Photo Courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KQ4j_08_C0]
Since joining the ECAC in 2005, Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey has always advanced past the first round of the conference playoffs. This season is no different as Quinnipiac swept Brown in the first round of the ECAC tournament. After an offensive outburst in Game 1, the Bobcats continued to pile on the goals, defeating the Bears 5-1, in Game 2.
With the win, this year’s Quinnipiac senior class now has 100 career wins. This marks the first time in program history the Bobcats have had consecutive senior classes with triple-digit career wins.
“It’s pretty rare to get 100,” said Rand Pecknold, Quinnipiac head coach. “It was a good win. We’re excited to advance.”
The Quinnipiac senior group is comprised of Tim and Connor Clifton, Derek Smith, Tommy Schutt, K.J. Tiefenwerth, and Joe Fiala. The six are a celebrated class, winning the program’s first ever Whitelaw Cup, advancing to three NCAA tournaments, and reaching a national championship.
“Everyone’s got their own role in that senior group and we’ve all played to that role,” said alternate captain Tommy Schutt. “From our freshman year we just clicked with each other. I just look to them like brothers. I’ve got their back, and I know that they’ve got mine.”
Just like in game one, the Bobcats offense hit the ice running scoring twice in the first period. Landon Smith broke the scoreless tie 4:21 into the first frame. Smith’s torrid run continues as he now has seven points in his last five games.
Just three minutes later, junior Tanner Macmaster scored on the power play. Macmaster finished the series with one goal and four assists in two games, and now has eight goals and 11 assists on the season.
“We just wanted to come in today and not give them a chance,” said Macmaster. “We wanted to get out to a good start and we did that, and we did it for most of the sixty (minutes) so it was a good game.”
Brown’s best chance to get back in the game was when they trailed just 2-1 thanks to a Sam Lafferty goal. The Bears seemed to be gaining momentum but an overturned goal call took the wind out of their sails and kept Brown trailing 3-1. Quinnipiac would add three more goals as insurance off the sticks of Tommy Schutt, Connor Clifton, and Bo Pieper.
The final buzzer rang through High Point Solutions Arena for the last time this season, as Saturday night marks the final men’s or women’s hockey game to be played there this winter.
“Coming off the ice I gave Smitty (Derek Smith) a handshake,” said Schutt. “I said, ‘Heck of a way to go off in the last TD Bank game.’ It’s a little surreal. Obviously we’ve had great memories here and I can’t say good enough things about this place.”
The Bobcat’s senior class compiled a remarkable 54-18-10 record in it’s stay at High Point Solutions Arena.
Next up for fifth seeded Quinnipiac is a three-game series at fourth seeded Saint Lawrence starting Friday, March 10. With Quinnipiac winning five games in a row and seven of its last nine, Pecknold believes his squad has gained back some much needed confidence.
“I thought we were really good early in the season,” said Pecknold. “We were scoring a lot of goals then and then we were in a little bit of a drought, but now they seem to be going in for us…I think when we got in that little drought there for a while, it was a lack of confidence and there was some good goaltending. Sometimes it’s just confidence in terms of goal scoring.”
After losing and tying St. Lawrence in the regular season, confidence will be key for Quinnipiac as it enters the ECAC quarterfinals for the 12th year in a row.
