CC skates to second-straight tie against Clarkson
POTSDAM, N.Y. • On Clarkson's ninth power play and fourth of the third period Saturday, Colorado College's penalty kill cracked.
Clarkson right wing Scott Freeman's loopy shot floated over goaltender Richard Bachman's right shoulder and snapped the Tigers' streak of 40 consecutive successful penalty kills.
More importantly, with less than 5 minutes left in the third period, Clarkson had tied the score 2-2.
Ten more minutes of sloppy hockey ensued without a goal and the Tigers came away from Cheel Arena with another dissatisfying tie, their second in as many nights.
Though still unbeaten at 4-0-2, the outcome was what CC neither expected nor desired heading into next weekend's home-and-home series with No. 2 Denver.
"It was an unsuccessful weekend," captain Jake Gannon said. "A split's never bad on the road, but we should have won tonight and probably should have won last night."
Combined, CC and Clarkson accounted for 19 penalties and spent more than a period - 24 minutes, 42 seconds, to be exact - on special teams.
"It was comical at times," coach Scott Owens said.
Even the Golden Knights - who were pleased to tie the No. 1 Tigers, especially after losing by a combined score of 11-3 in a sweep at World Arena last season - thought the 11 third-period penalties and four in overtime marred the outcome.
"It's tough because we can't ever get back into the flow," said Clarkson center Chris D'Alvise, who tied the score at one apiece 6:13 into the first period. "It screwed both teams up. They should have let us play."
Tied after a period, left wing Tim Hall hit the right post 2 minutes into the second. The puck landed behind goaltender Paul Karpowich and Chad Rau tapped it in to earn his 10th point of the season (five goals).
Late in the third, Karpowich got his revenge.
Nearly 2 minutes before Freeman's tying score, left wing Bill Sweatt led a short-handed 2-on-1 rush down the ice and found Rau alone in the slot. His fancy touches failed to fool Karpowich, who made a sprawling save and smothered the puck.
CC's power play went 0 for 9, making the Tigers 5 of 45 overall (11.1 percent).
"We had our chances and we blew it," Gannon said. "We had our PP's. We had our chances to win the game and we let it slip by. It's unacceptable."
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Contact the writer: 476-4803 of kate.crandall@gazette.com. See our CC hockey blog at gazettecchockey.freedomblogging.com
