The Quinnipiac Bobcats (14-10-2, 8-6-1 ECAC Hockey) continue their home weekend at the TD Bank Sports Center after remaining idle on the 20th and 21st of January. Their opponent, Arizona State University (9-18-2).

Quinnipiac has faced ASU once prior, and that took place last year also at the TD Bank Sports Center where the Bobcats cruised to a 5-0 victory. Sophomore Thomas Aldworth had two goals in the game.

Last night, the Bobcats defeated the Sun Devils by a score of 5-2. Contributing to the scoresheet were Connor Clifton, Alex Whelan, Bo Pieper and Chase Priskie, who had two goals on the night.

Who to watch:

Quinnipiac: For the Bobcats, freshman defender Brogan Rafferty is my player to watch. Game in and game out, he is a player that continually shines on the ice. Rafferty leads the team in points with 20, and assists with 18, after tallying two more assists in last night’s victory.

Arizona State: In the Sun Devils two games against Southern New Hampshire University, sophomore forward Anthony Croston scored a hat-trick in the first game and added a fourth in the second. The hat-trick was the first of the season for Arizona State. Be on the prowl for Croston to continue his goal scoring form.

Game two starters:

Quinnipiac: Since Shortridge got the nod last night, I expect Chris Truehl to make a return to the crease in game two. Truehl hasn’t seen action in the new year, but given the factors of the game not only being out of conference, but against a team that is not ranked nationally, I expect head coach Rand Pecknold to give the junior some game time.

Arizona State: Robert Levin has separated himself as the starter for his team. Since last year, his save percentage has increased from .876 to .895, and his goals against average has dropped from 4.53 to 3.16. I expect him to make an appearance protecting the net in the second game of the series.

“X” factor:

For both teams, rest will be the biggest factor of success in game two. Arizona State had a very long flight across the country, and has to stay in a hotel for multiple nights. Quinnipiac on the other hand had a bye weekend and is playing in front of their home crowd. In last night’s game, the Bobcats outshot the Sun Devils by a total of 57-22. Arizona State was pressed hard in their own zone all night, leaving them exhausted by the end of the game. Look for fatigue to play a huge factor in the latter stages of the contest.

These two teams battle out the second game of the series starting at 7 p.m. at the TD Bank Sports Center.