Facing the number-one ranked team in the country on its home ice, the Clarkson University Hockey team put in a very solid effort against Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT on Saturday night, but the highly-rated Bobcats were able to hold off the Golden Knights for a 2-1 win.

Clarkson, which skated to a 3-2 victory at Princeton on Friday, owns an 8-15-7 overall record and a seventh-place 7-8-3 ECAC Hockey mark. The Knights host Dartmouth and Harvard this coming weekend in the final regular-season games at Cheel Arena. The Green and Gold play at Rensselaer and Union on March 1-2 before postseason action begins.

Coming off its first loss since early November, Quinnipiac (22-4-4, 15-1-2) jumped out to a quick start against the Knights, scoring both its goals in the first 10 minutes of the contest. Bryce Van Brabant opened the scoring at 2:22 followed by Connor Jones’ goal at 10:16.

Clarkson settled in after the opening half of the first period and battled Quinnipiac, which has already clinched the Cleary Cup as league regular season champions, evenly for the remainder of the contest.

After being outshot 13-6 in the opening stanza, the Knights held a 23-21 advantage over the final 40 minutes against the second-rated defense in the country.

Freshman Greg Lewis (Mars, PA) was strong again in the Clarkson crease with a 32-save performance.

The Knights made it a one-goal game in the waning moments of the third period. With Lewis pulled out of the crease for the extra attacker, Clarkson’s leading scorer, junior Allan McPherson (Kinburn, ONT) connected for his ninth goal of the season with 13.7 seconds remaining during a scramble in front. Freshman defenseman Paul Geiger (Stouffville, ONT) and junior Will Frederick (Allison Park, PA) earned the assists.

Time ran out on the Knights, however, before they could force a tie.