Recap:
Last season saw Quinnipiac win both ECAC titles, in the regular season and postseason tournament. This came on the heels of a record setting season in which the Bobcats went 30-3-5 overall while finishing 16-2-4 in the ECAC. Both the 30 wins and the congruent winning percentage (.885) was one of nine program records the Bobcats set last season. The season ended with a 1-0 loss to Clarkson in the NCAA Tournament.
Overview:
Quinnipiac has high expectations coming into the 2016-2017 season, and for good reason. The defending ECAC champs finished one goal away from a program-first berth in the Frozen Four. This year, anything less than that would be a disappointment.
Hasta La Vista:
Six members of last year’s team have now departed from graduation. Four of the players elected to continue their hockey career; Nicole Kosta, Nicole Connery, and Cydney Roesler signed as free agents with the Connecticut Whale of the National Women’s Hockey League, while Nicole Brown was drafted by the Brampton Thunder of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.
New To The Pack:
Six freshmen joined the Bobcats this fall, with high expectations surrounding a very talented group.
Abbie Ives is the only goaltender added, joining Sydney Rossman and Claire Lachner in the crease for Quinnipiac.
Kati Tabin and Allison Roethke join a blue line that recently lost three of their top four defenders to graduation.
Abby Cleary and Kenzie Prater link up with a forward group that also suffered some losses, with two 100-point career scorers graduating in Connery and Kosta.
Sarah-Eve Coutu-Godbout was also a freshman on the roster for this season, yet the official roster online and the game programs do not list her. She also did not play in Quinnipiac’s exhibition against Guelph on Sunday. This is a situation to monitor, as no details have been released yet.
Guess Who’s Back:
The top two scorers lead the way back for Quinnipiac, as T.T. Cianfarano and Melissa Samoskevich return for their third and second years, respectively. They combined for 84 points, while Cianfarano was named ECAC Player of the Year. These two should once again topple the table on the stat sheets.
Rossman will be the starter in net again after a dominant first year as a full time starter. She played every game last season, finishing second in the nation with a 0.90 goals against average and a stellar .949 save percentage. While both Ives and Lachner should find some ice time, Rossman will dominate the starts this year. She will look to build upon last year’s ECAC Goalie of the Year finish.
Captain Emma Woods will look to finish her career on the 100-point banner alongside many of her former teammates. Although she is currently at 58 points, with her career high for a season at 34, she has a solid chance to reach that mark if she continues to play alongside Cianfarano and/or Samoskevich.
Preseason Awards:
Most Valuable Player: T.T. Cianfarano
She’s led Quinnipiac in points every year she’s played in Hamden; why would that change in the prime of her college career? She’s only getting better.
Honorable Mentions: Melissa Samoskevich, Sydney Rossman
Best Forward: Cianfarano
See above: she’s still good.
Honorable Mentions: Melissa Samoskevich, Emma Woods
Best Defender: Taryn Baumgardt
One of only two seniors on a young blue line, Baumgardt will see heavy minutes against opposing top lines. She may not put up a boatload of points, but she keeps that boat steady.
Honorable Mentions: Emma Greco, Alicia Barry
Best Rookie: Kenzie Prater
Prater has perhaps the highest expectations coming into the season, as the Bobcats have had a standout freshman performer each of the past few seasons (Woods, Cianfarano, Samoskevich). Prater, a gold medal winner with the U-18 US National Team and a two-time state champion, has the skill set to follow in those footsteps. Watch out for Abby Cleary, however; she’s had a strong offseason and it showed in the exhibition against Guelph.
Honorable Mentions: Abby Cleary, Allison Roethke
Under Appreciated Award: Meghan Turner
Turner may not put up 20 goals this season, but her impact isn’t felt on just the stat sheet. A grinding power forward, Turner is a strong presence in front of the net and on special teams. She can be and has been deployed on any line to give it the flavor it needs.
Most Improved: MacKenzie Lancaster
Lancaster looked unbelievably solid in the preseason game against Guelph, consistently weaving through defenders and creating grade A chances. After limited ice time last season, look for her to make a much larger impact on the stat sheet.
