Backman now has 15 goals this year

Feb. 16, 2008

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Yale's first ECAC Hockey weekend sweep could not have come at a better time. The Bulldog men survived a Clarkson comeback and pulled out a 5-2 win over the No. 11 team in the country while clinching home ice for the ECAC playoffs.

Sean Backman had two goals and Denny Kearney had two assists as the Blue (12-9-4, 8-6-4 ECAC) moved to within two points of third-place Quinnipiac. Four different Elis found the net despite being outshot 38-28.

Billy Blase stopped a career-high 36 shots while blanking the Knights (17-10-3, 12-4-2) on all nine power-play chances. But the junior Yale goalie, who stopped all 11 shots in the third, had to survive Clarkson's two-goal comeback. His play was crucial in the Bulldogs' first ECAC sweep of the season, and the first of St. Lawrence and Clarkson since 2003-04.

The win was also Yale's first over a nationally-ranked squad since October of last season at New Hampshire and snapped a seven-game skid against the Knights.

"It is a terrific four points because we played two quality teams and we hadn't had a sweep all year," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Hockey. "We talked about having to sweep some weekends this year and they responded well to the challenge."

The home team got on the board first, and solid forechecking caused the goal. Matthew Toomey (6th goal), who grabbed a puck that bounced off Denny Kearney's skate, wheeled out from the boards between defenders. Thomey held the puck while Leggio committed to the near post and then waited until the opening appeared on the far one before slipping a nifty wrister off the left post at 3:55.

The Bulldog power-play unit, which has been among the least successful in the country all season, made it three for its last three and upped the lead to 2-0 just 71 seconds later on a put-back by Backman (14th). Broc Little fired a shot on net from the right circle and Backman was in the right place to one-time it at 5:06. It turned out to be Yale's only PPG of the night (1-for-7).

Blase also got an early test and it came on a Clarkson penalty kill. Nick Dodge stole the puck at his own blueline, pushed it ahead and came in alone on the Bulldog netminder, who stopped a deke and tuck effort.

The Elis managed to thwart three straight man-advantages in the later part of the opening frame, but the first-place Knights still lit the lamp with 26.4 seconds left. Sophomore winger Matt Beca got his seventh goal of the year by sending a pass from the goal line in the corner that appeared to go off the goalie's stick to make it 2-1.

Clarkson had numerous quality chances to tie the score but Blase came up big - including three separate two-man advantages -- to keep Yale ahead until Beca found another opening. After a poor clearing attempt by the Blue, the Knights' right wing fired a rising wrister from the left circle that went upper left corner at 7:40.

Leggio made one of the great saves of the year on a Yale flurry midway through the final period. He stopped Yale's top shooters, Backman and Mark Arcobello, on consecutive point-blank shots, and the second save happened while Leggio was on his back.

The Blue finally got the go-ahead tally and it happened with a 4-on-4 with another put-back goal. Backman followed up Tom Dignard's shot at 12:26 to give Yale a 3-2 lead.

"It popped right out to me in the slot," said Backman of the game-winner and his 15th goal of the year.

A crossing feed from Jean-Francois Boucher to a teammate racing for the lead pass in the middle slot bounced in the air and landed in the net. Despite having a defender in position, Brendan Mason (4th) reached out and tipped the pass over Leggio's shoulder with 5:12 left.

Clarkson pulled Leggio with 3:15 left after the home team was called for a penalty but the Yale PK unit did not allow a shot on target. The Knights did get one on target after the penalty expired but Chris Cahill (4th) hit an empty-net 20 seconds later to put the game away.

"The penalty-kill sealed the deal for us tonight," said Allain.

The Bulldogs, who had all the success on Alumni Weekend at Ingalls, are on the road next week against Harvard and Dartmouth.

Report filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director