POTSDAM, NY. –
Ian Moore netted the game-winning goal with .02 seconds left in the second period to hand the Crimson a 3-2 victory over Clarkson to close out the ECAC regular season. Harvard (21-6-2, 18-4-0 ECAC Hockey) sweeps the North Country weekend slate for the first time since 2016-17. The Crimson finish the season as the #2 seed in the ECAC playoffs and receive a first-round bye.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Golden Knights came out firing and scored a quick goal less than two miniutes into the opening period. Mathieu Gosselin came across the top of the right circle and fired a shot that managed to beat
Mitchell Gibson. The Crimson wasted no time answering back as
John Farinacci scored a highlight reel goal for his fourth of the year just 1:43 after Clarkson opened the scoring. Farinacci walked down the left-side toe dragged around the defender and fired a rocket into the top corner to tie the game. A minute later,
Ryan Drkulec scored the Crimson's second highlight reel goal of the period. After a chip from
Baker Shore, Drkulec picked up the puck and fired a shot from a difficult angle that went short-side bardown. Drkulec's first-period tally was his third of the year and gave the Crimson a 2-1 lead into the intermission.
Clarkson scored on the power-play as a penalty to
Ryan Siedem had just expired to make it a 2-2 game to start the middle period.
Mitchell Gibson stood tall in the second including a flurry of chances where the senior found himself without his stick. Later on in the period Gibson made a beautiful save with the right pad on a partial short-handed break for the Golden Knights. The Crimson killed off two penalties down the stretch in the second period. As time ran down in the second,
Alex Laferriere won a puck battle in the corner to
Matthew Coronato who pushed the puck to the front of the net with only a couple of seconds left on the clock. Defenseman
Ian Moore crashed the far post and potted the loose puck into the net with .02 left on the clock for his first goal of the season.
Both teams played a tight third period as neither team found the back of the net. The Golden Knights pulled their goalie with a little over two minutes to play but
Mitchell Gibson and the Crimson defense were able to preserve the lead and hold onto a 3-2 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Alex Laferriere added two assists to his season totals. The junior has 14 points in his last ten games.
- First-year Marek Hejduk tallied an assist on the Ryan Drkulec goal for his 11th point of the season. Hejduk closes out the regular season riding a four-game point streak and has points in six of his last seven games.
- Matthew Coronato finishes the ECAC regular season tied for first place in goals with 19 goals in 29 games.
- Sean Farrell finished the regular season with 47 points in 29 games which is good for second place in the league.
- Mitchell Gibson closed the season with a career-best .920 save percentage.
- The Crimson finish the year with 21 wins for the second season in a row.
NEXT UP
The Crimson will host the second round of the ECAC playoffs at Bright-Landry Hockey Center on Mar.10-12 with the opponent still to be determined.
