By Kyle Levasseur
Photo: Tommy Cameron
After emerging with one point from a late tie against Cornell, the Quinnipiac Bobcats took a decisive 6-3 victory against the Colgate Raiders Saturday night.
Quinnipiac (21-1-6, 12-0-4 ECAC) had previously defeated conference opponent Colgate (8-19-2, 4-11-2 ECAC) earlier in the year, 3-2 on the road.
Assistant captain Sam Anas scored two goals on the night, extending his point streak to 11 games and his goal streak to six games.
Anas, the ECAC leader in goals and co-leader in points, put Quinnipiac up early with a power play goal in the 1st period, and sealed the deal with a backhanded goal late in the third period.
“We’ve been tying a lot of games lately, and most of the times we’ve been coming back, but last night Cornell scored late, so it was nice to have a lead in the third here, and able to expand it,” Anas said.
After a fairly one-sided first period in Quinnipiac’s favor, a back-and-forth second period ensued. Colgate would tie up the game, just less than three minutes into the second on a goal on a Ken Citron slap shot.
However, the Bobcats responded quickly, retaking the lead, 2-1, in part from a Connor Clifton goal.
The Raiders would not go down without a fight as they tied the game at two apiece. Calgary Flames draft pick Tim Harrison netted his seventh goal of the year, just two minutes after Clifton’s goal.
The scoring for the Bobcats would kickstart from there. With 5:39 left in the 2nd period, Luke Shiplo retook the lead for Quinnipiac with a power play goal, the team’s second of the night.
Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold believed that the team’s depth of scoring was shown in the victory.
“Absolutely, that’s one of our strengths…it’s probably our number one strength this year, and probably the most depth we’ve ever had, on any team I’ve ever had here.”
Quinnipiac would add to its lead with goals from Landon Smith, a second goal from Sam Anas, and an empty netter from Devon Toews.
Darcy Murphy would tack on a late goal for the Raiders with two minutes left in the game, but it wasn’t enough.
Special teams were a bright spot for the Bobcats recently. They have scored six power play goals in their last three games and had a penalty kill that hasn’t allowed a goal in the last 23 opportunities.
Anas embraces the strength and versatility of the special teams that Quinnipiac puts forward.
“We have so many different options and different looks, that it’s hard to defend against, and tonight was kind of just a play off the rush, and Devon made a great pass to Landon, and I was able to find a little soft spot there, and Landon put it right on my tape, and I was able to put it in.”
Quinnipiac will travel next weekend to take on St. Lawrence (14-11-3) and Clarkson (15-10-3), both of which the Bobcats tied against earlier this year.
