Photo Courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics
The Big Red traveled to Hamden to take on the Bobcats on Friday. Cornell stood at number nine in the USCHO.com poll prior to puck drop, but they came out ready to fight.
Jess Brown got a shot past Chelsea Laden just 1:25 into the first period. The first frame would end with Cornell leading 2-1 after Quinnipiac struggled to keep up.
The Bobcats got some of their stamina back in the second, outshooting Cornell 16-4, as they headed into the third period up 3-2.
QU killed two penalties in the third and looked to be on track to get away with the win but Cornell’s Kaitlin Doering put one past Laden to tie things up. In overtime the Bobcats looked tired but held on until the final minute when Hanna Bunton scored for Cornell to get the 4-3 win.
The Bobcats are full of potential but the question is will they be able to capitalize on it in the remainder of the season. Here are my top five notes from the game:
1. SENIOR FOUR
It’s no secret that the Senior Bobcats are leaders on this team. Shiann Darkangelo and Erica Uden Johansson are top scorers for the team. Morgan Fritz-Ward contributes consistently on offense and also holds the team high of 22 for shots blocked. And then of course there is Chelsea Laden who has broken several program records including her program high 12 shutouts this season. These players, while obviously contributing, need to push their limits beyond how they played against Cornell in order to flourish in the post season.
2. YOUNG BLOOD
Raquel Pennoyer scored her first collegiate goal to tie the game in the first. Tori DeAngelis put the puck in front of the goal for Pennoyer and she quickly edged it in past Paula Voorheis. It was also Deangelis’ first collegiate point. On a team where the scoring comes primarily from the upper classman it’s important for young players like Pennoyer to step up. “We’ve never had someone come off the fourth line and get a goal and an assist in a big game like this…” Quinnipiac head coach Rick Seeley said, “You don’t get much bigger than that”.
3. KILLING PENALTIES
The Bobcats have an 89.6% penalty kill percentage and it showed in this game. After a rocky start to the first period the Bobcats seemed to regain themselves after effectively killing a penalty in the last five minutes. They also killed off two back-to-back penalties in the third period. While the Bobcats amped up their play when they were down by a player, their defense was not consistent the whole night through.
4. DOING THEIR JOB
Coming out of a rough first period the Bobcats looked energized and ready to pounce. Erica Uden Johansson passed to Nicole Kosta for the goal to tie the game 2-2 only forty seconds into the second period. These seasoned players knew what needed to be done… and did it. Not to mention Uden Johansson is six away from a hundred career points and Kosta is now only three shy of the same milestone.
5. LACK OF CONSISTANCY
The Bobcats showed such moments of confidence and control but then let it slip away so easily. They just couldn’t hold it together enough to finish the game. “You let down in overtime the way a few of our players did and bad things happen, it’s that simple,” Seeley said.
Quinnipiac plays Colgate next at home for Senior Day on Feb. 7.
