The lengthiest stretch of road games in 71 years for the Clarkson University Hockey team started out in exciting fashion, but unfortunately for the Golden Knights they came out on the short end of a one-goal contest to the University of Maine. A pair of power-play goals in the second period, including the deciding goal with less than five seconds remaining in the middle frame, enabled the Black Bears to hold off the Green and Gold for a 4-3 win in a non-conference game played before 5,328 fans at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, ME on Saturday night in the first of nine consecutive games for Clarkson away from Potsdam.

The Knights, who stand at 7-5-3 overall, play at Holy Cross in Worcester, MA on Sunday evening, beginning at 5:00 p.m. The Crusaders skated to a 2-0 shutout at home over Brown on Saturday afternoon.

Trailing 4-3 after 40 minutes, Clarkson put in a strong third-period effort, outshooting Maine 14-9 in the stanza and with the extra attacker on in the final minute the Knights buzzed the Black Bear net with tremendous pressure, but could not put in the equalizer.

Maine (4-6-2) sandwiched a pair of goals around a tally by senior Louke Oakley (Whitby, ONT) to grab a 2-1 lead after the opening 20 minutes. At 4:10, Stu Higgins gave the Black Bears the first goal of the game when he scored a shorthanded marker, the second given up by the Green and Gold this season.

While skating itn a 4-on-4 situation, Oakley tied the contest at 12:39 with his seventh goal of the season after finishing off a pass from classmate Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) with a shot under the crossbar. Freshman defenseman Sam Labrecque (Granby, QUE) also set up the goal.

Miscommunication behind the Clarkson net led to a Golden Knight giveaway, and Maine capitalized as Adam Shemansky scored into a wide open net at 15:47 to put the home team back in the lead.

The Black Bears took a two-goal lead at 3-1 early in the second with Shemansky’s second goal of the game, scoring 73 seconds into the stanza on the power play.

The Knights, however, battled back with a pair of goals less than five minutes apart. At 4:42, senior Jake Morley (Ogdensburg, NY) scored his third goal in the past two games, converting on a turnover created by classmate Corey Tamblyn (Bobcaygeon, ONT). Sophomore Allan McPherson (Kinburn, ONT) made it 3-3 with his sixth goal of the season, a power-play marker at 9:30. Labrecque, with his team-high ninth assist of the year, and Oakley started the scoring play.

But with just 4.2 seconds left in the middle frame, Maine went back on top with its second power-play goal of the period, with Kyle Beattie finding the back of the Clarkson net.

The Black Bears outshot Clarkson 37-33. Senior Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) posted 33 saves, including 15 in the second period.

The Knights were 1-of-5 on the power play. Maine scored two power-play goals in seven chances while also netting a shorthanded tally.

Clarkson and Maine will play again in just over a month when the two teams face off in the opening round of the Everblades College Classic in Estero, FL on December 29.