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.