The Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team (10-6-2, 6-3-1 ECAC) will square off with the Princeton Tigers (4-7-1, 2-6-1) in the second game of a home-and-home weekend. The Bobcats are winless in their last two games, having lost to Union last Saturday by a score of 5-2 and falling to Princeton last night 5-3 in New Jersey.
Last time out: The Bobcats were defeated by the Tigers on the road last night by a score of 5-3. Quinnipiac was down 3-2 when the team skated onto the ice, but Thomas Aldworth quickly knotted the game up at three just two minutes into what would be the final frame. After almost 14 scoreless minutes, Matt Nelson scored for Princeton putting the Tigers up 4-3. In the dwindling moments of the game, Eric Robinson put the nail on the coffin with an empty net goal to seal the victory for his team.
Predicted starters:
Quinnipiac: Chris Truehl has started in the team’s last three games, however after giving up a total of eight goals over the last two, expect Andrew Shortridge to get the net-minding nod. The freshman goaltender is 2-2-0 in six games played in his first collegiate campaign and has a 2.86 goals allowed average alongside a .880 save percentage. Though he has not been the majority starter this season, don’t be surprised if he leads the team out of the tunnel in an effort to show off his craft and give Truehl a night off.
Princeton: After a 33 save outing the night prior, expect Colton Phinney to be in between the pipes yet again for the Tigers. The senior from Chatham, New Jersey has seen the vast majority of playing time for the team and has a 3-7-1 record during the season. Phinney has a 3.84 goals allowed average and a .881 save percentage. He should be in the crease when the Tigers skate into Hamden in what could be his final appearance against the Bobcats.
Players to watch:
Quinnipiac: Freshman defenseman Brogan Rafferty has been instrumental for Quinnipiac not only in terms of manning the blue line, but also on the offensive side of the ice. With two goals and 13 assists, Rafferty is tied for first on the team in points with 15. He has also been one of the most disciplined defensemen on the team, allotting just three penalties combining for six total minutes.
Princeton: Sophomore forward Max Véronneau is the points leader for the Tigers with a total of 15 coming from four goals and 11 helpers. He also leads the team in power play goals with four and shots on goal with 47. On Friday night against the Bobcats, Véronneau picked up three assists in Princeton’s win. Keep an eye on him to see how he is able to permeate the Quinnipiac defense and offer assistance to his fellow skaters.
The X-Factor:
Quinnipiac: Special teams will have to be “on fleek” as the kids say. Quinnipiac is one of the top penalty killing teams in the nation as the Bobcats have killed off 84-of-96 opponent man advantage situations that they have faced. However, the team’s power play has been behind the ball this season as it has only converted on 22-of-126 opportunities. In its first game of the weekend, Quinnipiac was awarded five man advantage opportunities but was only able to capitalize on one in the first period when Kevin Duane picked up his second of the season. The Bobcats will have to be sharp when given a power play opportunity as last night proved that every single shot counts.
Princeton: The Tigers will have to do their best to ride the momentum wave when they skate into Hamden on Saturday afternoon. Though they started off the season with a record of 0-6-1, Princeton has caught fire as of late winning four of their last five including a sweep against Bemidji State and a win against Quinnipiac the night prior. With another match up with Quinnipiac all but ready to get underway, the Tigers will be relying on a focused defense and high powered offense to sweep the Bobcats and take the weekend.
The brass tax:
No team wants to have its opponent sweep them on home ice after a loss the game before. Quinnipiac will be doing its best to avoid the sweep while also trying to get its feet back underneath them following two straight losses. Princeton on the other hand will be attempting to add points to its standings mark as the Tigers try to stay in conference contention heading into the second half of the season. They will also be going for their second sweep of the season and if able to complete it, it would be the team’s second two game victory march against a ranked team during the 2016-2017 campaign. The Bobcats and Tigers will face off in the ultimate claws-out showdown at the High Point Solutions Arena in Hamden, Connecticut with puck drop scheduled for 4 p.m.
