Potsdam, N.Y. — Niagara took the lead twice Friday night skating to a 2-2 tie with Clarkson, while the Golden Knights took the non-conference shootout 3-2.
The Purple Eagles moved to 4-4-1 while Clarkson is now 3-3-1.
First period
Neither team scored in a period as Clarkson controlled early. The Golden Knights put five shots at Anderson in about 70 seconds, starting at 3:38. Justin Cote hit the post at 4:21, and Anderson stopped Shawn O'Donnell, Remi Gelinas and Nikolas Young. Niagara's skaters helped by blocking shots, including Noah Hackett, Jack Richard and Adam Gionta in the period.
Niagara's best look came on its only power play of the period after Sebastien Gervais was called for high sticking at 15:04. The Purple Eagles couldn't convert. Hackett's shot was blocked by Ty Brassington, and Josh Van Mulligen's shot was saved by Ben Gaudreau. Anderson finished the period with seven saves on seven shots, and Niagara put six on Gaudreau.
Second period
Spencer Young broke the tie 3:46 into the second, his first goal of the season. Theo Lemieux and Hackett assisted. Niagara kept coming, with Ryan Humphrey, Gionta, Dallon Melin and Marshall Finnie all getting shots off in a 19-second span.
Clarkson took over from there and outshot Niagara 14-6 in the period. Niagara had to kill three minor penalties, and Cote tied it at 13:48 with assists from Axel Dufresne and Mael St-denis.
The Purple Eagles' toughest stretch came right after that. Clarkson fired six shots on net in the two minutes that followed. Anderson stopped all of them, and Lemieux blocked a seventh. Gionta then blocked two Bryce Sookro shots just after the penalty expired. Van Mulligen blocked a Gelinas shot with nine seconds left to get Niagara to the break tied 1-1. Anderson made 13 saves in the period.
Third period
The Purple Eagles outshot Clarkson 9-7 in the period and pushed ahead. Young, Van Mulligen and Young again all tested Gaudreau within about 15 seconds around the 7:30 mark, and Muranov scored at 11:15 to make it 2-1. Van Mulligen and Young assisted on his second goal of the season.
Niagara had a chance to extend the lead when Gelinas was called for elbowing at 13:30. The power play produced only a wide shot from Muranov.
Hayden Reid tied it 1 minute, 26 seconds later, scoring at 16:56 with assists from Dufresne and Michael Craig. Roberto Mancini got a shorthanded shot off, and Anderson stopped Sookro and Reid in the final 15 seconds. Van Mulligen blocked Talon Sigurdson's shot with one second left in regulation. Anderson made six saves in the period.
Overtime
Clarkson carried the final 21 seconds of the power play into overtime, and Cote hit the post again at 0:28. Anderson then stopped Tyler Wallace, Reid, Mael St-denis and Sigurdson, who got a shot with two seconds left. Niagara's only shot of the extra session came from Richard at 2:53.
Shootout
Neither team scored in the first three rounds. Gaudreau stopped Spencer Young, Richard and Hackett, and Anderson stopped Gelinas, Reid and Cote. Davis Codd and Mitchell Young scored for Niagara in the next two rounds, matching Jared Mangan and Jace Letourneau. Hunter Wallace was stopped in the sixth round, and Tate Taylor beat Anderson to win it for Clarkson. The shootout does not count toward the final score.
Niagara Notes
Niagara is now 5-12-3 all-time against Clarkson
Anderson tallied 30 saves
Spencer Young tallied his first multi-point game of the season
The Purple Eagles won the face-off battle 26-25
Lemieux, Gionta and Van Mulligen all blocked three shots
Up Next
Niagara wraps up the weekend against Clarkson Saturday October 31 at 4:00 PM inside Cheel Arena.
