5:27p – Another puck spits out from behind the Clarkson net, the initial save is made but put home by UMass for the game winner with 12:20 left in the 1st OT. UMass wins it 1-0 for their first NCAA win, and for Clarkson a very disappointing end to a very solid season. Congratulations to the Minutemen!

5:26p – A foot sends the puck flying in front of the UMass net and Clarkson is unable to put it home. UMass throws the puck out from behind the Clarkson net now but a defenseman gets his body in front of it and the net comes off. 12:51 left in the 1st OT.

5:21p – Word out of the Internets is that Notre Dame is up 1-0 on Alabama-Huntsville. First two and half minutes go buy with a few shots but nothing high quality. After creating a bunch of traffic in front Clarkson can’t put home a big chance. Five minutes already gone in the 1st OT.

5:15p – Heeeeeeeeeere we go! 1st OT here in Rochesrter. Clarkson v. UMass!

5:00p – Into overtime!

4:59p – UMass rips a shot and the puck comes off the board, back through the crease and in front of Leggio who isn’t able to corral it. Melee ensues but we’re still tied with 1:10 to go in the 3rd. Clarkson misses a big chance. UMass with a couple now! Puck is frozen in the Clarkson end with 5.3 left.. And now a UMass time out.. Highly doubt the extra attacker for UMass with this much time yet, but we’ll see.

4:51p – UMass now with a great chance turned away by Leggio. Another icing by Clarkson… great plays continue to be followed by bad giveaways. Three to go here in Rochester. Still 0-0.

4:45p – Clarkson with one of its best opportunities of the games just misses. Pucks are starting to find Clarkson sticks, and fortunately for UMass fans also Jon Quick. About 6:00 to go and the crowd is now very much into it.

4:41p – The crowd is slowly getting ready to go into pins & needles mode with 8:00 left to play and a scoreless tie continuing. Both teams are extremely nervous misfires, giveaways and now an icing by the Knights. 7:35 remains.

4:35p – UMass kills it, then comes tantalizingly close to another penalty.

4:32p – Breakway opportunity doesn’t get a shot off for UMass. 4th line for Clarkson is now out there creating some trouble again. Clarkson now gets to go onto the power play. 14:12 remaining in the 3rd after the charging penalty. Clarkson rips two solid shots immediately and then Fenton coast to coast for UMass but is stopped.

4:27p – Some more back and forth. Hard to find different ways to describe it. Both teams getting some close chances, both goalies turning back shots. UMass getting the better of the recent exchange. Leggio’s saves are coming off big from the stick, not sure if he is intentionally trying to steer the puck or not. Quick is needed to keep an eye on both Clarkson and UMass as a puck was almost deflected in off the defenseman.

4:25p – UMass on the PP right off the bat as Grant Clitsome takes a big penalty right off the bat. Big chance for UMass but to no avail. Clarkson with a SH opportunity and we’ve got more back and forth hockey here. A big kill for Clarkson and another big big save by Leggio. 17:23 left in the 3rd.

4:19p – A quick jersey roll call so far: Clarkson, UMass, St. Cloud and Maine obviously. Also Boston University, Boston College, Cornell, a solid RIT contingent, Wisconsin, St.Lawrence, and not one but a couple of UAA Seawolves in the crowd. Here they come onto the ice for the third period. My gut tells me the first goal wins here. Good news for both teams, they’ll not be getting any matching minors to start the third. It’s been a pretty clean game so far.

4:03p – Suddenly it’s 23-18 shots in favor of Clarkson as they’re starting to find the net at least. Still UMass’ six shots have all pretty much been high quality scoring chances. End of 2 here in Rochester. Still scoreless with Clarkson and UMass.

3:55p – Not too shockingly all the penalties wiped and nothing doing. 3:52 left in the second. Clarkson wins a face-off and fires the puck just wide. Big pressure suddenly as UMass returns the offense with some of its own. UMass just misses a home run pass, and now Leggio making a remarkable save to keep the game knotted at zero. 1:53 remaining in the 2nd. Now Quick saving UMass! Suddenly a very entertaining five minutes of hockey.

3:51p – UMass good set-up and pressure on their power play. They get a solid shot off, but Leggio makes the save and the Knights whip it down the ice. Big trouble here now for Clarkson though as the Knights are now down 5 on 3 for 0:29. A huge opportunity now for the Minutemen. Leggio standing tall in net as the Knights kill off the first penalty. 1:28 to go in the second one. UMass now takes a penalty. HUGE for Clarkson as the teams go 4 on 4 now.

3:46p – A missed empty net for the Knights and UMass promptly responds with a breakaway and a misfire. Now a penalty on Clarkson. 7:54 left in the 2nd. A little bit of energy in the crowd now. We are all getting a little drowsy up there.

3:42p – Crowd eerily quiet during this PP. UMass kills it.

3:37p – Bouncing puck dumped in handcuffs Jon Quick to some “ooohs” but still not much doing until Clarkson throws two consecutive shots on net. Clarkson is now going on the PP after a Knight is dumped in front of the net. 12:38 left in a fast-moving 2nd. Clarkson leading on shots 4-0 in this period.

3:32p – BIG opportunity out in front for Clarkson’s Mike Sullivan but he can’t pull the trigger as a UMass player smothers the puck. Outside of that, a very slow start to the second period. 15:45 already left in the 2nd. Not much cooking on either side.

A couple of random thoughts, I had hoped to get lots of jersey pictures here in Rochester especially of some local teams, but sadly not many youngsters have made it to the arena for this early game. It would be nice if the NCAA could change the start times to accomodate the youngsters that have to be in school until 2:30 so they could see the next level of hockey.

3:27p – Game back on. Some matching minors dished out before the period began after some extracirriculars in front of the UMass bench. 18:06 remaining in the second.

3:07p – END OF 1. Clarkson 0 – UMass 0.

3:07p – Whistles slowing the game down quite a bit now. 2:30 left in the first. Clarkson looking like they’re dumping the puck a bit and sending the fast forwards in after it. If one catches it it could be trouble, but in the mean time it means they’re spending a lot of time in their own defensive zone where a giveaway could be bad. 2 on 1 now for UMass and the defenseman gets back to help Leggio who makes a big save. D’Alvise then with a chance of his own but stoned by Quick. 20 seconds left and some shenanigans in from of Jon Quick after he makes a save. Shots now 9-4 in favor of UMass.

3:00p – A couple quick opportunities but nothing doing yet for the Knights. PP killed by UMass as we’re back to 5 on 5. 3:43 to go in the first.

2:57p – Brett Hull on the Jumbotron here getting no cheers from the Rochester crowd.. obviously. Tripping penalty on UMass gives one of the top power plays in the country the opportunity to hit the ice. 6:33 left in the 1st.

2:50p – 11:00 minutes in and Clarkson gets their first shot on goal.

2:46p – Zalewski almost puts home a short-handed wrap around! UMass now passing very cleanly in their zone as they establish the man-advantage. Still, the Clarkson forecheck is now coming up huge generating some offense short handed again and killing off the penalty. Clarkson now starting to put pressure on, UMass has had a hard time getting the puck out of their zone in the past two minutes. 11:47 to go in the 1st.

2:40p – A couple early opportunities for both teams as they begin to test each other out. UMass seeming to have some decent success moving the puck out of their defensive zone efficiently, they’re starting to find the open man at the blue line and have put a few shots on Leggio already. UMass with a huge opportunity but a misfire right next to the net. UMass coming dangerously close to scoring several times, UMass is finding the numbers in their favor, and now a power play for them. 15:36 left in the 1st.

2:33 – And we’re underway here in Rochester!

2:25p – Eight to go before gametime our Internet keeps cutting in and out so to the Blackberry we go. A very big Clarkson contingent here for the opener.

It’s 1:58p here at the Blue Cross Arena as the #1 Clarkson Golden Knights and the #4 UMass Minutemen have hit the ice for pre-game warms ups. Keep an eye on CHN Blog all day for the latest NCAA Updates as we get them!

Friday, March 23rd, 2007 - 1:59 pm | Uncategorized