Bobcats split ECAC weekend

Courtesy: quinnipiacbobcats.com

Bobcats split ECAC weekend
By Peter Rossi, QBSN Staff Writer

This past weekend, the women’s ice hockey team (5-6-1, 4-1-1 ECAC) split two ECAC games, suffering a 3-0 loss to Clarkson (7-3-4, 3-2-1 ECAC) Friday night and hanging on to a 3-2 win yesterday afternoon against St. Lawrence (5-4-3, 2-3-1 ECAC).

           

Friday’s loss makes for the Bobcats’ first ECAC loss of the season. Quinnipiac outplayed Clarkson for much of the first period, but the Knights managed to get one past junior goaltender Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario) with just 51 seconds remaining in the period.  Sophomore forward Brittany Styner collected a loose puck in Quinnipiac's defensive zone, skated across the crease, and backhanded the puck past Vigilanti for her first of the season to give Clarkson the 1-0 lead.

          

Quinnipiac continued strong play in the second and forced Clarkson commit three penalties, but the Bobcats could not cash in on any of their man-advantages. Freshman Nicole Kosta (Mississauga, Ontario) led most of the charge for the Bobcats in the period, as she nearly tied the game in the final seconds of the period and ended the game with eight shots on net.

          

At the start of the third period, it was clear Clarkson took over control of play.  With 13:38 remaining in the frame, senior forward Juana Baribeau put Clarkson up 2-0 with her second of the season. Clarkson's forwards Shelby Nisbet and Hailey Wood were each credited with an assist on the score.

          

With just under three minutes left in the third, Clarkson added their third and final tally as Baribeau redirected a shot from fellow senior Danielle Bourdreau, and netted her second score of the game and third of the season.

           

The Bobcats owned a slight 27-22 overall shot advantage. Each team went scoreless on its power-play opportunities, as Quinnipiac went had four chances and Clarkson three.

           

On Saturday, the Bobcats looked to rebound against St. Lawrence, and they did so putting three on the board in the first period and weathered a comeback attempt by the Saints.

            

St. Lawrence found the back of the net first as a power-play goal from junior Kelly Sabatine gave St. Lawrence the 1-0 lead at the 5:58 mark in first period. Sabatine would later take a penalty in the period, leading to Quinnipiac’s first score of the afternoon off of the stick of junior transfer Breann Frykas (East St. Paul, Manitoba), who is certainly growing into her new role on the Bobcats. Frykas’s goal, her second of the season, came at the 11:04 mark of the period.

           

Quinnipiac remained steadfast and aggressive, as sophomore Kelly Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario) scored at the 14:11 mark in the first period to net her sixth of the season and give the Bobcats the 2-1 lead. Senior Melissa Perry (Champion, Mich.) and sophomore Amanda Colin (Burnsville, Minn.) each earned an assist on the score.

          

With just 1:25 remaining in the first period, sophomore Megan Hagg (Ajax, Ontario) capped off the big first period as she scored her first Bobcat goal, giving Quinnipiac the 3-1 lead with assists being handed out to Kosta and Babstock.

          

St. Lawrence closed Quinnipiac's lead to 3-2 with its second power-play goal of the game at the 16:42 mark into the second period. Junior Brooke Fernandez's slap shot from the point beat Vigilanti who was screened on the play. Senior Alley Bero and Sabatine earned assists on the goal. The score would prove to be the final tally for either squad in the contest, as the teams skated to a scoreless third period of action.

          

 Both teams kept their respective seats in the penalty box warm, as 13 total penalties were whistled in the game. Quinnipiac went 1-for-6 on its chances, while St. Lawrence went 2-for-6 on its extra skater opportunities.

Quinnipiac returns home next weekend when it hosts Colgate and No. 2 Cornell on Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19. Friday's game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, while Saturday's game will begin at 4 p.m.