The Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team will play their first game of the 2018-2019 season Saturday night as they play the University of Prince Edward Island in an exhibition game. The Bobcats finished last year with their first losing record in 22 years, with a 16-18-4 record and a ECAC quarterfinals loss to Cornell. Prince Edward Island finished with an 11-18-1 record in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference of U Sports in Canada. It comes in with an 0-2 record with two conference losses already.
Players to Watch
Quinnipiac – Odeen Tufto (Sophomore Forward)
Tufto comes into this year having built quite an impressive resume from his rookie season. He led the Bobcats in assists (32) and points (41) and earned himself both an ECAC Hockey Rookie Team Selection and an ECAC Hockey Third Team Selection. He also was a candidate for the ECAC Rookie of the Year. Tufto is making the shift from wing to center, but look out for the dynamic forward.
Prince Edward Island – Kameron Kielly (Sophomore Forward)
Kielly enjoyed an impressive freshman season, scoring 42 points to lead the team and finishing third in the AUS in that category. He’s off to a hot start again, registering three points already with two goals and an assist. The native of Prince Edward Island highlights on a team that put up 3.37 goals per game last year. Expect Kielly to be a force on the offense for the Panthers.
Keys to the Game
Quinnipiac – Score Early and Often
Quinnipiac’s offense was in the middle of the pack last year, scoring 2.76 goals per game, which placed them seventh in the ECAC. But, they’re going against a defense that struggled mightily last year. The Panthers gave up an average of 4.30 goals per game, and their goalies placed 48th and 49th out of 50 goalies in terms of save percentage, with Matt Mahalak (.862) and Matthew Mancina (.861). It’s a defense that can be taken advantage of and the Bobcats have the tools necessary to do so.
Prince Edward Island – Take Advantage of Inexperience
While UPEI only sports six first-year players, Quinnipiac has double that. Not only that, but seven of the 12 forwards that the Bobcats put out will have never played a single collegiate minute before this game. While it’s only an exhibition game, the freshmen will have some jitters getting into the game, and the Panthers need to take full advantage of that. Quinnipiac is a team with some veterans, but a lot more rookies and sometimes a game can come down to experience.
The Game
Tune into QBSN’s broadcast of the game between Quinnipiac and UPEI as Jonathan Banks and Bryan Murphy will be on the call for the Saturday night game starting at 7 p.m. Follow @QBSN on Twitter for game updates as well.
