Sophomore Joe Zarbo (Grand Island, NY) recorded a hat trick and freshman goaltender Greg Lewis (Mars, PA) posted 30 saves, including several key early stops, as the Clarkson University Hockey team skated past Harvard 5-1 at Bright Hockey Center in Cambridge, MA on Friday night for its first win of the New Year.

The Golden Knights, who snapped a six-game winless skid (0-5-1), improved their record to 5-12-6 overall and to 4-5-2 in ECAC Hockey play. The Green and Gold will look for the weekend road sweep when they play Dartmouth in Hanover, NH on Saturday.

Joe Zarbo highlighted the Knights’ most productive offensive showing in 12 games with a four-point night, including his first career hat trick. Lewis posted 13 first-period saves, 10 more in the middle frame and seven more over the final 20 minutes as Clarkson broke out of a five-game losing stretch to the Crimson.

Playing its first home game of the New Year, Harvard (5-12-1, 3-10) came out with a strong effort to start the first period and grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the contest when Jimmy Vesey scored at 2:34. The Crimson had several excellent opportunities to add to their lead on an ensuing power play, but Lewis made a couple of key stops to keep it a 1-0 game after the first period.

The Knights, who put a season-high 20 shots on net in the first period, were finally rewarded for their efforts late in the second stanza when they connected for a pair of goals nine seconds apart.

Junior Jarrett Burton (Echo Bay, ONT) started the Clarkson offensive burst with his eighth goal of the season, redirecting a shot from the point by senior defenseman Andrew Himelson (Monroe, NY) into the top corner of the Harvard net for a power-play tally at 17:41.

At 17:50, Joe Zarbo scored his first of the game off a quick wrist shot from the left circle to put the Green and Gold on top 2-1 after two periods. Defensemen, junior Alex Boak (Norwood, NY) and sophomore James Howden (Edgeley, SASK) picked up the assists.

Clarkson continue to roll in the final frame with three more goals to complete a five-goal comeback. Joe Zarbo knocked in a rebound off a shot by freshman defenseman Paul Geiger (Stouffville, ONT) for his second score of the game at 1:44. His brother, junior Matt Zarbo also assisted.

Senior Adam Pawlick (Utica, NY) connected for his second goal of the season and first since November 10, converting a rebound off a Joe Zarbo shot at 13:43.

Joe Zarbo completed the scoring and posted Clarkson’s first hat trick in over two years with an empty-net goal at 17:43. Boak and Matt Zarbo set up the goal for their second assists of the night.

Clarkson outshot the Crimson 39-31. The Knights were 1-of-3 on the power play and killed off all six of Harvard’s man-advantage opportunities.