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Opening ECAC Hockey play this past Tuesday with a 4-1 win over archrival St. Lawrence, the preseason favorite to win the league title, has given the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team an early boost in the conference race. Along with the victory over the Saints, the Golden Knights also defeated the University of New Hampshire 6-2 and Boston University 7-2 in non-league action last weekend, giving the Green and Gold three consecutive victories over Top-10 ranked foes by a combined score of 17-5.
Guided by co-head coaches Shannon and Matt Desrosiers, Clarkson closes out a five-game home stand at Cheel Arena this weekend hosting league foes Brown and Yale. The Knights, who are unbeaten at home, own a 7-1-1 overall record and are ranked third in the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national polls. After this weekend, Clarkson, which is 6-0-1 at Cheel Arena, plays just two more games in Potsdam (December 4-5) in the 2009 portion of the schedule.
A balanced, productive offensive, a stingy defensive effort, and solid specialty teams play have combined to lift the Green and Gold to their best start in the seven-year history of the program.
Four Knights are recording double figures in the points column for Clarkson, which is ranked fourth in the nation in offense (3.89 goals per game). Senior Dominique Thibault (L’Original, ONT) has a team-high 14 points on seven goals and seven assists. Clarkson’s all-time leading scorer, senior captain Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT), ECAC Hockey Player of the Week, follows with 13 points, including nine assists. Sophomore Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) has tallied a team-high eight goals, and 12 points. Junior Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) also has 12 points (7-5) and is tied for the national lead in power-play markers with four.
Named ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week three times this month, junior Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) backbones the Knights’ defense, which is rated fourth in the country (1.44 goals allowed). Dahm boasts a .935 save percentage and a 1.32 GAA.
The Knights’ power play is clicking at 25.6% (10-39), third best in the country. Clarkson has killed off 39-of-45 opponent power plays (86.7%) while also scoring two shorthanded markers.
Brown owns a 1-1 record after posting a dominating 5-1 victory over cross-town rival Providence College this past Sunday in Mayor’s Cup action in Rhode Island. The Bears opened the season with a 8-1 loss to Connecticut at Meehan Auditorium on October 23.
Yale enters the North Country at 0-0-1. The Bulldogs, who play at St. Lawrence on Friday, skated to a 2-2 tie at Providence last Friday. The Bulldogs also defeated McGill, 4-2, in an exhibition contest in New Haven, CT on Sunday.
Clarkson holds the lead in the all-time series over Brown and Yale, by 6-4 margins.
