Quinnipiac will have to fight for its season in the rubber match of the ECAC quarterfinals after it dropped game two of the series to St. Lawrence 3-2 Saturday night. 

The Bobcats got the start they wanted, but not the finish. Lexie Adzija scored from an odd angle on the power play 40 seconds into the game, giving Quinnipiac control until Taylor Lum tied the game midway into the second.

Skating Saints captain Julia Gosling gave her team the edge in the third with a power play one timer tally, and Aly McLeod’s empty net goal put the game out of reach for the Bobcats. Despite Adzija getting her second of the game in the closing minute, Quinnipiac could not come back, making the best of three series tied. 

Set to face a win or go home situation Sunday in Hamden, here’s three takeaways after the Bobcats’ game two collapse.

Takeaway 1: Shoot the puck and good things will come

Throughout Saturday’s contest, Quinnipiac struggled with moving pucks up ice and generating high danger chances. 

In both games of the quarter finals series, the Bobcats were outshot by the Saints. In Game 1, Quinnipiac made the most of its chances to win, but St. Lawrence controlled the shots on goal category 24 to 18 and hit the post with 10 seconds left in a one goal game. 

Game 2 was a different story. St. Lawrence outshot Quinnipiac 35 to 24 and blasted Cass Turner’s squad with 19 shots on net in the second frame alone. At face value, that’s nothing but statistics and numbers, but good things happen for teams who shoot the puck often. 

The Bobcats played the majority of the second period pinned in their own zone, and the more they were outchanced, the less time they were spending on the offensive side of the puck.

After Game 1, senior forward Sadie Peart described the Bobcats’ game plan entering the series; a game plan that got away from the team in Game 2.

“When we do turn [the Saints] over, attacking the net fast, you could see from both of our goals [in Game 1],” Peart said. “[St. Lawrence’s] goalie doesn’t do well with scrums, so just continuing to attack her.”

So far, three of the four goals Quinnipiac has scored in the series have come from crashing the net and jamming rebounds past St. Lawrence goaltender Lucy Morgan. Shooting and making chaos in the crease are areas the Bobcats need to focus on if they want to advance.

Takeaway 2: Lexie Adzija played her best game since her return

The 2022-23 campaign has been a journey for Lexie Adzija from the moment the letter “C” got stitched on the front of her jersey.

She started the year hot with seven goals in her first eight games before being taken out of action for two months. With another stint on the sidelines a month later, Adzija has only skated in 22 contests of the Bobcats’ 36 games this season.

But tonight, Adzija kept her team alive both on and off the ice. Scoring both Quinnipiac goals in the game, the St. Thomas, Ontario native had her first multipoint performance since facing Harvard at Frozen Fenway on Jan. 6. 

“You could see it in her eyes today, she wasn’t going to be denied,” head coach Cassandra Turner said. “[Adzija] was prepared to create great opportunities and it was impressive to see that.”

A great captain leads by example. Adzija made an impact on the score sheet, and she’ll make a difference on Sunday, as she has three goals in her last three games played.

Takeaway 3: Take the tournament one game at a time

The Bobcats have dealt with adversity throughout the season, and the biggest key to a decisive third game in a quarterfinal matchup is a mental reset.

To take the ECAC Championship, all a team needs is four wins. It’s easier said than done for Quinnipiac, who is entering a third straight day of draining, physical playoff hockey against a hard working St. Lawrence team.

From this point forward, every game Quinnipiac plays this season is win or go home, regardless of it’s the ECAC or the NCAA tournament. The best way to tackle the future is for the Bobcats to take each game at a time, and tackle the obstacle directly in front of them.

“This season is about a body of work, and working to play our best hockey and find that,” Turner said. 

Quinnipiac will face St. Lawrence in the final game of the ECAC quarterfinals series Sunday in Hamden. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m.