POTSDAM -- Off to its best start in 24 years with a 5-1 overall record, the Clarkson University men’s hockey team will look to continue its winning ways as it opens its 55th campaign of ECAC hockey.

Guided by fifth-year head coach Casey Jones and assistants Phil Roy and Josh Hauge, the Golden Knights will host Capital District rivals Rensselaer and Union College this weekend in a pair of 7 p.m. games at Cheel Arena. Clarkson, which was idle last week, skated to a sweep of NCHC foe Western Michigan (4-2, 6-2) in Potsdam in its last action on Oct. 23-24.

Ranked 17th in the latest USCHO.com poll, Clarkson has outscored its opponents 25-15 en route to the 5-1 record, its best start since opening 10-1 in 1991-92. The last time the Green and Gold began ECAC Hockey play with a four-point weekend was in 2007-08 when they defeated Harvard (2-1) and Dartmouth (4-3) at Cheel Arena.

In the rivalry against Rensselaer, which began during the 1924-25 campaign, Clarkson leads the series 87-50-10. The Knights took three of four points against the Engineers in the 2014-15 regular season, but RPI won the ECAC Hockey first-round series in Potsdam 2-1 on March 6-8. Clarkson holds a 16-11-3 record over the Engineers at Cheel Arena.

The Knights lead the all-time series against Union, 28-24-5, but the Dutchmen

have owned the play in recent years, winning the last five meetings and nine of the last 10 games.