The Quinnipiac Bobcats (13-0-2, 6-0-1 ECAC) took home their second Nutmeg Classic Championship after defeating the Clarkson Golden Knights (11-5-1, 5-1-1 ECAC) 3-1. Sophomore Emma Woods, who scored the game winning goal in the Bobcats’ 1-0 win over Clarkson last week, also scored the game-winning goal in this game.
Both teams exchanged scoring chances early in the first period. The Golden Knights tested senior goaltender Chelsea Laden and the Bobcats’ defense throughout the period, outshooting the Bobcats 9-7, but the Bobcats went into the locker room with the lead.
Senior Morgan Fritz-Ward sent a centering pass right to the slot where freshman T.T. Cianfarano redirected it past Shea Tiley to put the Bobcats ahead 1-0 with 11:28 to go in the period. The goal was Cianfarano’s team leading eighth goal and 15th point of the season.
Woods sent home her seventh goal of the season and the eventual game winner off of a centering feed from senior Shiann Darkangelo with 9:47 to go in the second period to extend the Bobcats’ lead to 2-0. Clarkson answered right back at 8:08 with a goal from Amanda Titus to pull the Golden Knights back within one.
The intensity picked up as both teams exchanged more scoring opportunities, but Quinnipiac once again went back to the locker room with a one goal lead. Clarkson outshot Quinnipiac once again in the second, 11-10 for a two period total of 20-17.
The Bobcats got a few scoring opportunities to open up the third period including some give-and-go passes between Fritz-Ward and senior Erica Uden Johansson.
Quinnipiac came out firing shot after shot on Tiley. They also limited the Golden Knights to five shots on goal in the third period while tacking on 12 of their own to take the lead in that category. Fritz-Ward added an empty net goal with four seconds remaining to seal the deal for the Bobcats.
“I think our kids believed we were the better team [these past two games against Clarkson] and I thought they proved it in both third periods where in the past we’d tend to sit back and wait for bad things to happen,” Quinnipiac head coach Rick Seeley said. “Here I thought we just made good things happen.”
“They know the next event has nothing to do with the one that just happened,” Seeley said. “We just want to beat Dartmouth.”
Chelsea Laden was named the Most Valuable Goaltender of the tournament and Emma Woods was named Most Valuable Player. With the win, the Bobcats remain undefeated and improve to 13-0-2 (6-0-1 ECAC). The Golden Knights drop to 11-5-1 (5-1-1 ECAC).
Up next Quinnipiac travels to Dartmouth and Harvard on Dec. 5 and 6 respectively. Clarkson returns home for Cornell and Colgate on Dec. 5 and 6 as well.
