The Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team (15-13-2 overall, 11-7-0 ECAC Hockey) played host to a No. 8 St. Lawrence team (16-9-3 overall, 12-5-1 ECAC Hockey) Friday night. While the two teams skated to a 1-1 tie, the game was much more lively than the score indicates.
“It was a fun hockey game today,” Quinnipiac head coach Cassandra Turner said. “Playing St. Lawrence is always a lot of fun. It is impressive to see hockey that is so entertaining, yet you’re wondering when the last shot was, and I think that sums up the entire game.”
Shots were very hard to come by during tonight’s game, with both teams getting down to block shots early and often. However, the game seemed as though it was going to be a fast-paced one, as the first goal of the game was scored just six minutes into the opening period.
Sophomore forward Sarah-Eve Coutu-Godbout commenced the scoring in the first period when she buried a rebound out front off of a Brooke Bonsteel bid. Yet, St. Lawrence carried the play for the latter part of the first period, generating more scoring opportunities than the Bobcats.
The Saints were rewarded for their resiliency with 3:33 remaining in the first period when junior forward Nadine Edney finished off a beautiful feed from senior forward Kennedy Marchment. Marchment feathered a pass from behind the net through multiple players’ sticks to get the pass through to Edney, who made no mistake.
The second period did not include many grade-A chances from either side, but the third period, as well as overtime, showcased some exhilarating action, especially in the late stages of the game
After killing off a Quinnipiac power play with less than four minutes left in the game, St. Lawrence came within inches of breaking the tie when sophomore defenseman Amanda Butterfield fired a wrist shot that struck iron but was unable to find twine.
Quinnipiac’s strong team defense was put on full display in the closing minutes of regulation, as multiple players got down to block shots and make life difficult for the Saints’ shooters.
“I thought the play in front of me was really good tonight,” sophomore netminder Abby Ives said. “We really shut down one of their best shooters in Hannah Miller and I think our coaches did a great job scouting too.”
Ives finished the night with 23 saves, adding even more to the exceptional season she has already had. The overtime period saw one of the best saves of the game, as St. Lawrence junior goaltender Grace Harrison robbed Raquel Pennoyer with a diving save on a 2-on-1 opportunity. That save sealed the game’s fate, ending in a 1-1 tie.
The Bobcats should certainly feel content with coming away with a point against a top ten team, but it will be a quick turnaround. Clarkson, the top-ranked team in the nation, comes to Hamden this afternoon in hopes of knocking off Quinnipiac, who handed them one of their only losses back in November with a 3-2 victory over the Golden Knights. Puck drop for today’s game will be at 3 p.m. at the Frank Perrotti, Jr. Arena.
