Corkery Goal Nips Clarkson in Overtime, 6-5

Billy Corkery's sudden-death overtime goal gave Harvard a 6-5 victory over a surprisingly tenacious Clarkson team last night, sending Harvard on to meet B.U. in the ECAC semis and providing the Watson Rink fans with Harvard's first overtime victory in three years.

Clarkson had combined opportunism with some poor Harvard defense to come back from a 3-2 second-period deficit, but it was helpless against Corkery's clutch goal, a typical flying rush down the right wing finished off by a no-angle bullet to the far corner of the Clarkson cage.

January Brilliance

Harvard showed flashes of its January brilliance in the first period, but two Clarkson garbage goals left the game tied at 2-2. The Crimson came out flying in the opening minutes, jumping to a 1-0 lead at 00:37 as Bob Goodenow drilled home a Larry Desmond pass from 25 feet.

Clarkson stumbled back, however, tying up the game on a freak short-handed goal. A Clarkson shot trickled off Harvard goalie Joe Bertagna's glove and into the crease, and Crimson forward Harry Reynolds swept the puck right onto the stick of Clarkson's Russ Audyki, who flipped the disc into the open net.

The Golden Knights made it 2-1 at 16:25 on an equally pathetic goal, capitalizing on Harvard's inability to clear the loose puck. Harvard came right back on a power play at 19:20, however, as Goodenow picked up his second goal, converting a behind-the-cage feed from Tommy Paul. Harvard outshot Clarkson, 17-10, for the period, but Clarkson goalie Kevin Woods and a Dave Hynes shot off the post frustrated the Crimson.

Woods Hot

Woods was hot again in a somewhat slower second period, turning aside 10 Harvard shots, but the Crimson still managed to produce a go-ahead goal with both teams a man short at 18:12. Harvard's most prolific goal-scorer, Bob McManama, collected his 25th of the season, popping home a deflected Hynes pass off a fast break.

Clarkson and Harvard traded similar goals in the first two minutes of the third period, as both Clarkson's Peter Harasym and Harvard's Hynes shoveled in rebounds. Harasym picked up his second goal at 5:35, cutting into the slot on the power play and beating Bertagna to give Clarkson its fourth and tying score.

The Crimson temporarily regained the lead at 7:53 on a fluke goal. Apparently intending to simply throw the puck into the zone, defenseman Doug Elliott lofted a 65-foot wrist shot at the Clarkson net, and to his amazed delight, the puck sailed under Woods's glove and into the net.

Harvard's defense gave Clarkson a reprieve with only 2:37 remaining in the game, once again failing to clear a loose puck. Clarkson cashed in on the gift, and Harvard was faced with sudden-death overtime.