By Brian Farrell, Senior Staff Writer
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Providence, R.I. – Quinnipiac is one win away from the biggest stage in college hockey. The Bobcats will face off against Union at 6:30 p.m. for the right to play in the Frozen Four in two weeks.
The Bobcats scored three third period goals yesterday in a 4-3 comeback win over Canisius. QU took an early 1-0 lead before giving up three straight goals to the Golden Griffins. Matthew Peca set off the comeback about midway through the final period. His highlight goal was No. 4 on today’s ESPN Sportscenter Top 10. Jordan Samuels-Thomas tallied the equalizer just minutes later on the power play.
Once again Kevin Bui was the hero pocketing the game winner with just over five minutes left in regulation.
“Just like the Cornell game, 21 guys believing that we can come back,” Bui said. “Coach kept the bench calm. Do the simple things and we’re going to get goals. That’s what we did, we forechecked and threw pucks on net. We started putting pressure on them and they took a couple of penalties. It swung the momentum our way.”
Now Quinnipiac prepares for a red hot Union team that captured the Whitelaw Cup last week and is riding a seven game win streak. In those seven games the Dutchmen have dominated outscoring their opponents 31-6. Last night Union embarrassed Boston College defeating the defending national champions 5-1.
Union goaltender Troy Grosenick posted two shutouts last weekend in the ECAC championships and was just 3:58 away from picking up his third straight shutout until Boston College’s Johnny Gaudreau put one through Grosenick’s five hole at the end of the third period.
The Bobcats are undefeated on the year against the Dutchmen. The Bobcats put a beat down on Union earlier this season with a 4-0 win on Nov. 30th. A month and a half later Quinnipiac scored three unanswered goals to mount a wild 3-2 comeback in one of the most memorable games of the season.
But those wins are in the past and Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold knows that the Bobcats aren’t where they were earlier in the season.
“We’re not playing out best hockey,” Pecknold said after last night’s win. “We need to get back to the basics, to the things we did earlier in the year. Being down 3-1 in an NCAA game and coming back from behind is pretty impressive. It doesn’t happen a lot. I’m proud of the guys and the way we battled back.”
