In a dramatic Game 3 of its ECAC Quarterfinal series, the Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team defeated the Cornell Big Red, 3-2 in double overtime.
Kevin Bui netted the game-winner at 14 minutes into the second overtime period to send the Bobcats to the ECAC Semifinals. Bui received a pass in the neutral zone from Loren Barron and streaked up the left wing side into the Cornell zone. He then skated in on Andy Iles, deked and backhanded a shot between the legs of Iles for the goal sending the Quinnipiac faithful into a frenzy.
“That was the fastest I’ve ever seen him skate,” said a smiling Rand Pecknold when asked about the Bui goal. “He was motoring and that’s a credit to him and our strength coach for him to be in that good of shape in double overtime.”
The game didn’t start as well as Quinnipiac might have planned, as the Big Red took the lead almost as early as the Bobcats did the previous night with a goal 48 seconds into the game. Braden Birch picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated into the offensive zone unopposed before deking and lifting a backhand over the glove hand of Hartzell.
Iles was huge all night for Cornell with 60 saves in the losing effort, including 45 in the third period and both overtimes. Hartzell had 29 saves on the night and even though he wasn’t tested as often as Iles he had key saves in the first period to keep the deficit at one. His biggest save came late in the period when Joakim Ryan shot the puck on goal from the point. Armand De Swardt got a stick on the loose puck in the crease but was stuffed by the left pad of Hartzell.
The Bobcats finally got one passed Iles in the second period on a goal by Zach Tolkinen. Tolkinen corralled a loose puck at the point and shot it through a screen beating Iles to the blocker side.
Cornell answered just a minute and four seconds later to jump back on top 2-1. Brian Ferlin jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated down the right side of the Bobcats’ zone before firing a shot passed the glove of Hartzell.
The Bobcats faced a similar situation to Friday night in this one, heading into the third period trailing by one goal but created a different outcome. Cornell fought off the Bobcat attack for nearly the entire period before Clay Harvey buried the game-tying goal with a minute and four seconds to go in regulation. Jordan Samuels-Thomas and Harvey found room to work behind the Cornell goal and after a brief give-and-go Harvey brought the puck out in front and had two chances before stuffing the puck home on the rebound.
“We were just believing,” Bui said on the team’s late game mentality. “Coach said just get the puck deep and go forecheck their [defenseman] and good things will come if we just got pucks on net and [Harvey], he did a phenomenal job just getting the puck in front of the net and banging away.”
With the win the Bobcats win their best of three series and move on to the ECAC Semifinals in Atlantic City where they will play the Brown Bears. The time for the game has still yet to be determined.
