Colgate sophomore David McIntyre scored 7:36 into the second extra session of the deciding third game of the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series before 1,571 fans at Cheel Arena ending the contest after 87:36 of play and sending the eighth-seeded Raiders into the conference championship tournament this coming weekend in Albany with a 3-2 win.
McIntyre finished off a pass from junior lineate Tom Riley with a shot through traffic for his second goal of the game and fourth of the weekend. He also tallied twice in Saturday’s 4-3 Colgate win.
Colgate improves its record to 18-16-6 and will face Princeton in the semifinal round on Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany.
Clarkson, the ECAC Regular Season Champion, falls to 21-12-4. The Knights will now await word on a possible NCAA Tournament berth to be announced.
The Knights posted a season-high for shots with a 54-32 advantage over the Raiders, including a 14-11 margin in overtime play. Clarkson senior David Leggio made 29 saves with 10 coming in overtime. Colgate senior Mark Dekanich finished with a career-high 52 stops, including 32 over the final 47:36 of action.
Clarkson struggled on the power play going 0-of-8 with the man advantage, while Colgate was 2-of-9 with extra attacker.
Clarkson came out strong to open the game, out shooting the Raiders 5-0 through the first eight minutes. The Knights struck first while killing off a four-minute Colgate power play midway through the stanza. Freshman Lauri Tuohimaa’s clearing attempt along the left boards deflected off the assistant referee, and junior Chris D’Alvise picked up the puck and went in one-on-one with a Raider defenseman. Using the Colgate player as a screen, D’Alvise fired off a wrist shot from the slot past Dekanich for his 12th goal of the year, and the Knights’ 12th shorthanded goal of the season, an NCAA best.
Colgate came close to tying it with 5:40 left in the first, but after a video review, a shot was ruled to have deflected off the crossbar.
Skating on a five-on-three late in the period, the Knights almost made it 2-0, but a shot from the point by freshman defenseman Bryan Rufenach rang off the post.
After killing off three Colgate power plays in the first, the Knights’ penalty troubles caught up with them in the middle frame
The Raiders tied it with a power-play goal just 74 seconds into the second. Colgate’s leading scorer, senior Tyler Burton picked up a loose puck at the top of the crease and knocked in is 22nd goal of the season to make it 1-1. Freshmen defensemen Wade Poplawski and Kevin McNamara assisted.
Skating on their fifth man advantage of the period, the Raiders grabbed the lead as McIntyre connected off an assist Riley with 3:16 remaining in the stanza.
Clarkson tied it up early in the third on freshman Scott Freeman’s fifth goal of the season. Moments after a lengthy stoppage of play as the Colgate trainer attended to Dekanich, who was bother by a leg cramp, the Knights came through with their second goal. Stationed in front of the Raiders’ crease, Freeman redirected a point shot by junior defenseman Tyrell Mason at 4:57. Senior Nick Dodge started the play by winning the faceoff in the Colgate zone.
Clarkson held a 10-6 shot advantage in the first 20-minute overtime. Senior David Cayer had the best opportunity to end the game when his high shot beat Dekanich, but rang off the crossbar 3:30 into the extra session. Leggio came up with a big pad save on Riley 7:30 into the stanza. The Knights had the only power play in the first overtime when Burton when to the box with 2:24 left, but could not get a shot on net during the two-minute man advantage.
Colgate will play the highest seed remaining in Princeton in Albany on Friday afternoon.
