Photo Courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics
By: Andrew Badillo
The Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team has only played in two games after a loss all season. It has won both of those games. Melissa Samoskevich scored the game-winning goal and Sydney Rossman made 25 saves en route to 3-0 victory over St. Lawrence Friday night at High Point Solutions Arena.
“We played well today. We talked all week about our response from a loss and this is what we wanted,” Quinnipiac head coach Cassandra Turner said.
Last weekend Quinnipiac (24-2-4, 14-2-3 ECAC) lost just its second game of the season to Colgate, 3-2. The Bobcats showed no hangover from their loss last weekend and got right back on track against the Saints (14-12-5, 8-7-4 ECAC).
“I think we just flushed it right away and got ready for the next weekend,” Quinnipiac goalie Sydney Rossman said.
At this point last season the Bobcats hit a rough patch as they went 4-6 in their last 10 regular season games. During the same stretch this year Quinnipiac is currently 6-1. So what has been the difference maker?
“We have a remarkable group of leaders, a remarkable group of seniors and they are driving this team,” Turner said. “When you have good people in your program and their effort is where it needs to be, their goals are where you want them to be, really good things happen.”
The seniors showed up Friday night for Quinnipiac as Nicole Brown, Kristen Tamberg, and Nicole Kosta all found the score sheet.
Brown scored on a beautiful play in which Tamberg lofted the puck cross-ice to Kosta who rifled a pass through the crease to Brown for the goal. The goal gave the Bobcats a two-goal cushion that they would not relinquish, thanks to the play of Sydney Rossman.
Rossman truly earned the shutout, as she was busy most of the night, including when the Saints went on a 5-on-3 powerplay in the second period. The junior rebounded nicely after allowing three goals on 18 shots in the loss to Colgate.
“We get fired up when we’re 5-on-3, obviously we don’t want to give up penalties. But, it kind of starts that fire under you and gets you going. I kind of just take it as we have nothing to lose, you just give it all you got,” Rossman said.
The win gives Quinnipiac a five-point lead over Clarkson for first place in the ECAC standings. The Golden Knights visit High Point Solutions arena Saturday looking to avenge its early season loss to the Bobcats and to inch closer first place.
“It’s kind of fun being in first, everyone is out to get you. I think the only different feeling is we know if we just take care of business we’ll get home ice,” Rossman said. “Where last year we didn’t want to go to Clarkson obviously because they were ahead of us. Where this year it’s the other way around.”
Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. at High Point Solutions Arena.
