The ice is ready for an ECAC Hockey matchup between the Quinnipiac Bobcats (3-4-2, 3-0-0 ECAC Hockey) and the Dartmouth Big Green (0-4-0, 0-4-0 ECAC Hockey) at the Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena in Hamden. Quinnipiac is coming off of a big weekend that saw them shutout Yale and Brown, after a slow start to their out of conference games. Dartmouth, on the other hand, is off to a sluggish start to conference play, seeing them score only two goals over their four matches against Harvard, No. 9 Colgate, No. 6 Cornell and Princeton.
Players to Watch
Quinnipiac – Abbie Ives
The Bobcat netminder has had an excellent start to the season. The junior from Bedford Hills, New York, has posted three shutouts on the season. All three of her wins are shutouts in conference play. Ives will look to keep her zero goals allowed on the season against Dartmouth.
Dartmouth – Sara McClanahan
The freshman forward will look to add to her 1 point in three games. She assisted in the exhibition game versus Mcgill, which the Big Green lost 3-1. With a tough first three games, two of which were against nationally ranked competition, the Freshman will look to create goals and get the season back on track for the Big Green.
Keys to the Game
Quinipiac – Scoring Depth
Quinnipiac has shown that they can defend. With Ives posting shutouts in the games against Brown, Yale and Harvard, the Bobcats need to turn it around on the other side of the ice. With Taylor House and Lexi Adzija, two underclassmen, combing for team high five points, it is up to some of the older, more experienced skaters to start putting the puck in the back of the net. The second line of Quinnipiac forwards including House and Adzija have had a lot of production, and with Melissa Samoskevich is with the U.S. Women’s National Team training for the Four Nation Cup, someone will have to step up to the first line and put the puck in the back of the net.
Dartmouth – Keep Pucks Out
Dartmouth, like previously stated, has had an extremely tough first couple games, playing nationally ranked Cornell and Colgate. It did not help that they had only one exhibition game before starting conference play. But, besides the point, both goaltenders have performed poorly for the Big Green. Both Christine Honor and Kayla Wormsbecher have a goals-against average over four. Honor gave up two against Harvard and six versus Colgate. While defending is not all on the goalie, goaltending is at least 50 percent of the play, unless you do not have it, then it becomes all of your play.
The Game
Darmouth and Quinnipiac take to the ice this Saturday, November 3 in Hamden. The puck drops in the Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena at 3 p.m. Tom Krosnowski and Connor Ullathorne will be on the call. Listen into the game on mixlr.com/qbsn, or follow along with updates on twitter @QBSN, @cully5, and @Tkro42.
