With hockey back in Hamden, the Quinnipiac Bobcats look to rebound from their recent regional final loss to Boston College. Last weekend the team fell to the Northeastern Huskies 4-2 in an exhibition game at M&T Bank Arena. While there were positives to the team’s play, there were also adjustments that needed to be made.
Three key takeaways from the game:
The return of Cristophe Tellier
Senior forward, Cristophe Tellier returned to Hamden on Sunday night and he did so with passion. “I respect those guys… maybe it was a little bit personal, just a lot of love and a lot of battles,” Tellier said. Tellier is the newest Huskie following three seasons with the Bobcats. In the game, he recorded a goal and an assist while playing a tough, physical game.
Three goalies between the pipes:
Although sophomore Matej Marinov got the start, senior Noah Altman and first year Dylan Silverstein each got an opportunity to see the ice. Marinov played around 35 minutes, allowing three goals during his time in the net. “Matej was good. He’s been great in practice. I thought we hung him out to dry,” head coach Rand Pecknold said. “We need to play better in front of him.”
After Altman got some time to shine in the second period, Pecknold gave the nod to Silverstein. Silverstein may be competing for the starting role this year. He played the third period before being pulled for an extra skater. “He [Silverstein] played good,” Pecknold said. “It was nice to get all three goalies in tonight.” Silverstein faced four shots and stopped them all.
Chris Pelosi shines bright in first-game action with the Bobcats:
First year Chris Pelosi was drafted in the third round of the 2023 National Hockey League draft by the Boston Bruins. On Sunday, he made his debut as a Bobcat, scoring a goal. “He’s great. He is a big-time player. He will be one of the better freshmen in our league.” Pecknold said. Although the goal will not count toward Pelosi’s stats at the end of the season, he looked confident in his first game. “We are fortunate to have him. I thought he was really good tonight,” Pecknold said.
Three lingering questions heading into the season opener:
Who will start in goal against Penn State?
While it appears that Altman is a lock for the third goalie role, Marinov and Silverstein may end up in a battle for the starting position. Marinov played just 11 games last season and lost the top spot to senior Vinny Duplessis who had a .914 save percentage through 30 games. Silverstein, however, spent last season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL posting a .888 save percentage through 20 games.
Will Mason Marcellus continue to play center?
Another interesting note is that sophomore Mason Marcellus played center during the exhibition game, something he didn’t do all last season. Marcellus won nine of his 13 faceoffs in the game and recorded four shots on goal. Whether this will stay the same come Saturday remains unclear, fans will have to wait and see what Pecknold has in store.
How will the defense only having two players remaining from last season have an impact?
The Bobcats’ defensive core has a different look this season as graduate student Cooper Moore and senior Davis Pennington are the only returning members from last season on the backend that remain. Sophomore Chase Ramsey served as the healthy scratch defenseman for most of last season. Both Moore and Pennington have an ‘A’ on their jerseys this season, so their leadership is going to be key. With plenty of new players entering the system, they will need to lead by example and show them the ropes.
Although the Bobcats have never faced Penn State in the regular season, they look to start the year off strong with a win on Saturday.
