Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
By: Morey Hershgordon
The target has been on its back the entire season. Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey has answered the call night in and night out. Saturday night was no different, for the first 45 minutes. However, a Trevor Yates goal from the high slot early in the third period was the difference in Cornell’s come-from-behind 5-4 win.
“I thought Cornell was really good tonight,” head coach Rand Pecknold said. “They competed. They battled. Their season was on the line and they were better than us.”
Chase Priskie and Tommy Schutt scored two first period goals for the Bobcats to give their team a comfortable 2-0 advantage after 20 minutes. With a 1-0 series lead already in hand, Quinnipiac became content.
“We were kind of relaxed after the first period being up two goals,” senior Sorren Jonzzon said. “We just have to stay more focused. I think that complacency crept into our game. They reloaded while we kind of took a step back.”
A four-goal second period for the Big Red, one in which they erased a two-goal deficit, proved too much.
Just one minute into the second stanza, Mitch Vanderlaan cut the Quinnipiac lead in half with his eighth goal of the season. The quick responses following Quinnipiac’s momentum did not stop. Jeff Kubiak poked one past Michael Gartieg and Matt Buckles slapped home a bouncing puck in front in a just over a few minutes to knot the game at three with 8:26 left.
“They knew their season would be over today if they lost and they played that way,” Jonzzon said. “Give them credit. The shifts after goals are huge and they dominated (them).”
Rand Pecknold called his only timeout of the game in the second period with his team leading 4-3. Moments later, Cornell struck again.
Christian Hilbrich slid a puck through Landon Smith’s legs and past Michael Garteig from the right side to tie the game late in the second, before Yates nailed home the clincher in the third.
“We gotta have everyone on board to win games,” freshman Chase Priskie said regarding adjustments the Bobcats need to make Sunday afternoon. “Everyone’s going to have to buy into our identity. When we play our game, that’s when we play best. Just stick to the game plan and we’ll do just fine.”
The captain echoed a similar message.
“Reload, refocus,” Jonzzon said. “We have to play with more urgency. They were more desperate than we were. They were winning battles.”
The contrast of styles between the two accomplished programs was evident. The Big Red, a hard-hitting, physically imposing group, used their stature and strength to wear down a smaller, sleeker, faster Quinnipiac squad. Its attributes, Jonzzon believes, will be the focal point as it prepares for Game 3.
“Running the net,” he said. “It’s hard for a goalie to make a save when there’s two, three guys buzzing around his head. I think Gillam’s a good goalie and when he sees pucks he’s going to stop them and I think we need to get in there and take him out of his comfort zone so that we can get some goals.”
Quinnipiac is no stranger to Game 3’s. As it looks to advance to its fourth straight ECAC semifinal, only once did it sweep the quarterfinal series. Pecknold, like he’s seen all year, knows he has a special group.
“It’s a resilient group,” he said. “We’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll be ready to go.”
Sunday’s matinee, win-or-go-home affair will begin at 4 p.m.
