POTSDAM, NY – Clarkson University junior David Cayer posted a goal and three assists as the ninth-ranked Golden Knights claimed a 6-2 victory over Union College in men's ECAC Hockey League action at Cheel Arena Friday night. Union defeated the Golden Knights in overtime earlier this season in Schenectady, but have not won in Potsdam since the 2002-03 season. The Dutchmen were led by senior Olivier Bouchard (Quebec City, QC), who, with a goal and an assist, moved into seventh place on Union's all-time Division I scoring list with 85 career points.

 

Clarkson (20-7-4, 12-4-3 ECACHL ) got on the board early in the first with an empty-net goal at 2:47. Union netminder Justin Mrazek (Regina, SK) had made his way to the bench as Clarkson forward Jeremiah Crowe had been whistled for tripping. A defensive miscue led to the 12^th goal of the season for Chris D'Alvise, as he knocked the puck off a Union defender's stick into the empty net on the delayed penalty call.

 

Less than five minutes later, Union freshman Jason Walters (Renfrew, ON) was taken down on a breakaway, earning the Dutchmen a chance to equalize with a penalty shot. Walters, on his first career penalty shot attempt, came into the zone on the right and put a backhand shot on Clarkson goaltender David Leggio, who saved the shot aimed at the five-hole. The penalty shot marked just the fourth in Union's Division I history, and the first since February 27, 2004 when Jordan Beal missed the chance in a 3-1 victory at Yale.

 

Union (13-5-3, 6-12-1 ECACHL) picked up some momentum by killing off a five-on-three against the third-best power play in the nation, but Clarkson capitalized later on its third power-play of the period with a Shawn Weller goal at 14:10 of the opening frame. Steve Zalewski fed David Cayer at the right post. Zalewski collected the pass and sent it across the slot to Weller who crashed the net hard, sending his shot high past Mrazek's glove.

 

Matt Cook (Belle Mead, NJ) lit the lamp for the Dutchmen with just under two minutes remaining in the period with his 11^th goal of the season, a power-play score. Bouchard dug the puck out to Josh Coyle (Brooklyn, OH) behind the net. Coyle skated the puck through the slot and connected with Cook, who was set up below the right faceoff dot and sent his shot high past the glove side of Leggio to bring Union back within one headed into the first intermission.

 

The Golden Knights extended their lead with two quick goals to start the second period. Mike Sullivan registered his seventh goal of the season at 1:28 when he roofed a pass from Cayer past Mrazek's stick side. Nick Dodge put Clarkson up 4-1 less than a minute later on the power play after he collected a pass across the crease from Cayer.

 

The Dutchmen capitalized on the power play midway through the middle frame to cut Clarkson's lead to two as Bouchard recorded his 10^th goal of the season. Walters centered the puck from the point to Coyle, who found Bouchard at the doorstep. Bouchard pushed the puck past Leggio at 11:08 to make the score 4-2 in favor of the home team.

 

D'Alvise picked up his second goal of the game at 17:19 of the second period when he collected a pass from Tyrell Mason from behind the net and swung it out around the crease, scoring on an off-balance shot high on Mrazek's stick side.

 

Cayer sealed the game late in the third with his 10^th goal of the season. Cayer and Dodge passed back and forth across the slot on an odd-man rush. Dodge passed across the paint to Cayer on the left, who shot into the open left side of the net, securing the win at 6-2.

 

Mrazek made 27 saves in the game, including 13 in the opening frame. Leggio stopped 25, with 12 coming in the first period.

 

Union is back in action on Saturday at 15^th-ranked St. Lawrence in a 7 p.m. ECACHL game.