Kellen Jones and Matt Peca lead QU over Brown

Kellen Jones and Matt Peca lead QU over Brown

By Marty Joseph, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team defeated Brown, 4-1, on Senior Night at the High Point Solutions Arena at TD Bank Sports Center. Three power play goals in the third period proved to be the difference as Quinnipiac (17-11-5, 9-8-4) broke away from Brown (8-16-4, 5-13-3) in what was a highly physical contest.

courtesy: quinnipiacbobcats.com

Kellen Jones (Montrose, British Columbia) and Matthew Peca (Petawawa, Ontario) led the Bobcats with four points each as the team netted four unanswered goals including three in the final period. Connor Jones (Montrose, British Columbia) and Zach Tolkinen (Lino Lakes, Minn.) also each had a goal and an assist for Quinnipiac.

The first period consisted of quality back and forth action for both teams, but the game remained scoreless through one period of play. The Bobcats out-shot the Bears 17-10 in the first period.

Brown was able to break through on the score sheet, netting the first goal of the game one second shy of twelve minutes into of the second period. Sophomore Garnet Hathaway was standing in front of the net when freshman Massimo Lamacchia shot the puck over the net and off the glass behind Dan Clarke (Belleville, Ontario). The puck bounced off the glass and came back out in front, where Hathaway jammed it into the net for the goal.

The Bobcats answered four and a half minutes later when Tolkinen ripped a wrist shot past Brown goaltender Marco De Filippo. Tolkinen’s goal was assisted Kellen Jones and Peca, capping off a shift that contained tremendous offensive pressure for the Bobcats.

courtesy: quinnipiacbobcats.com

The teams went into the third period tied, 1-1, and Brown came out strong in the final frame. The turning point of the game came halfway through the third. Brown forced Quinnipiac to take an icing, resulting in an offensive zone face-off for the Bears who had the Bobcats on the ropes.

Following the puck drop Brown’s Hathaway took an interference penalty to put the Bobcats on the power play. Forty-seven seconds later, Dennis Robertson was called for slashing, and the team was also given a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct that resulted in Brown head coach Brendan Whittet being ejected from the game.

With a five-on-three advantage, Kellen Jones put the Bobcats up 2-1 after one timing a pass from his brother, Connor by De Filippo for the goal. Still on the two man advantage, the Bobcats went up 3-1 this time Kellen setting up Connor for the goal. The goals came just 59-seconds apart with Peca also assisting on both goals.

Kellen put the icing on the cake for the Bobcats with his second goal of the game also coming on the power play. Kellen wristed a shot by De Filippo from the blue line with assists from Tolkinen and Peca. 

“The first one on the five-on-three there was a great play by Connor to get me the puck, and I just wanted to squeeze it by the goalie,” said Kellen Jones about his two goals. “Second one I just wanted to get the puck to the net, and there was a great screen in front, so I didn’t have to do too much work to get that.”

Clarke made 20 saves for the win while De Filippo stopped 44 shots in a losing effort.

Head coach Rand Pecknold decision to start Clarke was no question.

“It was senior night, and he’s had a great four years for us and I didn’t even hesitate, it was his game and I knew he would play well tonight and he had a great game.”

The Bobcats wrap up the regular season schedule tomorrow night at 7 p.m. when the team hosts the Yale Bulldogs at the High Point Solutions Arena. The game marks the 10^th anniversary of the Heroes Hat Championship.