The Quinnipiac women’s hockey team (1-0-0) began its season on a high note with a 3-0 win against the University of Connecticut (0-2-1) on Friday night.
The Bobcats outshot the Huskies 36-9 after the full 60 minutes and they were able to possess the puck for a large portion of the game. Head coach Rick Seeley was proud of his team’s performance.
“I was really happy with our performance tonight,” Seeley said. “I thought everyone showed up to work hard. Obviously it’s the first game, so there is a lot to work on, but I thought the effort was great.”
Freshman Taylar Cianfarano got the Bobcats on the board nine and a half minutes into the opening period with a goal off assists from junior Nicole Kosta and senior Erica Uden-Johansson. It was the team’s first goal of the season and Cianfarano was pleased to get her first goal on opening night.
“It’s definitely one to remember, but without the help of my teammates getting those pucks deep and working hard, it never would have happened,” said Cianfarano.
Quinnipiac took their one-goal lead into the second period. The Bobcats extended their lead to two just three minutes into the period off a long slap shot from junior Nicole Brown. Brown’s goal came off assists from junior Lindsey West and sophomore Emma Woods.
Then later in the second period, junior Nicole Connery gave the Bobcats a 3-0 lead, which would ultimately be the final score of the game. Senior Morgan Fritz-Ward and sophomore Taryn Baumgardt provided the assists on the third goal. Fritz-Ward and Baumgardt were trying to push the puck passed Huskies goaltender, Elaine Chuli and then Connery came into to help push the puck just across the goal line.
Seeley liked how all three of his lines performed well in the team’s season opener.
“We kind of put things together in the summer that we thought made sense,” Seeley said. “The top three lines are really clicking and I like the chemistry we have now.”
Quinnipiac senior goaltender Chelsea Laden finished the game with nine saves while UConn’s Chuli needed to work much harder, saving 33 of 36 shots.
Not including the team’s blue and gold scrimmage held last weekend, the Bobcats have played six periods of hockey (three in an exhibition against Team China and the UCONN game), and the team has scored eleven total goals and is yet to allow a goal.
“I was impressed by the defense in the game’s entirety despite the one break-away the Huskies had,” Seeley said. “The energy was great and Chelsea [Laden] was solid when she needed to work in net.”
The win starts Quinnipiac’s season off on the right foot while the loss drops UConn still looks to get things going as they do not have a win in their first three games so far this season.
The Bobcats return to action next Saturday with its first road trip of the season, taking on the Penn State Nittany Lions in State College, Pennsylvania. The game time will be announced at a later date.
