For the second straight day, the Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena played host to high-level hockey excitement. Even though the two days shared the same energy, they couldn’t have been more different.

After a five-goal game the night before, the Quinnipiac Bobcats women’s ice hockey team finished the weekend overcoming a two-goal deficit and finished with a 2-2 tie against the number five ranked Clarkson University Golden Knights. 

“We certainly didn’t start the game the way we wanted to, but we came back and we battled, and I think we showed the character on the team,” Bobcats head coach Cassandra Turner said. “That’s a great place for us to be at this point in the year.”

The Bobcats got off to a slow start, only managing two shots on goal and compared to 13 by the Golden Knights. Even with the early struggles, the game remained scoreless after the first period.

In the second period, two back-to-back penalties by the Bobcats led to more offensive pressure from the Golden Knights. The Bobcats killed the first power play but couldn’t stop the second as senior forward Kayla Friesen crossed in front of the net and made a great backhand pass to the nation’s leading goal scorer, junior forward Elizabeth Giguere, who slotted home the goal to put the Golden Knights up 1-0.

Later that period, the Bobcats had a power play chance last just 12 seconds before they committed a penalty of their own, turning it into a 4-on-4. 34 seconds into 4-on-4 play, Golden Knights senior forward Michaela Pejzlovawon won a scramble for the puck in front of the net while surrounded by Bobcats players and lifted the puck into the top right corner of the net to make it a 2-0 game.

Down two goals to one of the top teams in the country could’ve been deflating, but the Bobcats didn’t lose confidence. Sophomore forward Lexie Adzija pushed the pace and created her own scoring chances to give the team some energy but even with those great chances, the team couldn’t score.

Ironically, the one that finally found the back of the net, was supposed to find the boards.

Adzija scored her fifth goal of the season and her second of the weekend on what was supposed to be a dump behind the net. The puck ended up flying lower than she intended and slipped right by the glove of the goaltender into the net to make it 2-1 with under a minute left in the period.

“I thought it was gonna hit the glass,” Adzija said. “But obviously super happy when that went it and definitely a turning point in the game.so I think we needed that.”

The late goal gave the Bobcats a spark. Just 24 seconds into the third period, first-year defenseman Kate Reilly tied the game with her third goal of the season after intercepting a neutral–zone pass and firing a shot between two defenders that in for the goal.

“I think I kind of blacked out,” Reilly said. “I just remember there was a turnover in the neutral-zone, so I jumped on it and then shot.”

The game headed to overtime with both teams earning chances, but ultimately ended in a hard–fought tie.

Next up, the Bobcats will take on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in the first game of the Nutmeg Classic. With a solid weekend behind them, the team is starting to learn its potential and gaining the confidence to play at their best level.

“We have to keep reminding ourselves, we are actually pretty good, and to play our game,” Turner said. “We can take control of games and I think that was a big part of it today.”