The opening weekend of ECAC Hockey action did not go as plan for the Clarkson University Hockey team, which managed just one point in a weekend set at Cheel Arena. The Golden Knights, however, will have the opportunity to gain back their early-season momentum when they take on archrival St. Lawrence University in Canton on Friday in a 7:00 p.m. game at Appleton Arena.

After posting a 5-1 record against non-league competition, for its best start in 24 years, Clarkson, guided by fifth-year head coach Casey Jones and assistants Phil Roy '00 and Josh Hauge, struggled in its conference openers. The Green and Gold battled back for a 2-2 tie against Rensselaer on Friday, then lost 4-1 to Union on Saturday. Ranked 19th in the national polls, the Knights own a 5-2-1 overall record and are tied for 10th in the ECAC Hockey standings at 0-1-1.

• Friday's game will be the 200th meeting between Clarkson and St. Lawrence in their rivalry, which the Knights lead by a commnading 121-67-11 margin. Last season St. Lawrence enjoyed the better of the rivalry going 2-1-1. The teams split in ECAC Hockey action, however, with each winning on the other's home ice.

No player on the current Clarkson roster has ever lost a game at Appleton Arena. The Knights have a five-game unbeaten (4-0-1) streak on St. Lawrence's home ice. Clarkson defeated the Saints 2-1 in Canton on December 6 and also tied the Saints at Appleton 2-2 on October 31 last season.

• Friday's game is the only one on the weekend for the Knights and starts a three-game road trip. Clarkson split in its only two road games of the season, losing at Merrimack (7-1) before defeating UNH (4-3) on October 16-17. Clarkson plays at Quinnipiac and Princeton on November 20-21.

• After outscoring its opponents 20-5 through the first six games en route to a 5-1 record and its best start since 1991-92, Clarkson was held in check to open ECAC Hockey play, combining for just three goals over the weekend.

• The Knights' power play, which entered the weekend as the fourth best unit in the country (34.6%) went 0-for-6 combined against the Engineers and Dutchmen. The penalty kill was a perfect 7-of-7. For the season, Clarkson is 9-32 (28.1%) with the man-advantage (6th in the country), while the penalty kill is 28-33 (84.8%, tied for 26th).

• Senior defenseman Paul Geiger (Stouffville, ONT) is in his second year as the Golden Knights' captain. Classmates Jeff DiNallo (Aurora, ONT) and Pat Megannety (Oakville, ONT), and junior James de Haas (Mississauga, ONT) serve as assistant captains.

• Clarkson's offense is tied for the 15th most productive in Division I, averaging 3.50 goals per game. The Knights have scored four-or-more goals in each of their five wins and have had a pair of six-goal outings. Clarkson has scored 28 goals through the first eight games after finding the back of the net just 81 times through 37 games (2.19 GPG) last season.

• Junior Jordon Boucher (St. Therese, QUE) has tallied a team-high nine points (3-6). He has at least one point in six of the first eight games.

• Junior A.J. Fossen (Maple Grove, MN) was held without a point over the weekend, but still leads the country in power-play goals with five, equalling last year's team-high by Kelly Summers (Golden Lake, ONT). Fossen, who closed out the 2014-15 campaign with four goals and five assists over the last seven games, has carried his strong play over to the start of his junior season. He is the Knights' leading goal scored (5) and is tied for second in points with seven.

• Sophomore Sam Vigneault (Baie-Comeau, QUE) is tied for fourth in the country in game-winning goals (2) and tied for 18th in power-play markers (2). Vigneault is one of three Knights with seven points (2-5) on the year.

• James de Haas powers the Clarkson offense from the blueline with one goal and six assists. He is tied for 16th in Division I for points per game (0.88) among

defenseman.

• Sophomore defenseman Terrance Amorosa (Kirkland, QUE) tied the game against RPI on Friday, scoring his first goal of the season, and second career marker, an unassisted tally with 1:56 remaing.

• Sophomore Brett Gervais (Corona, CA) scored his second goal of the season on Friday after scoring just once in his rookie campaign. He holds a team-best +5 and has taken the most draws for the Knights at the faceoff circle (75-67, 52.8%). He is fifth in scoring for the Green and Gold with six points.

• Junior Perry D'Arrisso (Mississauga, ONT) scored his second career goal and first since October 12, 2013 with the Knights' lone goal against Union. Freshman defenseman Aaron Thow (Toronto, ONT) picked up his first career point with an assist on the goal.

• Seventeen players have accounted for Clarkson's 28 goals. Twenty Knights have recorded at least one point.

• Senior defenseman Kevin Tansey (Hammond, ONT) leads Clarkson in blocked shots with 12 to go along with a +4 rating and one goal.

• Clarkson has outshot six of its first eight opponents, 270-197 combined total.

• Clarkson has one of the most experienced teams in the country with 25 lettermen, including eight seniors and eight juniors.

Scouting St. Lawrence

Ranked 15th in the national polls, St. Lawrence owns a 6-3-1 overall record and is tied for fifth in the ECAC Hockey standings with a 1-1 league slate. Guided by fourth-year head coach Greg Carvel, the Saints are coming off a weekend split at Appleton Arena in their conference openers this past weekend at Appleton Arena. St. Lawrence skated past Union 6-3 on Friday, but saw a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) snapped with Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to Rensselaer. St. Lawrence is 4-2 in Canton this season.

The Saints, paced by defensemen Gavin Bayreuther (3-6-9) and Eric Sweetman (2-6-8), are averaging 3.40 goals per game (18th in Div. I). Kyle Hayton backstops a defensive effort for St. Lawrence, which is allowing just 2.30 goals per game. Hayton posts a .915 save percentage and a 2.33 GAA in nine games.

St. Lawrence has been strong on the penalty kill, at 90.4% (47-52), but is struggling on the power play, clicking at just 8.7% (4-46), 54th in the country.

The Series:

The Golden Knights hold an overwhelming 121-67-11 series lead against the Saints, which began with a 1-0 Clarkson victory during the 1925-26 campaign. Last season St. Lawrence enjoyed the better of the rivalry going 2-1-1. The teams split in ECAC Hockey action, however, with each winning on the other's home ice. Clarkson defeated the Saints 2-1 in Canton on December 6 to extend its unbeaten streak at Appleton Arena to five games. The Green and Gold also tied the Saints on their home ice 2-2 on October 31 last season. In the December 6 win, Steve Perry posted 21 saves, and James de Haas and Jordan Boucher scored timely goals. The Knights outshot the Saints 31-22 as they improved their record at Appleton Arena to 4-0-1 since the 2010-11 campaign. Clarkson was strong on the penalty kill, shutting down St. Lawrence on all five of its power-play chances. The Knights went 0-2 with the man advantage. St. Lawrence turned the table in the last meeting, winning 2-1 in Potsdam on January 31 for its first conference points against Clarkson in 10 meetings (1-8-1). The Saints also gained a 4-0 non-league victory at Cheel on November 1 last year. The Knights are 6-2-2 over the last 10 meetings with St. Lawrence and 24-18-4 against their archrival in games played during the 2000s.

Jeff DiNallo leads the Green and Gold in scoring against the Saints with four goals and three assists through eight games of the rivalry. Simon Bessette has three goals and four points in the series, while Pat Megannety has two goals and three points. Defensemen Kevin Tansey has notched three assists. Greg Lewis has started six games in goal against St. Lawrence and posts a .903 save percentage and a 2.59 goals against average for a 3-1-1 record. In 225 minutes of action in the rivalry, Perry is 2-1-1 with a .928 save percentage and a 1.60 GAA.