By Kevin Noonan, QBSN Staff Writer
After 19 days off from games, the Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team (11-6-3, 3-4-3 ECAC) returns to action for a weekend series at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (9-8-3, 7-4-3 WCHA). Both games will be hosted by the UNO Mavericks at the CenturyLink Center at 8 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 30 and 3 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 31.
The Bobcats are riding a five game unbeaten streak, getting wins in their last weekend series against Sacred Heart University and Princeton University. Quinnipiac defeated the Sacred Heart Pioneers 6-1 in a non-conference matchup.
In the Sunday matinee, the Bobcats defeated their ECAC foe, the Princeton Tigers, 3-2. Quinnipiac scored the first three goals of the game before allowing two goals in the final five minutes of the game. Leading the offense for Quinnipiac was junior Zack Currie (Victoria, British Columbia), scoring two goals on the afternoon. Senior Kevin Bui (Edmonton, Alb.) scored his first goal of the season for Bobcats in the second period. Junior netminder Eric Hartzell (White Bear Lake, Minn.) stopped 36 of 38 shots and was able to fend of the Tigers late game attack in the final minutes.
The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks were defeated 1-0 by the No. 18 University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Freshman goaltender Ryan Massa stopped 31 of 32 shots in the loss. On the season, Massa has allowed 2.68 goals per game and a save percentage of .900. Senior John Faulkner has seen more action in net for the Mavericks. In 10 starts, Faulkner has allowed 3.03 goals per game and a save percentage of .873. The offense has been lead by junior Terry Broadhurst who has scored 14 goals and assisted nine more for 23 points. Sophomore Matt White leads the team in points with 25 from his nine goals and 16 assists.
Keys for the Bobcats:
Quinnipiac hopes to get their sophomore tandem of Connor and Kellen Jones (Montrose, British Columbia) back on the ice. Connor has not played since Dec. 2 against Union, while Kellen has not played since Nov. 26 against Massachusetts. Freshman Matthew Peca (Petawawa, Ontario) has scored one goal in the last 12 games and has recorded six assists in the same amount of time. If he can regain his offensive strength, the Bobcats can continue to be strong offensively. Defense has been fairly consistent all season long, and if it can continue to be top notch at Nebraska-Omaha, the Bobcats will be in good shape. Look for Quinnipiac to split the goaltending between Clarke and Hartzell in the weekend, as they have typically done all season long.
Keys for the Mavericks:
Nebraska-Omaha has been inconsistent all season long. Despite a 9-8-3 record, they have not swept a weekend since Oct. 21-22 vs. University of Alaska-Anchorage. Goaltending has been good for the Mavericks all year long, split between Massa and Faulkner. Look for a split of the goaltending between the two. The offense has been lead by White and Broadhurst. The defense for Nebraska-Omaha has been consistent all year long, allowing three goals or less in 15 of the 20 games.
Last Meeting:
The Bobcats are 2-0 all time against the University of Nebraska-Omaha, winning a home series on the 30 and 31 of last December. The Bobcats won 4-3 in the first ever meeting and 3-2 in the second. Current senior Scott Zurevinski (Saskatoon, Sask.) lead the Bobcats with two goals in the first game and current junior Loren Barron (Glendora, Calif.) had three assists as well. Hartzell recorded 53 saves in the matchup. Current Maverick juniors Bryce Aneloski and Brent Gwidt and former senior Matt Ambroz each had one goal apiece, while Faulkner had 23 saves in net.
In the second game, current junior Russell Goodman (Saskatoon, Sask.) scored two goals and former senior Zach Hansen (White Bear Lake, Minn.) scored a goal. Hartzell started the second game, recording 44 saves. Senior Joey Martin and White each scored goals for the Mavericks, while former freshman Mike Taffe got the loss in net for the Mavericks, splitting time in the game with Faulkner. Look for two more one goal games this season between the Mavericks and the Bobcats.
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