Women's Hockey Sweeps ECAC Weekend Competition

Women's hockey sweeps ECAC weekend competition

By Peter Rossi, QBSN Staff Writer

Courtesy: quinnipiacbobcats.com

The Quinnipiac Bobcats women’s ice hockey team entered this past weekend with an overall record of 1-4-1 and looked to start ECAC conference play against two tough Rensselaer and Union teams. With that challenge ahead of them, head coach Rick Seeley knew that changes had to be made. He started off by moving assistant captain and defenseman Bethany Demarczyk (Hamden, Conn.) to forward and putting Wisconsin transfer Breann Frykas (East St. Paul, Manitoba) to defense. A move some questioned, but now it seems to be paying dividends as the Bobcats had their first ECAC sweep of the season.  

The Bobcats enjoyed early success with a 2-0 shutout of Rensselaer on Friday night. Quinnipiac displayed much of the tight for checking and defensive play that it was without throughout its five game losing streak early on in the first period. The Bobcats were able to keep Rensselaer’s attack at bay throughout the first and found their scoring in the second.

Sophomore Kelly Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario) notched her third goal of the season at the 9:11 mark of the second period after she collected her own rebound and fired it over the glove of Rensselaer’s freshman net minder Kelly O’ Brian (Sussex, Wis.). The Bobcats managed to keep Rensselaer scoreless for the rest of the period.

Then at the 6:43 mark of the third period, captain and senior defenseman Jordan Elkins (Wasilla, Ala.) fired one of her patented slap shots for her first goal of the season off a pass from sophomore Amanda Colin (Burnsville, Minn.). 

Junior goaltender Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario) seemed to have found her game as she denied all 21 Rensselaer shots she faced. It was Vigilanti’s second shutout of the season and the 16^th of her career. Quinnipiac also went 0-5 on the power-play, and the Bobcats penalty kill was strong, killing off all four Engineers opportunities. 

The Bobcats continued their early ECAC success on Saturday afternoon as they skated to a 5-1 victory against Union. The Bobcats took no time in jumping onto the score sheet just 4:20 into the first period on Frykas’s first goal of the season and first as a Bobcat. Assists on the goal were credited to sophomore Olivia Brackett (Coopersville, Mich.) and senior forward Kate Wheeler (Oakville, Ontario). 

With 4:11 remaining in the first period, sophomore Amanda Colin (Burnsville, Minn.) found the back of the net for her first of the season.  Freshman standout Nicole Costa (Mississauga, Ontario) made a clever pass right to Colin’s stick for an easy tap in by Colin. Junior Brittany Lyons (Canton, Mass.) also was credited with an assist on the goal, her fourth of the season. 

The Bobcats kept control of play as they extended their lead to 3-0 at the 13:05 mark of the second period when Babstock earned her team-high fourth goal of the season. Sophomore Shelby Wignall (Hamilton, Ontario) shot a pass to junior Felicia Vieweg (Port Orange, Florida) who then flicked the puck to Babstock. Babstock weaved around the Union defense and took a wrist shot to put it behind Union’s junior goalie Alana Marcinko (Altoona, Pa.).

Entering the third period, the Bobcats kept a tight fore-check and were rewarded with two goals 30 seconds apart to start the frame which put them ahead 5-0. Junior Kristin Eklund (Barrington, R.I.) scored her first of the season just 1:06 into the period with a great individual effort to strip the puck from a Union defender, allowing her to skate into the offensive zone unwatched, and then fired it past Marcinko’s shoulder. Elkins followed suite with her second goal of the season and of the weekend at the 1:36 mark of the third period. Wheeler was awarded with her second assist of the game.

After the fifth Bobcats goal, Union changed goalies and put in senior Kate Gallagher (Minneapolis, Minn.) Vigilanti followed up her shutout performance from the previous night with another strong showing, turning away 19 Union shots. Union did manage to get one past Vigilanti at the 6:03 mark of the third period off the stick of junior Emma Rambo (Joliet, Ill.) for her first of the season, and bringing the score to 5-1. Marcinko and Gallagher combined for 24 saves. Both teams went 0-2 on the power-play.

It might be too early yet to see if the Bobcats can keep up this style of play against ECAC opponents, but if they can, look for the Bobcats to become a favorite in the ECAC.

Quinnipiac returns to action on Friday, Nov. 4 when it hosts rival Yale at High Point Solutions Arena at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 5 when they host Brown at 4 p.m.

Bobcats drop second straight NEC contest

Bobcats drop second straight NEC contest

By Michael Desjardins, QBSN Staff Writer

           

The Quinnipiac women’s volleyball team lost 3-2 to Central Connecticut State in an NEC match-up Sunday.  It was the Bobcats’ second straight loss and their fourth in five games.     

The first set was competitive, as the two teams traded leads seven times early on before the Blue Devils broke out, scoring four points in a row. However, the Bobcats mounted a comeback late in the set and tied the game 23-23. The set was forced into extra points, but Quinnipiac took the set 27-25.

In the second set, Quinnipiac dominated early, scoring the first seven of eight points.  At one point, the team led by seven points. However, Central Connecticut attempted a late comeback of its own, scoring five straight to tie the game at 24-24.  Mirroring the first set, the Bobcats again managed to hold on, winning 27-25.

Despite the strong start, the Bobcats lost steam by the third set. They fell behind very early and couldn’t catch up. At one point, the Blue Devils scored 10 straight points to lead the set, 20-7. The Bobcats would try another comeback, scoring the next seven of 10 points. In the end though, the Blue Devils would win the third set 25-17.

“Central Connecticut is a good team,” Quinnipiac head coach Robin Sparks said.  “You knew that had a lot of maturity, far more maturity than we have on the floor. We just started over-thinking and got away from just playing. When they over-think it, that’s when they get themselves in trouble.”

In the fourth set, it was more of the same. Quinnipiac fell early and failed to regain its footing. It began competitively, despite the Bobcats never once taking the lead. At the end of the set, however, the Blue Devils recorded the final eight of 11 points to win the set, 25-15.

In the final set, the Blue Devils broke out early, recording the first four points. The Bobcats remained persistent, scoring the next five of eight points. In the end, though, Central Connecticut came out on top, 15-12.

Junior Taylor Payne (Warwick, N.Y.) and sophomore Olivia Grattan (Pittsburgh, Pa) led the team in kills with 11 apiece. Payne also led the team in blocks with three. Sophomore Tracy Wright (Fair Lawn, New Jersey) had a game-high 30 digs.

With the loss, Quinnipiac falls to 3-9 in NEC-conference games, and 4-21 overall. Central Connecticut is now 16-8, and 7-4 in NEC-conference match-ups.

Quinnipiac plays its final two home games of the regular season on Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. against Sacred Heart and Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m., against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Bobcats fall to Bryant 3-0

Bobcats fall to Bryant 3-0 

By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac volleyball team lost to Bryant University in three straight sets (20-25, 14-25, 15-25) for the second time this season.  The loss, coming on the team’s annual Dig Pink weekend, brings the Bobcats’ Northeast Conference record to 3-8 and 4-20 overall.

Despite the score, the Bobcats had a tremendous effort, particularly in the first and third sets.  Freshmen Tierra Allen (Sumter, S.C.) had five kills in the first set alone, racking up seven on the day, and junior Taylor Payne (Warwick, N.Y.) had five kills of her own, three coming in the first set.  The Bobcats also had 22 assists in the game, 21 of them coming from senior Kayla Lawler (Louisville, Ky). 

“When we let it flow, it was great, but we just pressed too hard,” head coach Robin Sparks said.  “I think they just tried too hard.  When you try to press too hard, you tense up, and you can’t play tense.  It’s such a mental game.  You have to be able to keep your mind focused on what’s going to happen next.”

While the offense posed a bit of a problem for the Bobcats after their 20-point first game, the defense stayed very much intact.  Sophomore Tracy Wright (Fair Lawn, N.J.) had 20 digs, and senior Kelby Carey (Surfside, Calif.) had 12 of her own, bringing her 13 digs away from the 1,000 mark with 987.

“Defensively, we played well.  We stopped their outsides which was a big focus for us because we knew that [Maria] Scocca was going to get her kills, so you have to limit your kills from everybody else,” Sparks said.  “We just couldn’t take care of our own offense.  I think that’s what hurt.”

Scocca did indeed get her kills, nailing 13 in the three-set game, the team-high in kills Bentley.

Sparks, while praising the defensive performance, did note that younger players were trying too hard to nail those big, rally-ending kills and inevitably, not executing.

“You can’t do that at Division I.  You can get away with that in high school, but not against a big block like that.  Those are lessons that come with maturity,” Sparks said.

Looking forward to their next game against Central Connecticut, the Bobcats are aware of what needs to be done and what they are capable of.

“If we can just fix those miscues and those unforced errors, we’ll be alright,” Sparks said.  “Hopefully, we’ll just come out and play like we can.”

Quinnipiac faces Central Connecticut tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Burt Kahn Court.

Quinnipiac clinches NEC Tournament berth in win over Sacred Heart

Quinnipiac clinches NEC Tournament berth in win over Sacred Heart

By Marty Joseph, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac field hockey team defeated Sacred Heart in its final regular season game on Friday, 5-2. The win secured a playoff spot for the Bobcats (11-7) as the team clinches the third overall seed in the tournament. Freshman Danielle Allan (Riverdale, N.J.) led the way for the Bobcats scoring three goals. Seniors Kim Cunniff (Walpole, Mass) and Megan McCreedy (White River, South Africa) also scored for the Bobcats.

Aware that a playoff spot was on the line, the Bobcats came out with a determined effort. Allan put the Bobcats on the board just over the third minute of the game, and the team never looked back.

Cunniff scored her 14^th goal of the season at 12:02 in the first half off a pass from freshmen Amanda Danziger (Smithtown, N.Y.). The play came after a corner opportunity when it looked like Sacred Heart cleared the ball from the box. Quinnipiac quickly countered the attack, and Cunniff slipped a shot past goalkeeper Kim Stow into the cage to make it 2-0.

Sacred Heart was able to cut the lead in half with a goal from Sarah Bergman. The goal came as a result of a corner opportunity when Bergman beat senior Nicole Lewis (East Amherst, N.Y.) on a rebound of the initial shot.

Quinnipiac came out flying in the second half and were able to extend the lead with goals from McCreedy and Allan who put the Bobcats up 4-1 scoring just two minutes and 38 seconds apart. Senior Lauren Zimniski (Dallas, Pa) assisted on Allan’s second goal of the game.

Sacred Heart hung around in the second half, never giving up on the game. Lindsay Kasten scored at 46:35 to close the gap to 4-2. The goal was a result of a perfectly executed two-on-one play, as Leah Salindong broke into the box and slid a pass to Kasten who had a wide-open net for the goal.

Allan’s hat trick goal capped off a hard fought win for Quinnipiac, as after the goal was scored the feeling of victory was in the air. McCreedy had the lone assist on Allan’s goal as the Bobcats led 5-2, where the score would remain.

Allan was named the Griff’s Chicken Shack Player of the Game, and after the game, commented on the win.

“We wanted to win this for our seniors. This was their last game ever on this field and we won it for them.” When asked about upcoming NEC tournament, Allan said, “We want to take it game by game. We have to focus on Monmouth first, and then take it from there.”

The Bobcats will play Monmouth in the first round of the NEC tournament on Friday, Nov. 4.

QBSN Athlete of the Week

Courtesy: Quinnipiacbobcats.com

QBSN Athlete of the Week: Megan McCreedy

By Marty Joseph, QBSN Staff Writer

This week’s QBSN Athlete of the Week honors are awarded to Senior Megan McCreedy (White River, South Africa) of the Field Hockey team.

McCreedy broke the single season and career assist records in school history over the weekend. Her assist on Kim Cunniff’s goal vs. Bryant was the 13^th of the season and 25^th of her career.

McCreedy recorded three assists in Quinnipiac’s 6-1 win at Siena this past Friday. Her three assists gave her 12 on the season and 24 in her career to tie each of the single season and career assist records. Last Sunday on Senior Day, McCreedy’s assist on Kim Cunniff’s goal broke the records for assist in both categories and helped lead the Bobcats to a 2-0 win over Bryant.

Following the 2-0 win over Bryant, McCreedy commented on breaking the records, “I mean it feels great to break a record obviously, especially because I’m graduating but its with assists so I have to give it to my teammates they help me out a lot in this one. It’s all up to them to put it in the cage and I just help them along with it.”

This team-first mentality by McCreedy has been instrumental for the Bobcats all season and has been key in the team’s success. The Bobcats are 8-1 this season when McCreedy records a point and will count on McCreedy as their final regular season game this Friday holds playoff implications.

“We want to end the season of on a good note and coming off with a win is obviously the best way to end our last game of the regular season”, said McCreedy when asked about the upcoming regular season finale against Sacred Heart.

With a win on Friday, the Bobcats will clinch the 3^rd seed in the NEC tournament that will take place on November 4^th and 5^th. The Bobcats will look for McCreedy and the other seniors to lead the way to victory as they have done all season.

Bobcats Make Changes Prior to ECAC Play

Courtesy: Quinnipiacbobcats.com

Bobcats Make Changes Prior to ECAC Play

By Brian Farrell, QBSN Hockey Reporter

When a season doesn’t start the way that a team wants it to there are only so many changes that a team can make on the collegiate level. There are no trades or free agents, but there are some roster moves that can be made.

Last weekend Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey head coach Rick Seeley and his staff made one of those changes. Senior assistant captain and last year’s top defensive player Bethany Dymarczyk switched to forward, while junior Wisconsin transfer Breann Frykas moved back from forward to play defense.

To any person with average hockey knowledge this move would raise an eyebrow or two, but Quinnipiac’s coaching staff saw something. So much so that the team decided to add sophomore Shelby Wignall to the list of blue liners that will turn forward this weekend.

“[Dymarczyk and Wignall] are more aggressive playing forward…” Seeley said. “I think there’s less pressure that your mistakes will end up in the back of the net at forward and they’ve got a little bit of that pressure off their backs and they’re just having fun.”

The 5-10 Dymarczyk and 5-9 Wignall bring a whole different look at the forward position.

“They’ve both got such huge wingspans and they’re proving to be pretty good forecheckers,” Seeley said.

Along with moving two giants, QU has moved forward speedster Frykas to a different spot.

“With Frykas on D it gives us speed on D we just don’t have back there. She gives us the ability to pick off a pass and in two steps be blowing by the forecheck.”

Along with some of these radical changes, the Bobcats are still looking to do what they’ve done in the past: out work the other team. For the skating positions it is easier to judge than with one of Quinnipiac’s usual strengths—goaltending.

In the past two seasons Victoria Vigilanti proved to be one of the best between the pipes. This year she is struggling with a 3.42 goals-against average and a save percentage just over .880.

“Vigilanti is her own biggest critic,” Seeley said. “When she isn’t playing well, she knows it. She has worked hard in practice this week on her focus and decision making. I am sure we’ll see the Vigy we’ve come to expect this weekend”

With these recent changes the team is looking to get back on track with their first conference games this weekend.

“We’ve worked hard this week understanding where we have to improve our game and stepping up our commitment to executing well. We’ve had a pretty spirited week of practice.”

A slow start to the season is not the worst thing that can happen to a team, but to be able to overcome that start can be uplifting as the season progresses. Last season the Bobcats played their best hockey during the playoffs and the good news is that after losing just one regular skater from last year this team has that same potential.

Quinnipiac hits the road this weekend when the travel to RPI on Friday and then to Union on Saturday. Both start times are set for 3 PM.

Bobcats Back in the Top 20

Bobcats Back in the Top 20

By Brian Farrell, QBSN Staff Writer

Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team is back in the nation's top 20 for the first time since January, 17^th 2010. Is it early in the season? Yes. Is this a different team than the infamous 2009-2010 squad that started 12-1-0 only to go 20-18-2 — a resounding yes. Could a collapse be in the future? Possibly, but right now the Bobcats aren’t looking at history.

But last year’s 2010-2011 team was supposed to be different. The team was a year older and was ready to welcome college hockey’s version of the Sedin twins to Hamden. Scott Zurevinski was to be their line mate as freshmen Connor and Kellen Jones would pick apart a new league with a player that could have gone pro at the previous seasons’ end. Instead the Jones brothers held too much pressure for a pair of freshmen, Zurevinski didn’t play like a possible NHL skater, and no one could fill the skates left by Brandon Wong, Mike Atkinson, and Eric Lampe. As a result, the Bobcats finished eighth in the conference behind a lackluster offensive performance.

“Two years ago when we went 12-1 to start we had I think 15 freshmen and sophomores in the lineup every night,” senior captain Scott Zurevinski said. “So it is a different story this year … experience goes a long way especially deep in the season.

This season has been carefully deemed the veteran season. Those 15 underclassmen that were consistently in the lineup have turned into juniors and seniors, the Jones brothers are a year older, and the coaching staff is making a conscious effort not to put too much pressure on the 18-year-old freshman Matthew Peca. The reason the Bobcats aren’t looking back at their past two seasons is because they’ve already learned quite a bit from them.

While the season is still in its infant stage, the lessons learned are apparent. The power play is nearly six points better than last season. The Bobcats only scored 25 power-play goals all last season. Through eight games this year, QU already has ten.

“Last year our fore check lacked the speed and intensity we needed to go get the puck first and set up,” Zurevinski said. “Patience has a lot to do with it. Guys are getting the puck and not just throwing it away. They’re getting their heads up and getting pucks to the net.”

Unlike years prior, scoring is coming from everywhere. So far this season, opponents have been unable to say that to beat the Bobcats they just need to stop a Wong, a Lampe, or an Atkinson. This year, the opponents list has grown exponentially to include not just the superstars. Of those that have played, no player is without a point and only three are without a goal.

In addition to the scoring, the Bobcats have stayed consistent on the defensive side. Only two players on the roster have a negative plus/minus. Three of QU’s top ten scorers are blue liners. The Bobcat’s goals-against average is at an even two.

The only nagging questions for the Bobcats is whether or not the team actually has two goaltenders to work with and whether or not their Atlantic Hockey non-conference opponents were enough to prepare them for conference play.

This past weekend at Robert Morris, junior Eric Hartzell surrendered four goals on Friday night—his worst outing of the season. On Saturday, senior Dan Clarke continued his success by improving his goals-against average to 1.39 and his save percentage to .929.

QU’s non-conference naysayers need to go no further than Agganis Arena in Boston to question their beliefs. On Saturday Holy Cross upset No.7 Boston University, 5-4. While the Bobcats’ early non-conference schedule does not rank in the higher tier in the country, there is something to be said about how well they actually played against those teams. In the six games against the Atlantic Hockey conference, the Bobcats scored 30 goals, giving up just eleven (nearly half of them in a 5-4 loss to Robert Morris.)

With USCHO.com’s latest national poll, the Bobcats have stirred some attention. The question is how long will they be able to hold that attention? That question might be answered when they open up conference play at Princeton on November 1^st.

Megan McCreedy’s Record Setting Day Leads to Bobcats, 2-0 Win Over Bryant

Megan McCreedy’s Record Setting Day Leads to Bobcats, 2-0 Win Over Bryant

By Marty Joseph, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac Field Hockey team defeated Bryant, 2-0, on Senior Day, in a Northeast Conference match-up.

           

Megan McCreedy (White River, South Africa) broke the single season and career assist records when she set up Kim Cunniff (Walpole, Mass.) in the first half of the game. McCreedy’s record-breaking assist was her 13^th of the season and 25^th of her career.

Cunniff’s goal and assist in the game put her name into the Quinnipiac record books as well. Cunniff became just the third player in program history to score 30 points in a single season. Her 13^th goal is also the most in a season since 2001, when Julie Smith scored 15, and tied for second most in Quinnipiac history.

The game was pretty well matched in the early stages of play, as no team was able to establish a consistent attack on offense. Danielle Allan (Riverdale, N.J.) opened the scoring for the Bobcats at 19:00 of the first half. Cunniff took a shot off a corner opportunity that was turned aside by Bryant goalkeeper Jennifer Gullotti, but Allan was able to pick up the rebound and slip a shot passed Gullotti into the cage.

Cunniff extended the lead to 2-0, when she converted off a corner opportunity at 31:18 of the first half. Maria Malonoski (Phoenixville, PA) inserted the ball into the circle for the opportunity, McCreedy corralled the pass and delivered a pass to Cunniff who set up at the top of the circle was able to fire a shot passed Gullotti.

Nicole Lewis (East Amherst, N.Y.) stopped all of Bryant’s shots on goal for her second shutout of the season.

The Bobcats wrap up their regular season schedule on Friday when they host Sacred Heart, in their final NEC match-up at the Quinnipiac Field Hockey and Lacrosse Turf Complex in Hamden, Conn.

QBSN Athlete of the Week: Jeremy Langlois

QBSN Athlete of the Week: Jeremy Langlois

By Nick Sczerbinski, QBSN Staff Writer

This week’s QBSN Athlete of the Week honors are awarded to Junior Jeremy Langlois (Tempe, Arizona) of the Men’s Ice Hockey team.

Langlois was the Bobcats’ leading goal scorer last season during his sophomore year and was third on the team in points. He has picked up right where he left off last year in the opening six games of his junior season.

After an assist in the season opener against Ohio State, on a goal scored by Spencer Heichman, Langlois scored two goals in the Bobcats first win of the year, a 4-3 victory over the Buckeyes.

Langlois capped off the opening week with an assist on a Ben Arnt goal in the Bobcats’ 5-3 win over Holy Cross in the home opener at the High Point Solutions Arena.

Langlois continued his hot streak during the Bobcats’ weekend series against Canisius by scoring a natural hat trick and adding an assist in Saturday’s 7-1 win, then scoring again in Sunday’s 4-0 shutout over the Golden Griffins.

The night when he tallied his natural hat trick, Langlois also became the lone leading goal scorer in all of Men’s Division One NCAA hockey.

For good measure, he collected a goal and an assist in the Bobcats’ 6-1 win over Bentley, their last home game for 3 weeks.

Langlois’ season totals through six games are seven goals and four assists for eleven points and a 5 plus-minus.

The Bobcats’ take on Robert Morris in a two-game set this weekend before beginning the ECAC regular season schedule.

Weekend Preview: Men's Hockey

Bobcats Travel to Robert Morris for Non-Conference Series

By Brian Farrell, QBSN Staff Writer

Cal Heeter and a five-minute major contact to the head penalty are the only two things that have prevented the Bobcats from a 6-0 start to the season. Since opening night against Ohio State on Oct. 7^th, QU has won five straight outscoring opponents 26-9.

Following their 6-1 win over Bentley on Tuesday QU head coach Rand Pecknold expressed his excitement about the fast start.

“We’re on a roll right now. It was a great 60 minutes. We were focused in the first, had a great second period, and it got a little sloppy in the second with all the penalties, but I thought we stayed focused, played hard and played our game.”

Junior forward Jeremy Langlois leads the nation with seven goals through the first six games, five of those on the power play.

So far Langlois has been able to attribute his success to the help of his line mates—senior captain Scott Zurevinski and highly touted freshman Matthew Peca.

“My line—me, Zurvy, Peca—[do] a pretty good job out there. Pecs is pretty fast out there, which really helps me and Zurvy out.”

Peca finally got his first collegiate goal Tuesday night on the power play. Right now he is second on the team with five assists.

For the first time in a number of seasons Pecknold appears to have two goaltenders to work with, senior Dan Clarke and junior Eric Hartzell.

Entering the season both goaltenders have proven that they can be successful on the D-I level. In Clarke’s sophomore campaign he was named the team MVP, logging nearly 2,000 minutes through 34 games, while compiling a 2.52 goals-against average.

Not to be outdone, last season Hartzell finished fourth in the nation with a .927 save percentage with three shutouts.

This weekend the Bobcats travel eight hours west to Moon Township, Pennsylvania to take on Robert Morris.

The last time these two teams met the Bobcats were in a similar situation. In 2009 the Colonials handed QU their first loss of the season. After Quinnipiac blew out the Colonials 5-0 on Oct. 30^th, RMU answered back on Halloween night powering by the Bobcats 8-5. QU would not lose again until Dec. 4^th at Yale.

Robert Morris is 1-2-0 on the season after dropping games to Air Force and Colgate. Their lone win of the season was against Mercyhurst back on Oct. 8^th.

It is too early in the season to see just how RMU plans on replacing their top scorers from last year’s squad.
Last season forward Nathan Longpre and defenseman Denny Urban combined for 84 points. This year the Colonials will have to look to a multitude of players to score goals. Senior Trevor Lewis leads the team with two goals and one assist through the first three games.

A question for both sides this season was who will step up between the pipes. So far QU coach Rand Pecknold has been comfortable playing both Hartzell and Clarke and doesn’t seem to have a preference yet.

For Robert Morris the question is whether or not senior Brooks Ostergard can continue his success from last season. In two games this season he has allowed six goals and owns both of RMU’s losses. Junior Eric Levine has the Colonials’ lone win on the year after allowing just one goal on 30 shots against Mercyhurst.

To be successful the Colonials must continue to be effective on special teams. Through the first three games they are first in the nation going 10-for-10 on the penalty kill.

The key for the Bobcats this weekend will be whether or not they can keep their offense rolling despite the tough timing of their schedule. The Bobcats are coming off a stretch of four games in seven days. In that stretch QU never went more than two days without playing a game.

“So far we have dealt with adversity better this year, now it's early, and we haven't seen a ton of adversity up to this point, but it seems we are more emotionally mature this season,” Pecknold said.

Bobcats Keep Rolling with 6-1 Win over Bentley

Bobcats Keep Rolling with 6-1 Win over Bentley

By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Staff Writer

                The impressive start to the men’s hockey season continued Tuesday as they extended their winning streak to five games with a 6-1 win coming over the Bentley Falcons. 

                Six different Bobcats managed to score, marking the third time that the team has scored five or more times in a game this season.  This game brings the team’s stretch of four home games in seven days to an end, in which the Bobcats went 4-0.  They now hold a record of 5-1-0 overall. 

                Half of the Quinnipiac goals scored were career firsts for the scorer.  Sophomore Zach Tolkinen (Lino Lakes, Minn.) and freshmen Bryce Van Brabant (Morinville, Alberta) and Matthew Peca (Petawawa, Ontario) all walked away with this personal milestone. 

                Van Brabant’s goal was the first goal of the game, coming off assists from seniors Yuri Bouharevich (Montreal, Quebec) and Spencer Heichman (Yorba Linda, Calif.) in the seventh minute of play.  After the lone Bentley goal, coming off the stick of Brett Gensler, Peca capitalized on his chance with a power play goal to retake the lead.  Tolkinen’s score didn’t come until 10 minutes into the second period, also on a power play.  Tolkinen was assisted by Scott Zurevinski (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) and Peca. 

“It felt good,” said Peca of his goal.  “I had a lot of time, so I just buried my head, fired at the net, and luckily it went in.”

The scoring did not end with the career firsts.  Sophomore Kellen Jones (Montrose, British Columbia) scored his second goal on the season 36 seconds into the first period, making that the quickest goal in any period this season.  His brother, Connor Jones (Montrose, British Columbia), was credited with his fifth assist of the year alongside junior Russell Goodman, who notched his first assist of the season.  Sophomore Cory Hibbeler (St. Charles, Mo.) also knocked in his second of the season in the 11^th minute of the third period with help from both Kellen and Connor Jones.

Junior Jeremy Langlois (Tempe, Ariz.) continued his tear this season by scoring off a Tolkinen offering early in the third period and assisting Peca’s goal in the first.  Leading the team with seven goals on the year and 11 points, Langlois has made his presence known being named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Week on Tuesday. 

“He’s been great, not just with offense,” said head coach Rand Pecknold.  “He’s really matured as a player.  He’s playing with confidence.”

Peca, who played on the same line as not only Langlois but senior captain Zurvenski, noted the perks of being on the line of such talented players.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate to be put on a line with those guys,” said Peca.  “It certainly helps a lot.”

Given the team’s offensive explosion, it’s hard to believe that this came in the midst of a four game cluster.

“It’s a tough stretch at the beginning of the year.  It’s just the way the schedule worked.  It’s a lot of hockey early on,” said Pecknold. 

Regardless of the challenging start right out of the gate with four of the team’s last six games being played in one week, it has not been a one man effort.

“Scoring’s coming from everywhere. It’s pretty balanced which is a good thing,” said Zurvenski. “Guys are having a lot of fun out there. We’re tighter as a team.”

This team dynamic is what the Bobcats are hoping will help them to “keep getting better every day,” according to Zurvenski.  Particularly on a team with no shortage of veterans, the familiarity will add to this goal. 

“Experience goes a long way, especially when we’re deep in the season,” said Zurvenski.

The Bobcats look to further extend their win-streak as they head to Robert Morris for a two game series on Oct. 21 and 22, both at 7 pm.

Bobcats Silenced at Home; Shutout by Wagner

Bobcats Silenced at Home; Shutout by Wagner

By Giovanni Mio, QBSN Staff Writer

            The Quinnipiac Bobcats women’s soccer team lost their game against Wagner College 1-0 in Hamden on Sunday.

            Quinnipiac (3-7-1) gave up the only goal of the game in the first half to Wagner (9-5-2), a half full of missed opportunities for both teams.  On Wagner’s first corner, Amanda Sieferman missed a header in the box.  Wagner kept on shooting but they were just not able to connect on any of them.  Then as time was expiring, a shot by Seahawks senior Kaitlyn Llewellyn was misplayed by Bobcats goalie Jill Kelley (Simsbury, Conn.) as it tipped off her gloves and slowly rolled into the net.  The Bobcats went into the half with only five shots and three corners under their belt.

            “Well you got to play the wind as a factor,” said Bobcats head coach Dave Clarke.  “They played with the wind and that’s all.  They were just very direct.”

            The second half of the game was a continuation of missed opportunities.  This time, Quinnipiac started to get chances to tie the game.  Nine minutes into the half, Bobcats junior Shauna Edwards (Southington, Conn.) missed a volley right in front of the Seahawks net.  With 25 minutes left to play, Furtuna Velaj (Stamford, Conn.) lost control of the ball as she was about to take the shot.  Two minutes later, Velaj had an open shot and missed the net.   The Bobcats just were not able to capitalize on the opportunities.

            “You’re just hoping that you get a little luck.  Well you know we haven’t had a lot of luck in any of these games,” said coach Clarke. 

            The Bobcats are now 2-3 in the NEC and 7-4-2 all-time against Wagner College.  Their next game will be a make-up NEC game against Long Island at the Quinnipiac Soccer Field in Hamden on Tuesday the 18th.

Bobcats Complete Weekend Sweep of Canisius with 4-0 Win

Bobcats Complete Weekend Sweep of Canisius with 4-0 Win

By Marty Joseph, QBSN Staff Writer

Quinnipiac Men’s Ice Hockey defeated Canisius, 4-0 on Sunday to complete the weekend sweep of the Golden Griffins. Spencer Heichman (Yorba Linda, Calif.) scored two goals on the afternoon and Scott Zurevinski (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) had two assists to lead the Bobcats. Jeremy Langlois (Tempe, AZ) scored his team leading sixth goal of the season and Ben Arnt (Oakdale, Minn.) added his third of the season.

Jeremy Langlois broke the scoreless tie in the first period with a power play goal when he was set up with a backdoor feed from Scott Zurevinski. He one-timed a shot passed goaltender Tony Capobianco (Mississauga, Ontario) for his sixth of the year. Matthew Peca (Petawawa, Ontario) also added an assist on the play. The period consisted of strong efforts by both teams as both teams’ defenses followed a tight checking game plan.

Quinnipiac turned up the pressure in the second period, as they outshot Canisius 21-4. Zurevinski recorded his second assist of the game when he set up Hiechman. Zurevinski made a beautiful pass from behind the net to Hiechman in the slot, and he snapped his second goal of the season passed Capobianco to make it 2-0. The Bobcats stormed the offensive zone in the latter half of the period with a few late power plays, but were unable to convert on any of their three power plays in the period. 

Capobianco played a strong game in net to keep the game close for Canisius, but Quinnipiac was able to break the game open late in the third. Heichman scored his second of the game at the 14:18 mark of the third period after he found a seem in the Canisius defense and Mike Dalhuisen (Nymegen, Holland) hit him with a pass to send him on a breakaway. Heichman finished the play off with a beautiful shot beating Capobianco high to the blocker side. Ben Arnt scored on a breakaway just 1:15 after, to double the Bobcats lead to 4-0.

The win for the Bobcats was they’re fourth consecutive, as they improve to 4-1 overall on the season. Quinnipiac’s next game is Tuesday against night at 7 P.M. when they host Bentley at High Point Solutions Arena in Hamden, CT.

Langlois Records Hat Trick as Bobcats Crush Canisius 7-1

Langlois Records Hat Trick as Bobcats Crush Canisius 7-1

By Michael Desjardins, QBSN Staff Writer

            

The Quinnipiac men’s hockey team defeated the Canisius Golden Griffins in a non-conference matchup Saturday, 7-1. Junior Jeremy Langlois (Tempe, Arizona) had a hat trick, along with an assist, while sophomore Connor Jones (Montrose, British Columbia) had 3 assists.

            

The Bobcats scored within the first two minutes of the first period, with a goal by sophomore Kellen Jones (Montrose, British Columbia). He was assisted by twin brother Connor, and junior Zach Davies (Smithers, British Columbia). Three minutes later, the Bobcats capitalized on a power-play, as junior defenseman Loren Barron (Glendora, California) recorded a goal to go up 2-0. Barron was assisted by Connor Jones, and sophomore John Dunbar (Calgary, Alberta).

            

Quinnipiac kept the offense rolling in the second period, with another display of early scoring. Senior Scott Zurevinski (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) recorded the first goal of the period, with assistance from Langlois and sophomore Zach Tolkinen (Lino Lakes, Minnesota). Junior Ben Arnt (Oakdale, Minnesota) scored a couple minutes later, with assistance from junior Mike Dalhuisen (Nymegen, Holland).

           

With 12:42 left in the period, Canisius scored their only game of the evening, recorded by sophomore Kyle Gibbons, and assisted by freshman Mitch McCrank and sophomore Ryan Bohrer.

            

However, the Bobcats answered back with two more goals, both by Langlois. The first goal came with 7:32 left in the period, and was assisted by Zurevinski and Davies. The second goal came with 1:17 left, and was assisted by Connor Jones and freshman Matthew Peca (Petawawa, Ontario).

            

Langlois would seal the deal for the Bobcats with one more goal in the third period. With assistance from Peca once more, Langlois recorded the goal with 3:24 left in regulation.

            

Junior Eric Hartzell (White Bear Lake, Minnesota) saved 8 out of 9 shots in the game. In addition, senior Jake Whiting (Norfolk, Massachusetts), a walk-on after serving two years as the team’s manager, made his first appearance of the season, serving the last few minutes of the game.

            

With the win, the Bobcats are 3-1-0, while the Golden Griffins begin their season with a loss.

            

Quinnipiac plays Canisius at the TD Bank Sports Center again on Sunday, October 16, followed by another home game against Bentley on Tuesday, October 18.

Quinnipiac Men’s Tennis Invitational

Quinnipiac Men’s Tennis Invitational

By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Staff Writer

                The men’s tennis team played host to the Quinnipiac Invitational this past weekend that brought Fairfield, UCONN, Sacred Heart, Bryant, Villanova, Hartford, and Boston University to Hamden.  The Bobcats sent freshmen John Petrini (Stamford, Conn.) and Eric Ambrosio (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.) to the finals of B and C singles respectively. 

                Petrini defeated competitors from Villanova, Hartford, and Bryant before losing to Boston University’s Emilio Teran in the finals.  After knocking out UCONN’s Ryan Carr in two sets, Ambrosio ultimately fell to another Husky, Jacob Spreyer.  Despite the losses in the finals, head coach Mike Quitko was not disappointed.

                "Ambrosio and Petrini performed very well against a talented field of athletes. They both kept their composure when the matches were close and came up with key shots when needed,” said Quitko.  “I'm very excited for what's in store for their careers at Quinnipiac University."

                While the freshmen had their fair share of success on the home-court, sophomore Corey Morgenstern (Old Bethpage, N.Y.) won the Consolation B Singles, defeating Boston University in the finals. 

                The Bobcats also sent two pairs of doubles to the quarterfinals in the tournament.  The team of senior James Kwei (Dedham, Mass.) and junior Andrew Weeden (Martinsville, N.J.) defeated partners from Sacred Heart and Fairfield before being knocked out by Bryant in the A Doubles flight.  The duo of junior Chris Nelson (Scituate, Mass.) and sophomore Micah Bailey (Miami, Fla.) fell to Villanova after having also won against Sacred Heart and Fairfield. 

                The Bobcats return to action on Oct. 13 when they participate in the ITA Regionals at Cornell.

Penalty Kick Gives Bobcats the Win over Robert Morris

Penalty Kick Gives Bobcats the Win over Robert Morris
By Taylor Massey, QBSN Staff Writer

            Robert Morris’s overly aggressive defense held off the Bobcats from taking an early lead, but ultimately lead to their downfall. The Quinnipiac men’s soccer team defeated the Robert Morris Colonials 2-1 late Saturday afternoon with a game-winning penalty kick off the foot of Matthew Rothbart.

            The Colonials took control of the match early; scoring in the eighth minute of the first half. Prince Samuels took a pass from Devon Williams to put a far shot into the corner of the net. The Bobcats then took control and drove the ball down into the Colonials territory. They continually peppered the ball near the Robert Morris net, but were unable to tear past the tough Colonial defense.

            Coming to the end of the first half the Bobcats were still having trouble breaking through the aggressive Colonial’s defense, until the ball finally found Philip Surprise. In the 40^th minute of play, Suprise ripped a long shot that placed the ball in the bottom corner of the net, past the diving arms of Robert Morris goalkeeper Toba Bolaji, which tied the match at 1-1 at the end of the first half.

            At the start of the second half, both teams continued their strong defensive play. Quinnipiac had several well set up plays, but had trouble directing the ball to the net.

Finally with 11 minutes left in the match, the Bobcats were awarded a penalty kick when a Robert Morris defender tripped Suprise on his way into the box.  Matthew Rothbart stepped up to take the penalty kick, and blasted the ball past Bolaji for the goal, giving Quinnipiac the 2-1 lead.

            The Colonials had some opportunities late in the game, but were not able to convert thanks to Bobcats goalkeeper Borja Angoitia making some key saves.

            With this win, Quinnipiac advances to a 5-4 overall record and Robert Morris falls to 4-6-1 overall. The Bobcats will spend their next four games on the road, with Farleigh Dickinson up next.

Red Flash Defeat Bobcats 3-0

Red Flash Defeat Bobcat 3-0
By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Staff Writer

After winning their last two conference matchups against Robert Morris and Fairleigh Dickinson, the Bobcats couldn’t pull off a third win, as they fell to the Saint Francis (PA) Red Flash 3-0 on Sunday.  

This game makes for the fourth time the Bobcats have been shut out this season, and the first time they’ve been shut out by a Northeast Conference opponent. 

With this, the Bobcats drop to 2-2 in the conference and 3-6-1 overall, and Saint Francis advances to 3-0-1 in the NEC and 7-5-1 overall. 

The Bobcats’ goalie Jill Kelley made three saves in the game, while her counterpart Brianna Butcher had six stops of her own.

The Bobcats literally handed the Red Flash the first goal of the day, as it was ruled an own goal in the 35^th minute of play.  Less than ten minutes passed when Mackenzie Walter took matters into her own hands, sending an Aryn Askin offering to the back of the net.

Despite having opportunities offensively, the Bobcats just couldn’t manage to convert shots into goals, outshooting the Red Flash 16-12.  After Alecia McNiff set Tesa McKibben up for Saint Francis’s third goal on the afternoon early on in the second half, the Red Flash domination became undeniable. 

“When you give any team a two goal lead, you give them time to sit in and defend,” said Quinnipiac head coach Dave Clarke.  “The third goal came in so early in the second half; we never got a chance to regroup.”

Quinnipiac senior Furtuna Valej remains on the brink of joining the 100-point club with 91 career points.  Valej has already picked up 11 points on the year.  Her effort was clear on Sunday, taking seven shots, two on net, but failed to convert any of those into goals.

The Bobcats have two more NEC matchups next weekend, giving them a chance to regain a winning conference record.  They play host to Long Island on Friday, Oct. 14 and Wagner Sunday, Oct. 16.

QBSN Athlete of the Week: Stephanie Hasher

QBSN Athlete of the Week: Stephanie Hasher
By Ben Dias, QBSN Staff Writer

This week’s QBSN Athlete of the Week honors are awarded to Stephanie Hasher (Bayport, N.Y.) of the Quinnipiac women’s rugby team.

Over the course of the inaugural women’s rugby season at Quinnipiac, the senior outside center has been at the front of the Bobcats attack. During the Bobcats home-opener win against MetNY opponent Marist 23-7, Hasher led the offensive attack, running in two tries for a total of 10 points in the game. With their second-consecutive victory, the Bobcats improve to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in MetNY action.

Quinnipiac thwarted any thoughts of a second half comeback early on, as Hasher ran in her second try on the afternoon just three minutes into the half to increase the Bobcats lead, 18-0.

The first home win and second consecutive win for the Bobcats was all about hard work. 

“It feels fantastic,” head coach Becky Carlson said. “I know the girls were relatively nervous before the game. This kind of proves that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

“These girls have only been playing the game for six months and they’ve just played a team that is relatively all veteran,” Carlson said. “I’m very proud of how they pulled it together. I said to them at halftime, two words came to mind collective effort. Typically the game is won and lost in the forwards and the backs decide by how many. They both came together as a unit and it was fantastic.”

Hasher led a Bobcats attack that has been coming along and making progress after two consecutive wins over SUNY-New Paltz 15-5 and now over Marist.

“Hasher has been instrumental in our wheelhouse department, where she is the one expected to take the ball to the outside,” Carlson said. “She did well.” 

 “It’s huge,” Hasher said of getting the first win on home turf. “We’ve been working so hard and this is our time to show everybody what we’ve been working on. We wanted to prove to everybody that we could do it, we’re a team.”

 “I’ve been waiting 10 years to see something like this … rugby at Quinnipiac now looks like a marketable product,” Carlson said.

Bobcats fall to Vassar 38-5

Bobcats Fall to Vassar 38-5
By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Staff Writer

After winning its first home game in program history 23-7 against Marist Oct. 2, the women’s rugby team lost to the Vassar Brewers on Sunday.  Despite holding opponents to an average of six points a game the past two games, the Bobcats gave up six tries in their 38-5 defeat.  The loss brings the Bobcats to 2-3, while the Brewers break even at 2-2. 

                In the first half, Vassar saw the in-goal area twice, senior O’Mara Taylor and junior Nicole Guerrero getting the tries for the Brewers.  The Bobcats only try came at the end of the first half on a risky play.  Rather than taking a penalty kick deep in Brewer territory, the Bobcats opted to punt the ball out of bounds and won the subsequent line-out.  With some offensive pressure, senior Alysha Andrews drove the ball in for the Bobcats’ lone score.  The try gave the Bobcats some momentum going into the half with a close score of 12-5. 

                Unfortunately for Quinnipiac, the energy fell short as the second half began, and Vassar’s presence on the field became increasingly dominant.  Guerrero got her second try of the afternoon, sophomore Margaret Kwateng scored two tries of her own, and freshman Emma Redden walked away with one.  Taylor converted four times in six opportunities, giving her twelve conversions on the season.

                “We came out slow. We weren’t winning the rucks,” said head coach Becky Carlson.  “Certainly the energy wasn’t there.”

                Despite the fact that the Bobcats didn’t get the win, there were still some valuable lessons to be learned as, for the first time ever, the team faces an opponent for the second time in a season when the Eastern Illinois Panthers come to Hamden. 

“They have a lot of speed and some good athletes. We’re certainly going to be working on defense,” said Carlson.   “Obviously from this game we learned a lot that we need to practice rucking.”

The first time the Bobcats faced the Panthers, they were shut out 24-0.  Given the noticeable lull in energy against the Brewers, the Bobcats have more to work on than defensive technique for the rematch.  Energy and motivation will be key as the season progresses. 

“It’s just one of those things.  You can’t flip a switch; either you have it or you don’t that day,” said Carlson.  “It’s tough to motivate a team that’s down, but they’ve got to do it themselves.  I can’t do it for them.”

The Oct. 15 contest between the Bobcats and Panthers will make for the second of three times the two face-off this season.  

Bobcats Collapse for Second Straight Game

Bobcats Collapse for Second Straight Game

By. Dom Lancella, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac Women’s hockey team was scratching their head for the second straight game as they managed to blow another three-goal lead.  The crowd at High Point Solutions at TD Bank Sports Center was stunned when the Maine Black Bears tied the score with just 30 seconds remaining in the game.

The mood went from bad to worse as the Bobcats proceeded to lose the game 5-4 in overtime, as the Black Bears improved to a flawless 4-0 on the season while the Bobcats fell to 1-3.

Brittany Dougherty tied the game in the third after making a move behind Bobcats goalie Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario) and sliding the puck in as she was falling to the ice. Dougherty also assisted on a power play goal by Myriam Croussette.

The winning goal was scored by Danielle Ward on a deflection. Dawn Sullivan centered from behind the net, the puck bounced around and hit a Bobcats defender before Ward deflected it home. Ward had two goals on the game.

The Bobcats let in four unanswered goals to complete the team’s second consecutive collapse at home. Bobcats Head Coach Rick Seeley had a simple answer for the positive things that QU can take away from this weekend.

“None,” Seeley said.

He described it as a “tale of two games” as the Bobcats had a commanding lead and playing with an aggressive pace. They let up on that pace and allowed the Black Bears to hang around long enough to come back.

Vigilanti made 23 saves as the Black Bears out-shot Quinnipiac 28-24. Brittany Ott started in goal for Maine, but was quickly pulled after giving up the Bobcats first goal just three minutes into the game. She stopped two of the three shots she faced. Kylie Smith relieved her and stopped 18 shots and gave up three goals.

The Bobcats had their opportunities to put the game away, both teams went 2-6 on the power play, but the Bobcats failed to capitalize on their final two which came in the third period.

The only bright spot for the Bobcats was the solid play from the line of sophomore Kelly Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario), junior Brittany Lyons (Canton, Mass.)  and freshman Nicole Kosta (Mississauga, Ontario).

Babstock and Lyons each had a goal and two assists while Kosta had a goal, the first of her career, and an assist, but it was not enough to split the weekend series. Kate Wheeler (Oakville, Ontario) also had a goal, the only one that did not come from the Babstock line.

“I’m numb after today’s game,” said Seeley.

The Bobcats were inconsistent on defense. Maine only got two shots on goal in the first 15 minutes of the second period, but they did not come out in the third period with the same defensive intensity. The Bobcats forecheck was excellent for the first half of the game, but fell apart in the third period.

The Bobcats have time to improve before their first conference game on October 28^th, but the story of the weekend was the Bobcats inability to finish the game.

Things do not get any easier for the Bobcats as they will be on the road for the next three weeks. Their next home game is not until November 4^th when they host Yale.

Maine Steals Lead to Defeat Bobcats

Maine Steals Lead to Defeat Bobcats

By: Taylor Massey QBSN Staff Writer

            In their first home game of the season the Quinnipiac woman’s ice hockey team started with a strong lead, but quickly lost control and let the Maine Black Bears skate past for the win. Different players scored the three Quinnipiac goals. Junior Brittany Lyons (Canton, Mass.) ended the game with a goal and two assists, but it wasn’t enough to keep Maine from taking the game.

            After winning the opening faceoff the Bobcats wasted no time getting to the net. Senior defender Bethany Dymarczyk (Hamden, Conn.) slipped the puck past Maine goaltender Brittany Ott (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) for a power-play goal just 18 seconds into the first period. She was assisted by sophomore Kelly Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario) and Brittany Lyons. Maine stepped up their defense, pressing the Bobcats and keeping them from extending their lead. However, with 11 seconds left Quinnipiac senior Chelsea Illchuck (Lockport, Manitoba) tossed the puck into Maine’s goal to end the first period leading 2-0.

            The second period began as a repeat of the first with Quinnipiac’s Brittany Lyons nabbing an unassisted goal just 41 seconds into the period. This time Maine fired back. After fighting for the puck sophomore Kayla Kaluzny (Calgary, Alberta) of the Bears swiped a goal past Bobcat’s goaltender junior Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario) just over seven minutes into the second period. Brianne Kilgour (Hamilton, Ontario) assisted in Maine’s first goal of the game. The Bobcats still held a 3-1 lead until just six minutes later Maine scored again. Myriam Croussette (Baie-Comeau, Quebec) passed to Danielle Ward (Lansing, Mich.) who slapped the puck into the corner of Quinnpiac’s net, barely passing Vigilanti. The Bobcats barely held onto the 3-2 lead at the end of the second period.

            The beginning of the third period showed a complete turn around in the game as the Black Bear’s offense came out strong and the Bobcat’s defense faltered. In the first 30 seconds of play, Kayla Kaluzny scored her second goal of the game to tie the score 3-3. She was assisted by Jennifer More (Deloraine, Manitoba) and Chloe Tinkler (Wabush, N.L.). Then, only a minute and a half later Maine took the lead with a goal by Missy Denk (Poplar Grove, Ill.). Vigilanti had just deflected a previous shot when the puck went off the stick of Brianne Kilgour over to Denk who tapped it into the net. The Bobcats pushed for another goal the rest of the third period, but the Black Bear’s defense held strong. Victoria Vigilanti was pulled to allow another forward on the ice with 30 seconds left in the game in a last effort to score. Unfortunately it was too late for the Bobcats, and they lost 4-3 to Maine.

            During a post-game interview head coach Rick Seeley was asked about goaltender Victoria Vigilanti’s progress from game to game as she gave up four goals last weekend against Mercyhurst and did the same against Maine. Seeley said “We’ve been spoiled with Vigilanti and we’ve grown to count on her every night and we’ve had three games and I agree that two of them haven’t been good.” Vigilanti was recently named ECAC Goaltender of the Week for the 10^th time in her career. With a personal-high of nine shutouts last season she protects the Bobcat’s net with determination, but she can’t do it alone. The Bobcat’s defense will need to step it up in order to defeat Maine in the next game.

            The Bobcats will play Maine again Saturday at 1pm. Be sure to listen for live updates at theqbsn.com

Bobcats' Strong Start Leads to 5-2 Win over Acadia

Bobcats Strong Start Leads to 5-2 Win over Acadia
By Marty Joseph, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac Men’s Ice Hockey Team defeated Acadia University, 5-2, in its lone exhibition game.  Sophomore twin brothers Connor and Kellen Jones (Montrose, British Columbia) led the offensive charge for the Bobcats.

Kellen had the primary assists on Connor’s two goals, which came in the first period. Jeremy Langlois (Tempe, Arizona), Zach Davies (Smithers, B.C.), and Kevin Bui (Edmonton, Alberta) each added goals for the Bobcats.

The Bobcats jumped out to a quick start in the 1^st period to go up 3-0 in the game.  Jeremy Langlois took a pass from Ben Arnt (Oakdale, Minn.) and snapped a shot passed Acadia’s goaltender Peter DiSalvo (Oakville, Ontario). Thirteen seconds later, Connor Jones scored his first of two goals to put the Bobcats up 2-0, 5:20 into the game. Connor Jones added a shorthanded goal at the 11:45 mark of the first to make it 3-0; Kellen Jones had the assist on both goals.

Zach Davies helped the Bobcats pick right up where they left off in the 1^st period, scoring 54 seconds into the 2^nd period. Loren Barron (Glendora, Calif.) had the lone assist on Davies power play goal. Later in the second, Kevin Bui snapped a wrist shot passed DiSalvo through a screen to make it 5-0 in favor of Quinnipiac. Bui’s goal was also on the power play, with the assist going to Mike Dalhuisen (Nymegen, Holland).

Acadia’s Andrew Clark (Brandon, Manitoba) was able to beat Quinnipiac’s Dan Clarke (Belleville, Ontario) to break up the shutout bid and cut the lead to 5-1later in the second. Clark’s goal for Acadia came on a five on three power play advantage with the assists going to Spencer Jezegou (Oshawa, Ontario) and Christopher Owens (St. Johns, Newfoundland).

The Bobcats seemed to be on cruise control in the 3^rd period as most of the play was in the defensive zone. The Bobcats put little pressure on DiSalvo for the remainder of the game as they clamped it down defensively and held on for a 5-2 win. Dustin Ekelman added the last goal for Acadia 1:48 into the 3^rd. Dan Clarke turned the puck over behind his net and Ekelman was able to pull it around the net and deflect a shot off a Quinnipiac defender into the goal.

Quinnipiac Men’s Ice Hockey opens its season next weekend with 2 games on the road at Ohio State. The Bobcats return home on October 12^th for their home opener against Holy Cross.

Bobcats Lose to Long Island, 3-0

Bobcats Lose to Long Island, 3-0

By Michael Desjardins, QBSN Staff Writer

            The Quinnipiac Bobcats women’s volleyball team faced the Long Island Blackbirds in an NEC-conference showdown on Sunday. However, they were shutout 3-0.

            In the first set, Quinnipiac fell to an 11-4 run, and couldn’t make up the deficit, and the Blackbirds would end up winning 25-15.

            The second set began a lot more competitive. At one early point in the set, the Bobcats were leading. However, halfway through the game, Long Island earned 7 straight points. The Bobcats did mount a comeback, by winning the next 7 of 11 points, but the Blackbirds would go on to win 25-21.

            By the third set, however, the Bobcats were running on fumes. They allowed the Blackbirds to earn the first 6 straight points, and would end up losing the set, 25-13.

            “By the third set, we really struggled with defending the site, and obviously we got some tape to look at and figure out how to defend that for the next time we play,” says Bobcats coach Robin Sparks.

            With the loss, Quinnipiac falls to 2-15 (1-3) for the season, while Long Island improves to 9-10 (4-1).

          “We got to got figure out what we’re doing in practice this week, get a good week of solid defense in,” says Sparks. “We got to review our defenses again since we got a little confused at times on what we were doing.”

            The Bobcats are on the road this weekend, as they play Fairleigh Dickinson (9-6) on Saturday, Oct. 8, and Sacred Heart (12-5) on Sunday, Oct. 9.

Bobcats Defeat Marist in Inaugural Home Opener 23-7

Bobcats Defeat Marist in Inaugural Home Opener 23-7
By Matt Eisenberg, QBSN Staff Writer

Bobcat head coach Becky Carlson knew the importance of the first-ever home game for Quinnipiac’s women’s rugby team. Stephanie Hasher did what she could to help show the fans what the team is all about.

Hasher had two trys, Jacqueline Lilly and Allison Gnys each had a try and Krystin Orrico recorded a penalty kick to lead the Bobcats to a 23-7 victory over Marist Sunday at Alumni Field.

“It feels fantastic,” Carlson said. “I know the girls were relatively nervous before the game, but I think that this kind of proves that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

The Bobcats (2-2, 2-1 MetNY) were coming off a 15-5 win over SUNY-New Paltz on Sept. 25, their first win in program history. Playing at home was just as special.

“We’ve been working so hard. This was our time to show everybody what we’ve been working on,” said Hasher, a senior outside center. “We wanted to prove to everybody that we could do it and we were a team.”

Quinnipiac played Eastern Illinois Sept. 18 in the first-ever Division I women’s rugby game, but the first home game means a lot to Hasher.

“This is as just as big as that because we’re playing on our home turf,” she said.

Carlson said she was proud that her team, playing in its inaugural season, was able to compete with an experienced team like Marist (1-2, 1-2).

“These girls have only been playing for six months and they were playing a team that’s relatively veteran,” Carlson said. “I’m very, very proud of the way they pulled it together.”

Hasher earned a try at the end of the first half after the Bobcats won a scrum and ran to the left side of the field for a 13-0 lead. She gave Quinnipiac an 18-0 lead early in the second half when she dove past the goal line moments after Lilly was stopped by Marist.

“Hasher has been instrumental in our wheelhouse department, where she’s the one who’s expected to take the ball to the outside and she’s done well,” Carlson said.

Lilly scored midway through the first half down the right side for a 5-0 lead, and Orrico nailed a penalty kick for three more points. Gnys eluded two tackles and crossed the plane with 19:16 left in the second half.

The Bobcats shut out the Red Foxes for the first half, thanks to key defense by Hasher.

“I think, more so than the scoring, I think, her defensive play in terms of her tackle saved us from some big runs on the other side,” Carlson said of Hasher.

Marist scored its only try from Heather Carr and Kelley Sullivan made the ensuing conversion.

The Bobcats play their second-ever home game when they host Vassar on Saturday at noon.