Clarkson Stifles M. Hockey

POTSDAM, N.Y.--Even though it currently holds the top spot in the league, the Clarkson men's hockey team has never intimidated Harvard. The Crimson remains the only team in the ECAC to hold the advantage over the Golden Knights in their lifetime series, a series which dates back 62 years.

"We know that we can play with anybody, really--there is no intimidation," Harvard captain Ashlin Halfnight said. "We know that we can beat [Clarkson]."

You couldn't tell that by last night's game between the two, however.

Getting outshot by an embarrassing 43-19 margin, Harvard (9-15-2, 8-9-2 ECAC) was outskated and outscored by Clarkson (21-8-0, 14-5-0), 4-2 at Cheel Arena.

It also didn't help matters when sophomore defenseman Ben Storey left the game after the first period with an ankle problem. His status remains day-to-day.

"It was tough when we lost Storey in the game," Harvard coach Ronn Tomassoni said. "We only dressed five defensemen and I had to put Geordie Hyland back there in the third, but I thought that he did a nice job."

Despite a solid first period with Storey in the lineup, the contest quickly slipped out of the Crimson's control just five minutes into the second period.

Sneaking into Crimson territory with the game deadlocked at one goal apiece, Clarkson right winger Dana Mulvihill penetrated deep into Harvard's zone. At the last moment, Mulvihill quickly laid the puck off behind him to a trailing linemate, Jordan Grant, who launched a bullet past Harvard goaltender J.R. Prestifilippo for what proved to be the game-winning goal.

The Golden Knights continued their domination after Grant's goal, and Hobey Baker candidate Todd White missed a golden opportunity to convert a breakaway goal by uncharacteristically wristing the puck well over the net and out of harm's way. Clarkson's own mistakes and the outstanding play of Prestifilippo, however, was all that could contain the Knights' offense as by the end of the second period, the Knights were outshooting the Crimson by a mammoth 30-14 margin.

Prestifilippo notched a career-high 39 saves, but it was to no avail, as the Clarkson offensive juggernaut continued to unleash shot after shot.

"Our goalie played exceptionally well," Tomassoni said. "He gave us an opportunity to win this game."

Harvard did come out fighting at the beginning. After falling behind 1-0 in the first period, the Crimson bounced right back with a moral victory just 44 seconds before the first intermission.

Breaking down the left side of the ice on a two-on-one advantage, Harvard freshman Trevor Allman faked a pass across the goalline to sophomore teammate Rob Millar. Clarkson goaltender Dan Murphy's quick glance towards Millar would cost him dearly as Allman wasted no time in whipping the puck nearside into the upper netting, ending the first period at a 1-1 stalemate.

"Our hope was to come out and play the body, just like we did against Cornell and Colgate," Halfnight said. "Like we've said all season, that is our strength, and we play best when we are hitting. We had a couple of guys who were getting the job done as far as the physical play is concerned, but it's got to be a whole team effort."

Although Mulvihill's subsequent tally ended the tie early in the second stanza, Harvard gladly left the ice after two periods only down 2-1.

After two earlier power-play attempts, however, the ECAC's leading man-up unit (28 percent success rate) finally connected with a crushing tally only 1:13 into the final period, Chris Clark getting the goal off a fortuitous feed from White.

"The power-play goal, that third goal, was key," Tomassoni said. "We did a pretty good job defending it, but it goes off our player, we block the shot and it richochets right onto their stick. They get the bounce, we don't get the bounce."

Harvard gave itself a chance to get something out of the game with 2:47 to go, as Allman scored his second of the night on a tip from a sharp-angle Halfnight shot. But Jean-Francois Houle flipped in an open-net goal with only a minute to go, spoiling the Crimson's late hopes for a victory.

With this loss, tonight's game against St. Lawrence becomes even more important in the topsy-turvy ECAC race.

"[The St. Lawrence game] is huge," Halfnight said. "As we get down to the wire, [the games] just get bigger and bigger. On the one hand, that puts pressure on us, but on the other hand I don't think that we would want it any other way. We want to be in the fight till the end."

"We've just had to weather a lot of vicissitudes throughout the year trying to achieve a consistent level of execution," Allman said. "Come playoffs, I hope that we'll get it."

For the first time ever, Harvard left Cheel Arena with a definitive loss. Perhaps the fear that the Crimson lacked coming in could have helped its cause. Clarkson  4 Harvard  2

CLARKSON, 4-2 at Cheel Arena

Clarkson  1  1  2  -  4

Harvard  1  0  1  -  2

First Period

CU-Ricci 2 (Windsor, Milvihill) 15:50.

HU-Allman 5 (Halfnight) 19:16.

Second Period

CU-Grant 5 (Milvihill, Bushaw) 4:56.

Third Period

CU-Clark 19 (Houle, White) 1:13.

HU-Allmanl 6 (Halfnight) 17:13.

CU-Houle 15 (White, Pagnutti) 18:59.

Saves: CU-Murphy 8-4-5 17; Har-Prestrifilippo 17-11-11 39.

Power Play: CU-1/3; Har-0/0.

Attendance: 3218

CLARKSON, 4-2 at Cheel Arena

Clarkson  1  1  2  -  4

Harvard  1  0  1  -  2

First Period

CU-Ricci 2 (Windsor, Milvihill) 15:50.

HU-Allman 5 (Halfnight) 19:16.

Second Period

CU-Grant 5 (Milvihill, Bushaw) 4:56.

Third Period

CU-Clark 19 (Houle, White) 1:13.

HU-Allmanl 6 (Halfnight) 17:13.

CU-Houle 15 (White, Pagnutti) 18:59.

Saves: CU-Murphy 8-4-5 17; Har-Prestrifilippo 17-11-11 39.

Power Play: CU-1/3; Har-0/0.

Attendance: 3218

Clarkson  1  1  2  -  4

Harvard  1  0  1  -  2

First Period

CU-Ricci 2 (Windsor, Milvihill) 15:50.

HU-Allman 5 (Halfnight) 19:16.

Second Period

CU-Grant 5 (Milvihill, Bushaw) 4:56.

Third Period

CU-Clark 19 (Houle, White) 1:13.

HU-Allmanl 6 (Halfnight) 17:13.

CU-Houle 15 (White, Pagnutti) 18:59.

Saves: CU-Murphy 8-4-5 17; Har-Prestrifilippo 17-11-11 39.

Power Play: CU-1/3; Har-0/0.

Attendance: 3218