Trailing by four goals early in the third period of its season opener the Clarkson University Hockey team battled back with three unanswered scores to make it a one-goal game, but the Golden Knights could not come up with the equalizer and fell 5-4 to Colorado College out west on Friday night.

Clarkson and Colorado College will play again on Saturday night on the 200x100-foot ice sheet at the World Arena in Colorado Springs with faceoff at 9:07 p.m. EST.

Trailing 5-1 early in the third period, the Knights got back into the game when freshmen Pat Megannety (Oakville, ONT) and Simon Bessette (St. Jean, QUE) scored their first collegiate goals. Megannety took a pass from sophomore Patrick Marsh (Oakville, ONT) in the Tigers’ zone and ripped a shot from the high slot at 3:52, followed by a goal from Bessette at 10:50. Bessette knocked in a shot at the right post with senior defenseman Nik Pokulok (Vaudreuil-Dorion, QUE) picking up the assist.

With 2:34 remaining, Clarkson’s captain Ben Sexton (Kanata, ONT) stole the puck at the Colorado blueline and fired in his 14th career goal, unassisted to make it a 5-4 game. The Knights pulled freshman goaltender Greg Lewis (Mars, PA) with 1:20 left in regulation, but fell just short in their bid to tie the contest.

The Tigers, of the WCHA, took a 1-0 first period lead on a goal by William Rapuzzi at 6:20. Clarkson wasted little time in tying the game early in the second frame when Jarrett Burton (Echo Bay, ONT) scored on a back-hand shot unassisted at 1:11.

Colorado College, however, answered back with a pair of shorthanded markers 2:21 apart by Jeff Collett and Rylan Schwartz to take a 3-1 lead at 5:49. The Tigers scored again with Charlie Taft connecting at 13:31 to hold a 4-1 lead through 40 minutes.

Colorado seemed to take a comfortable 5-1 lead with Archie Skalbeck’s goal at 2:03 of the third period.

The Tigers outshot Clarkson 33-25. Senior Cody Rosen (Kingston, ONT) started in the Knights’ net and turned aside 25 of 30 shots he faced through 47:45 of action before leaving the game midway through the third period suffering from muscle cramps in his legs. Lewis played the remainder of the game in the Clarkson crease and stopped all three shots he faced over 10:55 of play.

The Knights were 0-of-4 on the power play and allowed a pair of shorthanded goals. Colorado College was 0-of-3 with the man-advantage.