiac. St. Lawrence (4-6-0 overall, 4-5-0 ECAC Hockey) and Clarkson (8-8-1, 3-4-0), who will wrap up regular season play with the final game of this three-game series on Monday night at 7 p.m., will play in the other semifinal. The team that claims two or more points, by winning in regulation, in overtime, or by winning the shootout after a tie, will claim the No. 2 seed and host the game.
Following the game, the Saints honored their senior class, celebrating the contributions of Jessica Poirier, Brittney Gout, Skylar Podvey and Charlea Pedersen to the program. St. Lawrence has now won its last five Senior Day games.
“I’m very proud of the team’s effort today,” said St. Lawrence assistant coach Mare MacDougall Bari. “It’s always extra special to get the win on Senior Day. The whole staff is just really proud of the effort from the whole locker room, and I think it says a lot about kids just staying the course.”
While there was no score through the first 40 minutes, St. Lawrence had the better of the play, holding a 20-12 lead in shots on goal.
Segedi finally got the Saints on the board at the 1:06 mark of the third, just moments before a Clarkson penalty was due to expire. Chloé Puddifant fed Segedi in the high slot from the side of the net, and Segedi fired a wrist shot into the right side for her third goal of the season.
Caitrin Lonergan tied the game for Clarkson less than four minutes later, shoveling a crossing feed from Gabrielle David past St. Lawrence goaltender Lucy Morgan’s left leg pad.
But Segedi put the Saints ahead again halfway through the third, scoring on a rebound after Gosling’s shot from the left circle bounced off Clarkson goaltender Marie Pier-Coulombe’s facemask.
Segedi had a chance for a hat trick, skating in on an open net with less than a minute to play, but was tripped inside the Clarkson blue line on her way to the goal. The Golden Knights were assessed a penalty and were to play shorthanded for the remainder of the game.
Morgan finished the game with 16 saves, while Coulombe stopped 25 shots.
The win marked the Saints’ first two-game winning streak against Clarkson since St. Lawrence beat the Golden Knights in three straight games from February 15, 2011 to January 20, 2012, and was the first two-game sweep on back-to-back days in exactly 12 years.
(St. Lawrence Women’s Hockey Photo)
