Playing in its 22nd one-goal game of the season, the Clarkson University Hockey team had one of its best defensive efforts of the year, but struggled on the offensive end in a 1-0 overtime loss to Harvard in ECAC Hockey action at Cheel Arena on Friday night.

With five games left in the regular season, the Golden Knights remain in a tie for fourth place in the ECAC Hockey standings with a 10-6-1 conference mark. Clarkson, which hosts Dartmouth on Saturday, stands at 17-11-3 overall. The Big Green defeated St. Lawrence 3-1 in Canton on Friday.

Winners of three straight and four of its last five, Harvard improves to 5-9-3 in the league and 9-12-3 overall. The Crimson play at St. Lawrence on Saturday.

The Knights limited Harvard to just 17 shots, but the Crimson's last one with 14 seconds remaining in the five-minute overtime session proved to be the difference in the tightly played contest. Jimmy Vesey, Harvard's leading scorer, ended the game when he finished off a pass from Sean Malone on a 2-on-1 break to give the Crimson the key win on the road. Brian Hart also assisted on the game's lone goal.

The Knights had 31 shots on goal against Harvard, but came up empty in their first shutout loss of the season in ECAC Hockey play.

In a scoreless first period Harvard outshot the Knights 6-5, but Clarkson had steady pressure throughout the stanza and had several good scoring opportunities just miss the net.

With less than two minutes remaining in the opening frame and late in a Harvard power play, Clarkson freshman goaltender Steve Perry (Ligonier, PA) made a sliding pad save on the Crimson's Brian Hart to keep the game scoreless.

The Knights carried the play in the second period and held a 10-6 shot advantage. One of Clarkson's best chances came early in the stanza when the Green and Gold's leading scorer, senior Allan McPherson (Kinburn, ONT) broke in on a 2-on-1, but he was turned aside on a save at the post by the Crimson's Steve Michalek.

Clarkson continued to dominate in the third period with a 14-2 shot advantage and enjoyed a three-minute advantage on a power-play to close out the stanza, but could not crack Harvard's fifth-ranked penalty-killing unit. Senior Will Frederick (Allison Park, PA) was denied on a shot in close with two minutes remaining and freshman A. J. Fossen (Maple Grove, MN) was turned back with one minute left in regulation.

Both teams had two shots in overtime.

The Knights were scoreless in five power-play opportunities, while Harvard was 0-of-4 on the man-advantage.

Perry made 16 saves, while Michalek posted 31 saves in recording Harvard's first shutout on the road since 2010.