Sitting in third place in the ECAC Hockey standings at the start of the New Year, the Clarkson University Hockey team will look to solidify its position as one of the top teams in the conference with a full slate of home games at Cheel Arena in 2015. Guided by fourth-year head coach Casey Jones and assistant coaches Phil Roy '00 and Andy Jones, the Golden Knights will strive to take advantage of home ice with seven of the next nine games in Potsdam.

Led by junior captain Paul Geiger (Stouffville, ONT) and assistant captains, senior James Howden (Edgeley, SASK) and junior Jeff DiNallo (Aurora, ONT), Clarkson posts a 4-1-2 ECAC Hockey mark and a 7-8-4 overall record. The Green and Gold host central NY rivals Colgate and Cornell this weekend in a pair of 7:00 p.m. games.

Clarkson has played just three times over the past 39 days entering Friday's game against Colgate. The Knights' last game was a 4-3 victory over American International at Cheel Arena on Tuesday, December 30. Freshman defenseman Kelly Summers (Golden Lake, ONT), who was named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week, scored his first two collegiate goals. Senior Joe Zarbo (Grand Island, NY) tallied his team-high seventh goal of the year for the game-winner with 3:54 remaining. Junior Todd Christian (Norwalk, CT) opened the scoring just 2:03 into the first. Sophomore goaltender Steve Perry (Ligonier, PA) came on in relief in the third period and turned aside all eight shots he faced to record the win.

Scouting Colgate

Preseason favorite to win the ECAC Hockey regular season title, Colgate enters Friday's game at Cheel tied for seventh in the league with a 3-2-1 conference mark. Guided by 22nd-year head coach Don Vaughan the Raiders are ranked 17th in the country with an 11-6-1 overall record and are coming off an impressive holiday outing. Colgate, which struggled right before the break with a three-game losing skid, skated away with the championship trophy at the Three Rivers Classic, held at Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center on December 29-30. The Raiders defeated Western Michigan 2-1 in the opening round and then overwhelmed nationally-ranked Robert Morris 6-1 in the championship game. Colgate is 4-4 on opponents' home ice.

Kyle Baun is leading a Raider offense that is averaging three goals per game, recording 17 points on eight goals and nine assists. Charlie Finn has started 17 games in the Colgate goal and posts a .927 save percentage, 1.97 goals against average and three shutouts.

Scouting Cornell

After a slow start to the season, Cornell, guided by 21st-year head coach Mike Schafer, picked up its play in late November and early December with four straight victories. The Big Red, however, could not keep the win streak going over the break and enter the North Country on a three-game winless drought. Cornell, which plays at St. Lawrence on Friday owns a 5-6-2 overall record and posts a 10th-place 3-3 ECAC Hockey mark. In their last action the Big Red were held scoreless at Florida College Classic, battling Lake Superior State to a 0-0 tie and falling to Miami 3-0. Cornell's last win a was 4-1 triumph over Top 10 Denver on December 5 in Ithaca, NY. The Big Red are 0-2-0 in road games.

Cornell boasts the number one defense in the country, allowing only 1.62 goals per game, but is struggling offensively, scoring just 1.69 GPG (55th in the nation). Mitch Gillam, posts the best save percentage (.958) and GAA (1.26) in Division I. Joe Lowry tops the Big Red offense with eight points on four goals and four assists. Cornell's power play is ranked first in league play, connecting at 25.9% (7-27).

• Clarkson leads the series against Colgate 81-49-17, but the Raiders have enjoyed the better of the play recently with a 6-1-3 record in the last 10 meetings, including a current five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2). The last six games in the series have been decided by one goal-or-less, including three overtimes. The Knights and Raiders battled to a 2-2 draw in Hamilton on November 15. The teams are deadlocked in games at Cheel Arena (10-10-8). Clarkson's last win over Colgate was a 2-1 triumph on February 18, 2012 in Potsdam.

• Cornell is just one of two teams in the league to hold an advantage over the Knights in their all-time series. In Clarkson's oldest current rivalry, the Big Red have a 62-52-14 lead in the series which started in 1922-23. Cornell, which has won the last two games, both in overtime, is 6-3-1 in the last 10 meetings and 4-1 in the past five. The Big Red edged the Knights 2-1 on November 14 in Ithaca. The Green and Gold are 12-7-6 against Cornell at Cheel. The Knights have won the last two meetings in Potsdam.

• After starting out 0-3-1 at home, including a pair of shutout losses, the Knights have gone 3-0 at Cheel. The Knights, who have played just two league games (both wins) in Potsdam, host nine of the next 13 games in Potsdam.

• All remaining 15 games on Clarkson's regular-season schedule are ECAC Hockey contests.

• Steve Perry ranks first in ECAC Hockey in conference save percentage (.958), GAA (0.99), and in win% (.800, 4-1-0). He has played in 15 games overall, including 14 starts, and posts an overall .914 save percentage and a 1.89 goals against average en route to a 7-6-1 record, including one shutout.

• Clarkson has played in 12 games this season decided by one goal-or-less, going 4-4-4.

• The Knights have outscored their ECAC Hockey foes 15-9 in seven league games, but have been outscored 43-39 overall. Clarkson is averaging 2.05 gpg.

• The Knights are allowing only 2.26 goals per game and are first in ECAC Hockey, allowing only 1.29 GPG.

• Joe Zarbo leads the Knights in scoring with 11 points, including a team-high seven goals. He has 57 career points (29-28) in 122 games.

• Sophomore Troy Josephs (Whitby, ONT) has strung together a three-game point-scoring streak (1-3) and is Clarkson's leading playmaker with seven assists.

• Sophomores Jordan Boucher (St. Therese, QUE) (5-4) and James de Haas (Mississauga, ONT) (3-6) are tied along with Josephs as Clarkson's second-leading scorers with nine points each. Boucher has connected for a team-high three game-winners, while de Haas leads the Green and Gold in scoring from the blueline.

• Todd Christian also has a three-game point streak, including goals in the last two games. He is one of three Knights with seven points on the season.