Head Coach Cassandra Turner said after a 2-2 tie against No. 7 Clarkson two weeks ago, “We have to keep reminding ourselves, we are actually pretty good, and to play our game.”

It looks like the reminders that Turner professed to her squad are starting to take mold.

Quinnipiac opened up a weekend set against Colgate University coming off of back-to-back wins in the Nutmeg Classic against #10 Minnesota Duluth and Yale, and they extended their unbeaten streak to five games, taking down the Colgate Raiders 2-1 on Friday night in Hamden.

After the game, Turner doubled down on her previous point.

“Confidence is key,” Turner said. “They’re believing in themselves, they’re believing in each other, and you feel that in practice and you feel that on the bench, and it’s the reason we’re executing at such a greater level.”

The Bobcats came out swinging in the first period after killing off a Colgate power play just 32 seconds into the contest. After the kill, Quinnipiac controlled possession, flinging 21 total shots (10 on net), but failed to light the lamp.

However, the Bobcats’ momentum in the first translated into success in the second. Junior Grace Markey found the twine just under six minutes into the period. Markey made a difficult deflection on a rising shot from Kati Tabin for her first goal of the season.

“In my college career, that was definitely the most fun [goal],” Markey said.

Colgate found its groove midway through the second. The Raiders’ first line of Sammy Smigliani, Malia Schneider, and Danielle Serdachny buzzed all period, firing six shots on net. Smigliani eventually lit the lamp, and tied the game at one.

Following the goal, Colgate tried to jump on another opportunity, but Bobcats’ senior goaltender Abbie Ives made a terrific sliding stop to keep the game even. Later, with time winding down in the second, Bobcats defender Kate Reilly lost her stick, allowing a quick one timer by the Raiders, but Ives once again came up clutch with a glove save to keep the game even after two.

The impact of Ives’s performance was not lost on her teammates.

“She’s so strong in net, and that’s really helping us stay confident,” Markey added.

“We’re playing a great team game and it starts with her,” sophomore Lexie Adzija added.

Adzija ended up becoming the story of the third period.  Of her three shots on net, two were denied by Colgate, including a late breakaway try. However, her final shot came with a different fate, ripping it past Liz Auby and into the net to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead they did not relinquish.

“The first [shot], I saw the corner and the goalie made a great save, and for me it was just a momentum builder,” Adzija said. “I came off and reflected, and got the next one.”

“I saw her face, and I knew if she had another chance, she wouldn’t miss,” Turner said.

With the win, Quinnipiac jumps over Colgate to take over the fifth seed in the ECAC Hockey standings. They now look ahead to play No. 4 overall Cornell Saturday afternoon at home, a big test for sure, but one the Bobcats are ready for.

“We need to remember to hit the reset button, and we have to be ready to pressure them and take advantage of the opportunities that we get,” Turner said. “Cornell is a good team. They play different than Colgate, but they play a fast game.”