Bo Pieper is a quiet kid and his game has mirrored that in his past two seasons with the Quinnipiac Bobcats.
He is not a skater that lights the lamp every night, but the Minnesota native battles for pucks in the corners, clears the puck during long defensive shifts and always seems to be right by the action though never committing a costly penalty or a glaring mistake.
However, with the Bobcats losing key offensive talent over the offseason, Pieper has found himself as a key part of the Bobcats offense during the early part of their 2016-2017 season.
“The problem we have now is that we have a lot of net-front power type players,” head coach Rand Pecknold said of the team’s offense thus far. “We might have to find a way to adjust and adapt.”
For the Bobcats, that adaptation might include giving Pieper more chances as an offensive playmaker this season as the junior has already found the back of the net twice to go along with two assists.
“I think everyone is looking to step up,” Pieper said about the Bobcats search for a scorer. ”We are trying to mix some personnel up here to see who can step up, and hopefully I can be a guy who can fill that roll.”
Pieper, who struck for two goals in the decisive third game against Cornell in the ECAC Quarterfinals last season and scored the game-winning goal in the Bobcats’ come from behind victory against Dartmouth, has found himself on the scoresheet for the Bobcats in crucial times during most of his career.
This is something that Pieper has carried over to start his junior year.
Pieper’s first goal came with the Bobcats tied at one apiece on October 7 in the season opener. Pieper streaked down the left side of the ice and left the puck for captain Derek Smith who rifled off a shot from the blue line. Pieper never gave up on the play, crashing the net and capitalizing on a strong rebound to put the Bobcats up 2-1.
Pieper’s scoring touch continued Tuesday night as Quinnipiac defeated the University of Massachusetts 3-2 with Pieper leading the scoresheet with a goal and an assist.
After a rifle of a shot that led to Tommy Schutt opening up the scoring, Pieper took matters into his own hands to put the Bobcats up by two goals in a goal that showcased why Pieper is such a special hockey player.
Fifteen seconds after helping the defense force a puck out of the zone, Pieper out-stretched his stick at the blue line to keep the puck in, gathered the puck on his blade and found an opening in the slot. He skated in and rifled the puck bar-down to extend the lead the two for Quinnipiac.
“I try to put effort into all parts of my game, whether it is in the defensive zone or offensively,” Pieper said when asked what stands out most about his style of play. “ I know if I want to step up into that role [as a scorer on the team], I know I have to be sound defensively too and I take pride in my offensive and defensive game.”
The Bobcats need for a scorer may dwindle as practices start to increase and the season unfolds. However, Bo Pieper may just continue to find himself lighting the lamp, making a little bit more noise and finding the scoresheet when it matters most as he continues to succeed in a Quinnipiac jersey.
