With one of the biggest wins in the five-year history of the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey program, the Golden Knights knocked off second-ranked Mercyhurst College 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Cheel Arena. On Friday, Clarkson set the tone for the victory by skating to a 2-2 tie against the highly-rated Lakers.
Unbeaten at home with a 6-0-2 mark, Clarkson improves its record to 10-2-2. The Knights, who stand at 3-1 in ECAC Hockey, will now look to continue their momentum when they resume league play at traditional national power Harvard and Dartmouth this coming weekend.
Six different Golden Knights recorded points, including three individual goal scores, in the balanced effort against Mercyhurst, while freshman Eve Grandmont-Berube (Drummondville, QUE) was solid in goal with a 21-save outing.
Clarkson never trailed in the weekend series against the Lakers, and held leads of 1-0 and 3-1 in Saturday’s victory.
With just 54.8 seconds remaining in the first period, the Knights took the lead. Senior Katie Morrison (Ridgefield, CT) had two opportunities to get the opening goal, but after being turned aside both times at the side of the net, Clarkson’s captain gathered in her own rebound behind the net and sent a pass out into the slot. Sophomore Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) coming off the bench during a line change picked up the pass and wristed in a hard shot for her team-high 8th goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, the teams traded two goals apiece over the final 20 minutes.
Mercyhurst got on the scoreboard with a power-play marker at 3:34 when freshman Jesse Scanzano (Montreal, QUE) redirected in a pass across the crease from junior Valerie Chouinard (Matane, QUE). Junior Natalie Payne (Mississauga, ONT) also assisted on the tying goal.
The Knights answered back with a pair of power-play tallies 2:27 apart to take a 3-1 lead. Sophomore defenseman Carlee Eusepi (Oakville, ONT) put Clarkson ahead once again with a wrist shot from the point at 6:55 for her third goal of the season. Blueline partner, junior Kimberly McKenney (Smiths Falls, ONT) and senior assistant captain Jessica Cloutier (Parker, CO) set up the score.
Two seconds after a Clarkson penalty ended, junior Marie-Jo Gaudet (Sherbrooke, QUE) picked up a loose puck at center ice and scored on a breakaway, lifting in a backhand shot at 9:22 for her 7th goal of the season and the eventual game-winner.
Mercyhurst cut it to 3-2 with senior Stephanie Jones’s (Grande Prairie, ALB) 4th goal of the year at 10:28, but the Knights held off the Lakers charge to extend their unbeaten streak to seven games (6-0-1).
Mercyhurst held a slight 23-22 shot advantage. Clarkson went 2-of-7 on the power play while the Lakers were 1-of-2 with the man advantage.
