McKenzie caps off SLU series win

CANTON — St. Lawrence University senior Mike McKenzie began his career at Appleton Arena by scoring a game-winning goal against RIT on Oct. 6, 2006.

His final game came in Sunday's Game 3 of St. Lawrence and Clarkson's epic first-round ECAC Hockey playoff series at the same site.

Needing a goal to avoid a third straight overtime game, McKenzie again scored a game-winner in the final two minutes, giving St. Lawrence a 3-2 win to advance to the tournament quarterfinals at Colgate next weekend.

"That's one of the greatest series that people will ever see up here," St. Lawrence coach Joe Marsh said. "There were some very special efforts here tonight."

Saturday nigh in Game 2, McKenzie scored a go-ahead goal with 7 minutes, 13 seconds remaining. It left Clarkson too much time, and the Golden Knights eventually evened the score and won it in overtime to force the series finale.

In Game 3, he left Clarkson only 83 seconds to try and answer. It wasn't enough time.

"It's something special," McKenzie said of his winning goal, which was set up by a perfect pass in front of the crease from Travis Vermeulen. "It's something I'll never forget."

Neither will any of the 1,345 fans on hand to witness McKenzie's goal that finished off a Clarkson team that refused to quit all series.

"We really, really played well," Marsh said. "We had to because they were ready. They played three great games."

But period three of Game 3 belonged to St. Lawrence (17-14-7). The Saints entered the final 20 minutes down 2-1 as Clarkson goalie Paul Karpowich kept the Golden Knights (9-24-4) on top with 14 saves through the first two periods. He had 92 to that point in the series.

"There was definitely a lot of desperation (entering the third)," SLU's Rick Carden said. "But it's just one of those things you have to take it one shift at a time."

St. Lawrence didn't score on it's first, second, third or fourth shift despite peppering Karpowich with shot after shot. Finally, Carden broke Karpowich's hold, tying the game at 2-2 at 14:47 of the third.

"It's a tough way to go down with seven minutes left, to be up 2-1 and they pop two quick ones," Karpowich said. "They really picked it up in the third. It was do or die for them."

Karpowich finished the period with 16 saves, 30 for the game, but did allow the two goals that proved enough for St. Lawrence to end Clarkson's season.

"We didn't want to sit back like that in the third, but they were playing desperate hockey," Clarkson coach George Roll said. "Both goals were hard-working goals on their behalf and some bad turnovers by us. That's part of the game."

Clarkson had a late opportunity in the final 40 seconds when Alex Curran picked up a penalty. Roll had already pulled Karpowich for an extra attacker and Clarkson now had a 6-on-4 opportunity in St. Lawrence's zone to end the game.

The Saints let only one shot get to goalie Kain Tisi.

"Derek Keller played the series of his life," Tisi said of his defenseman. "He basically just put the team on his shoulders in the last 30 seconds and made sure they didn't get a sniff."

Tisi, who hadn't started a game since losing to Dartmouth on Feb. 26, made 23 saves in the game and only two in the third period.

"We had been out-playing them through the first two games," Tisi said. "I knew if I did my job and make the first save, the guys would pull it out for me."

In the three-game series, St. Lawrence and Clarkson had eight lead change and seven ties. St. Lawrence won the season series 3-2-1.

"What you saw tonight is what I've been saying all along," Marsh said. "These two teams are linked at the hip in a lot of ways here in terms of their traditions and what it means to hockey in this area. There couldn't have been anything like this anywhere this weekend, I think, with this kind of atmosphere."