The Knights face Harvard in a 3 Game Series


        Clarkson Men's Hockey will host the Harvard Crimson for a Three-Game Series from March 14 to 16 at Cheel Arena in Potsdam, New York. The Clarkson Golden Knights secured the second seed in the ECAC Hockey Tournament, finishing with a record of 15-6-1 in conference play. The Top Four seeds in the ECAC get a First-Round Bye, which gave Clarkson last week off. Harvard finished with the seventh seed in the ECAC with a record of 9-10-3. The middle four teams in the ECAC host the first round. Harvard would host RPI in a single game at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. Harvard would beat RPI in a 5-2 win that would mark the end of the Dave Smith era at RPI, with Dave being fired on Monday after eight years. Both Harvard and Clarkson need to win the ECAC Hockey Championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The ECAC is looking likely to be a one-bid league this year.

    Clarkson has eclipsed the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2021-22 season. Clarkson is also hosting an ECAC Quarterfinal for the first time since that same year. Coach JF Houle has made waves in his first year, and it's not over yet. "Our Guys Never Quit, and it's fun to see that the players are playing for each other," he said about his team after a big win over Quinnipiac to finish off February with only a single loss. Clarkson has hit some road bumps, including a 5-3-0 record against teams at the bottom of the conference, not winning a single game against the Brown Bears, and the nonconference losses at the start of the year to RIT, Alaska Fairbanks, Notre Dame, and Providence. All of which were close losses for Clarkson. If Clarkson had even two of these games back, they would certainly be in contention for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. Despite the heartbreaking losses in the first half, Clarkson still has over twenty wins this season. Clarkson has qualified for the ECAC Championship in four of their last five seasons with twenty or more wins.

    As stated above, the players are what has made Clarkson so successful this season. Ayrton Martino has become the first player since Nico Sturm to break the 40-point threshold in one season. He goes into this weekend with 45 points. He is one point from tying Sheldon Rempal's 2017-18 season points total. Martino has the opportunity to be Clarkson's first 50-point scorer since Todd White in the 1996-97 season. That was also the year that current head coach JF Houle led the team in assists. He only needs five more points. Martino is a leading candidate for the ECAC Coach of the Year award. Despite amazing individual performances from Martino, he is a team player. He plays on Clarkson's first line with Ryan Richardson and Ellis Rickwood. "Those two are Helluva players," is what Martino said when he was asked about the success of his line.

    Despite Harvard's struggles, there are some bright spots on the team. Mick Thompson has put himself in the conversation for Rookie of the Year in the ECAC. The freshman forward has come up with a goal in the majority of Harvard's wins this year. Last year's ECAC Rookie of the Year was CJ Foley, and Mick Thompson has already put himself in the conversation by leading his team in scoring. Harvard is a team that boasts eleven draft picks, which gives Thompson the environment he needs to be successful out of the gate. Other than players, Harvard has been playing well going into the postseason and has the depth to be able to score using any forward line or defensive pairing. Ted Donato emphasizes depth, which, when used right, can wear down any team. "We had all four lines going, which is nice," Donato said about his win over RPI.

    Clarkson looks to return to the ECAC Hockey Championship Weekend in Lake Placid for the first time since 2022 in this weekend's Three-Game Series. Game One is set for a 7:00 PM puck drop on Friday, March 14th. Games Two and Three are set for a 4:00 PM puck drop on Saturday, March 15th, and Sunday, March 16th. There are three ways to catch the Golden Knights this weekend. Catch the longtime voice of the Golden Knights, Bob Ahlfeld, on ESPN+ and B99.3 FM. The pregame show for both will start ten minutes before the start time. Additionally, you can listen on WTSC-FM with the Student Radio Voice of Clarkson Hockey, Jeremy DeSalvo. The Pregame Show on WTSC will be live thirty minutes before puck drop. The Third Game will only take place if the series is tied 1-1 after two games.

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