The last time the Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team left the ice against Harvard they had suffered a 5-2 loss in Lake Placid during the ECAC Tournament. Friday was quite the opposite result for the Bobcats.
Quinnipiac (9-0-0, 3-0-0 ECAC) defeated Harvard (3-1-1, 3-1-1 ECAC) in a lopsided effort in which the Bobcats controlled the course of play throughout the 4-1 victory.
Entering the game, special teams was expected to be a factor with Harvard and Quinnipiac ranked first and second respectively in power play percentages. Both teams are also stellar on the penalty kill. Quinnipiac boasts a 90.6 percent on the penalty kill and Harvard was a perfect nine-for-nine.
While special teams play was expected to factor into the result of the game, it wasn’t expected to become the game. The two teams combined for 12 penalties and 35 penalty minutes in the contest, including a 10-minute game misconduct to Harvard’s Seb Lloyd.
The Bobcats would take the lead early in the second period with junior Tommy Schutt’s third goal of the year.
Junior Sam Anas would double the Bobcats’ lead just before the halfway point of the game.
“It was a great play by Landon (Smith) on the forecheck.” Anas said, “He found me in the slot. The defenseman in front went down to block the shot but he didn’t come at me so I waited a little to use him as a screen and after that I didn’t get a hard shot off but just picked the corner and found the back of the net”
Anas’ goal was his fifth of the season and 50th of his career.
Lloyd got called for a hit from behind 17 minutes into the second period when he hit sophomore defenseman Kevin McKernan headfirst into the ledge of the Crimson bench. Lloyd was called for a five-minute major and received a 10-minute game misconduct.
On the ensuing power play Tim Clifton gave the Bobcats full control of the game. Derek Smith fired a shot hard and low from the top of the circle tipping off Clifton’s stick and over the shoulder of Lackey. Clifton would add an empty net goal at the end of the game to improve to six goals on the year in five games played.
The team’s performance on the penalty kill impressed head coach Rand Pecknold in his team’s return to form.
“We had a good video session Monday to talk about the things that we struggled with. We got organized.” Pecknold said, “I think the problem that we had against Cornell was we had players that were going rogue… If we stick to our system and we battle and compete it is effective and it works.”
Quinnipiac hosts Dartmouth Saturday at 7 p.m. in the second game of their home weekend.
