After skating to mixed results in the just completed four-game home stand to begin its 20th season at Cheel Arena, the Clarkson University Hockey team will look to close out the season-opening, non-league portion of the schedule on a high note when it battles archrival St. Lawrence University this Saturday in a non-conference affair during Halloween Faceoff at the Herb Brooks 1980 Arena in Lake Placid, NY beginnig at 7:30 p.m. Rensselaer and Union play at 4:00 p.m.

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The Golden Knights, guided by eighth-year head coach George Roll, associate coach Greg Drechsel and assistant coach Chris Rogles, own a 3-2-1 overall record. The Green and Gold went 2-1-1 in their recent stretch in Potsdam. This past weekend at Cheel, Clarkson dominated Bentley on Friday, winning 5-1, but could not hold a three-goal lead on Saturday and had to settle for a 3-3 tie against the Falcons. Two weeks ago, the Knights shut out Bowling Green 4-0 on October 15, but were then blanked by the CCHA foe 3-0 the next night.

Clarkson, led by junior captain Mark Borowiecki (Kanata, ONT) and assistant captains, senior Brandon DeFazio (Oakville, ONT) and junior Jake Morley (Ogdensburg, NY), returns to Cheel Arena to open the month of November with five straight home games. The 50th campaign of ECAC Hockey for the Knights begins with a weekend series against Central New York rivals Colgate and Cornell on November 5-6.

With much more depth on its roster this season, Clarkson has shown its balance early in the season with 14 players scoring at least one goal. DeFazio, Morley, junior Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) and freshman Ben Sexton (Kanata, ONT) lead the Knights with two goals each.

Sexton was one of three rookies who notched their first collegiate goal in Friday’s victory over Bentley. Sexton, defenseman David Pratt (Napanee, ONT), with a shorthanded tally, and Matt Zarbo (Grand Island, NY) helped the Green and Gold build a 4-0 lead over the Falcons through two periods. Tremblay and sophomore Adam Pawlick (Utica, NY) also scored in the win.

On Saturday, Clarkson held a 3-0 lead through 40 minutes before Bentley rallied back to gain a hard earned tie on the road with three, third-period goals. DeFazio, Sexton and Tremblay staked the Knights to the seemingly comfortable lead with their second goals of the season.

With a little bit of luck St. Lawrence would be entering Saturday’s game with a positive record. Instead the Saints travel to Lake Placid looking for their first win of the season. Guided by long-time head coach Joe Marsh, now in his 26th season behind the St. Lawrence bench, the Saints post a 0-3-3 record. This past weekend at Appleton Arena in Canton, St. Lawrence lost 3-1 to Western Michigan on Friday and then ended up tying the Broncos 3-3 on Saturday.

The Series:

The Golden Knights hold an overwhelming 111-64-9 series lead against the Saints, which began with a 1-0 Clarkson victory during the 1925-26 season. The rivalry has been even in the 2000s, however, with the Saints holding a slim 15-14-2 advantage. Last season the North Country foes skated in six games with St. Lawrence coming out on top 3-2-1, including a 2-1 series victory (3-2ot, 3-4ot, 3-2) in an ECAC playoff first-round series in Canton on March 5-7. The teams went 1-1-1 in three regular-season games last season. Clarkson won the first meeting, a non-league affair at Cheel Arena, 4-1 on October 24. The rivals battled to a 3-3 draw at Appleton Arena on December 4, and St. Lawrence won the last game 4-3 in Potsdam on December 5.

The last time Clarkson and St. Lawrence played in Lake Placid was on March 20, 1999 in the ECAC Tournament Championship game with the Knights winning 3-2.

Scott Freeman leads the Green and Gold in scoring against the Saints with 13 points on two goals and 11assists through 13 games. Paul Karpowich posts a .910 save percentage, a 2.76 goals against average and a 3-5-1 record through 521:44 minutes of play against SLU. Through two games in the series, Richie LaVeau holds a 0-0-1 mark on a .940 save percentage and a 2.37 GAA. George Roll is 10-11-2 against St. Lawrence, while Joe Marsh owns a 29-39-3 mark against Clarkson.

Fourteen different Clarkson players have scored at least one goal this season and 20 Knights have recorded at least one point … Brandon DeFazio, with two goals and three assists, leads the balanced Clarkson offense with five points … A trio of freshmen accounted for Clarkson’s first three goals in the 5-1 win over Bentley as Ben Sexton, David Pratt and Matt Zarbo all tallied their first collegiate goals in the win … Sexton, who also netted a goal in Saturday’s tie, posted four points (2-2) on the weekend … Playing in his first NCAA game, Zarbo collected three points (1-2) in Friday’s win and also posted an assist on Saturday for a four-point weekend … Pratt connected for Friday’s game-winner with a shorthanded marker and also tallied an assist on Saturday … Clarkson’s freshman class is accounting for 42% of the team’s scoring with six goals and 14 assists ... Nick Tremblay scored a goal in both games against Bentley … Adam Pawlick posted three points (1-2) in the weekend series … Playing in his first games of the season, junior Julien Cayer (Longueuil, QUE) set up a goal in both games against Bentley … Clarkson outshot the Falcons 96-58 in the weekend series and put up 53 shots on goal in Friday’s win, the most by a Clarkson team in four years, since putting 53 shots on goal in a 7-1 victory over Lake Superior at Cheel on October 21, 2006 … Paul Karpowich boasts a .929 save percentage and a 2.27 goals against average through the first six games … The Knights are still trying to break through on the power play, going 0-of-27 with the man advantage to start the season … Clarkson is strong shorthanded, killing off 30-of-33 opponent power play attempts (91%) while recording one shorthanded marker … After playing four straight at Cheel Arena, the Knights take on St. Lawrence this Saturday at the Halloween Faceoff in Lake Placid before returning to Potsdam for five straight home games to open ECAC Hockey play, hosting Colgate and Cornell on November 5-6 … Since 1980, Clarkson is 12-11 at the Olympic Arena in Lake Placid and posted an 8-9 mark in the ECAC Tournament when it was held in Lake Placid for 10 years from 1993-2002.