Potsdam, N.Y. ? The Canisius College hockey team fought to a 2-2 draw with ECAC foe Clarkson on Saturday night. The Griffs, who won 3-of-4 points during the weekend, are now 6-5-3 on the season.
“I thought we battled really hard tonight,” said Canisius head coach Dave Smith. “I'm happy with taking 3-of-4 points this weekend. We knew it was going to be a battle and we knew they were going to come out on fire. We really had to battle hard to earn the point and I'm proud of what we did this weekend.”
Sophomores Vincent Scarsella and Pat Kenney both tallied goals for the Griffs. Freshman Dan Morrison recorded 34 saves in net to earn the draw.
Scarsella opened the scoring for the Griffs, connecting for his third goal of the season. Senior John Patera sent a shot toward the goal from the blue line. Clarkson's goalie made the save but Scarsella was there for the rebound. The sophomore then backhanded the puck over the Golden Knights' goalie to give Canisius the early advantage. Sophomore Brandon Cummings also posted an assist on the goal 9:36 into the contest.
The Griffs extended their lead to two when Kenney tallied his second goal of the season 9:10 into the second frame. Kenney knocked the puck in after a scrum in front of the net. Juniors Peter MacDougall and Ryan Klusendorf both posted assists on the score.
Clarkson (2-7-3) responded with 5:29 left in the second period. Shea Guthrie notched his first goal of the season, cutting the Golden Knights' deficit to one, 2-1. The Golden Knights knotted the game at two with 5:25 left in regulation. Julien Cayer fired a shot past Morrison on the power play for his second tally of the season and to send the game into overtime.
Both teams had opportunities in overtime, registering two shots on goal in the extra frame. Morrison made a point-blank save in overtime to help the Griffs earn the draw.
Canisius was held without a power play goal in two attempts, while Clarkson converted on of its four opportunities. The Golden Knights held a 36-17 advantage in shots, including a 26-7 edge during the final 45 minutes.
The Griffs return to league action next weekend with a pair of home games against Army. Canisius welcomes the Black Knights to the Buffalo State Sports Arena on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
Game Notes: The Griffs finished their non-conference schedule with a 2-2-2 record, recording wins against schools from ECAC and CCHA and tying a Hockey East team ... The Griffs, who entered the series winless against ECAC schools, are now 1-5-1 against the conference.
