Freshman defenseman Sam Labrecque (Granby, QUE) connected for the game-winner on the power play with 1:01 remaining in overtime to lift the Clarkson University Hockey team to a come-from-behind 5-4 ECAC Hockey victory over Yale at Cheel Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Labrecque, who tallied is second goal of the game along with recording an assist, fired in a blast from the left circle through a screen 19 seconds into the power play to snap a five-game winless (0-4-1) drought for the Golden Knights with his first collegiate game-winner. Seniors Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) and Louke Oakley (Whitby, ONT) assisted.

Oakley also played a leading role in the Knights’ comeback, tallying a career-high four points on two goals and two assists. Sophomore Ben Sexton (Kanata, ONT) tallied a goal and an assist, while Tremblay notched two assists in Clarkson’s first win since December 6.

The Knights’ much maligned power play was in top form in the victory as the Green and Gold went 3-of-5 with the man-advantage, their best effort of the season. Clarkson’s penalty kill was also at its best, holding Yale’s nationally fourth-ranked unit to just one power-play goal in six chances

Boasting one of the best power plays in the country, Yale (8-7-2, 5-4-1) wasted little time on its first man-advantage opportunity of the game to start the scoring. Just 35 seconds into the power play, Tommy Fallen scored from the top of the slot at 9:08 for his third goal of the season. Andrew Miller and Brian O’Neill picked up the assists. However, that was all the Bulldogs would get from their power play for the remainder of the game.

Yale made it 2-0 at 11:51 when Antoine Laganiere forced a turnover in the Clarkson end and scored off a quick shot from the top of the crease for his seventh tally of the year.

The Knights found their offense in the second stanza, outscoring Yale 3-1 in the period to force a 3-3 tie through 40 minutes.

Clarkson opened the scoring early in the period when Labrecque took a pass along the left boards from senior Corey Tamblyn (Bobcaygeon, ONT) and skated down the wing to the front of the net where he slipped in a shot past Yale goaltender Jeff Malcolm at 2:19 for his first goal since October 29.

The Bulldogs regained the two-goal lead at 14:44 with Clinton Bourbonais’ fifth goal of the season off a shot from the top of the right circle.

Struggling on the power play in recent games, Clarkson came to life on the man-advantage late in the period with two goals to tie the game. Skating on a 5-on-3 advantage, Sexton connected on a blast from the point at 18:22 for his sixth goal of the season. Oakley and senior captain Jake Morley (Ogdensburg, NY) set up Sexton’s team-high fifth power-play marker of the season.

With just 19.9 seconds remaining in the period. Oakley scored on the following power play during a scramble in front with Sexton and Tremblay assisting.

Clarkson continued its momentum early in the third period to take its first lead in the game. Oakley picked up a pass from Labrecque in the neutral zone and skated down the left wing where he fired in a shot from the circle at 1:50 for his second goal of the game and 10th of the season.

The Knights’ lead was short lived, however, as the Bulldogs’ Colin Dueck scored off a faceoff at 2:48 to make it a 4-4 game.

Yale outshot the Knights 42-28, including a 14-4 advantage in the third period, but senior Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) was up to the task with a 38-save effort.

Clarkson, at 10-10-5 overall and 4-4-3 in ECAC Hockey, hosts archrival St. Lawrence this Saturday in a 7:00 p.m. game at Cheel.