The Clarkson University Hockey team built a 2-0 lead early in the second period on Saturday in Cambridge, MA, but Harvard answered back with three unanswered goals to gain a 3-2 victory at Bright Hockey Center in the final ECAC Hockey regular-season game of the 2011-12 campaign and earned a first-round bye in the process.

With the loss, Clarkson drops to seventh in the ECAC standings and will host Rensselaer in a first-round series at Cheel Arena this coming weekend. The Golden Knights, who were picked to finish 11th in the preseason coaches’ poll, finished the conference slate with a 9-9-4 ECAC Hockey mark. Clarkson stands at 15-15-6 overall. The Knights swept Rensselaer during the reular season, winning 4-1 in Potsdam and 3-2 in Troy.

Clarkson Season Ticket Holders can purchase ECAC Playoff tickets at the Cheel Arena Box Office this Sunday from 10 am until 4 pm and Monday from 10 am until 6 pm.

On Tuesday, any unused seats will go on sale to the general public. The Cheel Arena Box office will again be open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 am until 6 pm.

You can also purchase your ECAC Playoff tickets online by visiting www.clarksonathletic .com or by calling Clarkson’s Cheel Arena Box Office at 268 7750.

Ticket prices set by the ECAC are $13 for reserved seating and $10 for standing room only.

Saturday’s game started out on the right note for the Green and Gold as Clarkson scored the first two goals.

Freshman defenseman Kevin Tansey (Hammond, ONT) gave the Knights a 1-0 first-period lead with his second goal of the season. During a scrum in front of the Harvard net, the puck came out to the top of the left circle where Tansey ripped a high shot under the crossbar at with just 47.1 seconds left in the period.

Clarkson’s leading scorer, senior Louke Oakley (Whitby, ONT) put the Green and Gold on top 2-0 early in the second with a 5-on-3 power-play marker at 5:20. Oakley tallied his team-high 16th goal of the season, banking in a shot from the goal line off Crimson goaltender Raphael Girard with sophomore Ben Sexton (Kanta, ONT) and freshman defenseman Sam Labrecque (Granby, QUE) assisting.

Harvard got on the scoreboard with a power-play marker at 12:46 as Alex Fallstrom connected at the top of the crease while the Crimson were skating on a 6-on-4 advantage with their goaltender pulled during a delayed penalty.

For only the second time this season, Clarkson lost when leading after 40 minutes as Harvard (10-8-11, 8-5-9) scored twice in the third period as David Valek tallied at 2:07 and again at 7:42 to cap off the Crimson’s three-goal rally.

Clarkson pulled senior goaltender Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) for the extra attacker with 2:04 remaining in a bid to tie and force overtime, but Harvard was able to hold off the Knights to gain their fifth straight win in the rivalry.

Harvard out shot Clarkson 34-29. The Crimson were 1-of-5 on the power play, while the Knights went 1-of-4 with man-advantage. Karpowich posted 31 saves.