In the second game of a back-to-back series with the Maine Black Bears, the Quinnipiac Bobcats took the Saturday afternoon contest 5-1.
“You know, we’re really happy with this weekend… [Maine] battled hard all weekend,” head coach Cassandra Turner said. “I think they really showed that they can compete hard and it was good for us.”
Each team had multiple chances in the opening period. Veronica Bac threw a shot that was turned aside by Maine goalie, Julia Bachetti, in turn, creating a two-on-one chance for Maine the other way that was broken up by Quinnipiac defender Maddy Samoskevich.
The Black Bears had the first chance on the power play when Zoe Uens went to the box for a body check. One minute after Uens, Maya Labad joined her in the sin-bin with a major penalty for boarding.
Quinnipiac went on the penalty kill hungry. The Bobcats rushed the puck at every opportunity possible and threw pucks Bachetti’s way. On one rush to Bachetti’s right, Quinnipiac center Alexa Hoskin raced for the puck, attempting to balance and stay on her feet but fell hard in the corner.
The Belleville, Ontario native was down on the ice for a few minutes, being looked at by the training staff before being helped off the ice. Hoskin did not put pressure on her lower leg while she was skated off the ice and onto a stretcher near the zamboni doors.
Down a forward, Quinnipiac was able to fight off the penalties and pull to even strength, while also outshooting Maine by seven.
“We have some new people playing on the PK, and they’re diving in and they’re really looking to learn and grow,” Turner said.
Seven was Maine’s lucky number in the opening frame as Lily Fetch was able to shovel a backhand shot past goalie Logan Angers to put the Black Bears up by one goal going into the second period.
It seemed that the entire game was looking to be a close contest, with the margin for error being none and the final score only being a one-goal deficient.
The start of the second period told much of the same story as the first, with multiple chances from both teams stopped by the goalies to keep the game 1-0 Maine.
With four minutes of play lapsed in the second frame, Samoskevich threw a shot that was lost in traffic. The only player who was able to find the loose puck happened to be Labad at the side of the net. The Bobcats pulled even at one goal.
With both teams tied again, they each took chances at tilting the ice in their favor. Ida Kuoppala and Fetch both had the best opportunities for Maine in the middle period. Angers stood alert at the goal mouth and turned aside every chance that was thrown at her.
With Angers turning in a stellar period, the Bobcats’ forwards went back to work. First-year Kahlen Lamarche dished the puck to Jess Schryver splitting the defense. Schryver was able to tip the puck through the legs of Bachetti to double Quinnipiac’s lead.
Maine entered the third period down by a pair of goals, the biggest margain of the day up to that point.
Throughout the third period, three Bobcats dipped into the goal department. Nina Steiguaf scored at the top portion of the period after a three-on-one rush. Emerson Jarvis, an Ohio State transfer, potted her first goal with the Bobcats and Kendall Cooper picked up her second goal in two days to tack on the third of the period.
“Feels amazing. It’s such a supportive group of girls,” Jarvis said after being asked how it feels to score her first goal as a Bobcat. “I feel so grateful to be here and just be surrounded by this team every day.”
Quinnipiac suffocated Maine in the defending zone. The Bobcats were able to fight off any attacking rush which was converted into attacking chances the other way.
After the three-goal bombardment in the third, Maine was never able to recover from the shell shock of the period.
With their win today, Quinnipiac’s record now jumps to 2-0 after Angers pitched a 3-0 win in yesterday’s contest.
“It’s super important to set the pace from here,” Angers said. “It kind of sets the precedent for our entire team and what we can do on defense and that’s something we pride ourselves in.”
Maine’s next game will be Friday, Oct. 6 against Stone Hill College, while Quinnipiac’s next game will be on the road vs. New Hampshire on Friday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.
