There is a lot at stake for the Quinnipiac Bobcats Men’s Ice Hockey team heading into tonight’s game versus the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers. This is Quinnipiac’s final regular season home game of the year, the program will honor its seniors, and it’s one of their last chances to earn some points in the ECAC Hockey standings. As for RPI, they have resigned to one of the bottom two spots in the conference and would love to play spoiler tonight.
Players to Watch
Quinnipiac: Bo Pieper
It is Senior Night, after all, so let’s focus on someone who has been one of Quinnipiac’s top scorers for four years now: Bo Pieper. Pieper got off to a slow start this year, with just two goals and six points in his first 14 games. But since the second half of the season began, Pieper has kicked it into high gear. He now has ten goals and 16 points, a byproduct of taking more shots and playing with more confidence. This could be Pieper’s final game at the TD Bank Sports Center, so you know he’ll want to put on a show in this one.
RPI: Viktor Liljegren
One of the captains on this RPI team, Liljegren scored a hat trick in the Engineers’ 5-3 comeback win over Quinnipiac in November. The Swedish senior is tied for the club lead in goals with nine and could be a thorn in the Bobcats’ side tonight. RPI is 5-2-1 this year when Liljegren records at least one point, so Quinnipiac needs to be careful not to let Liljegren get on the scoresheet in this one.
Keys to the Game
Quinnipiac: Home Cooking
This is the Bobcats’ final regular season home game. They do have a chance to host a home playoff series in the first round of the ECAC Hockey Tournament, but that is still up in the air. Regardless, Quinnipiac needs to play better at home. They are just 5-9-1 at home this year. Over the past two seasons, they only lost at home seven times. Rand Pecknold loves to have a tough team to play against at a rocking home stadium, and he won’t get that unless they start winning at the Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena.
RPI: Embrace the Spoiler Role
RPI has played some of its best hockey while playing the role of the underdog. The Engineers came from behind to beat a nationally ranked Quinnipiac team in November, they upset #1 Cornell two weeks ago, and have the chance to complicate Quinnipiac’s chase for a home playoff series tonight. The Engineers have had a tough season, but it always feels good to deny a rival playoff seeding. Watch for RPI to come out strong tonight against a Quinnipiac team on the ropes.
QBSN will have game coverage for tonight’s contest, beginning at 7:00 pm. Tune into MixLr.com/QBSN at the top of the hour, as @MikeJDalton5 and @TKro42 will be on the call!
