The first game of a home-and-home series against Providence College this weekend kept Quinnipiac undefeated and the Friars still without a win on the season.
The puck started in Quinnipiac’s favor, but it was the Friars who were the first to take the lead almost halfway through the first period.
Providence senior Lindsay Bochna and junior Hannah Johnson found the first-year, Audrey Knapp, who finished the play sending the shot past the Quinnipiac defense into the top right of the goal.
The Friars were able to keep the lead for the rest of the first and even the second, despite Quinnipiac having the only two powerplay opportunities so far in the game.
In the second period, both teams went scoreless. However, Quinnipiac found more offensive aggression, out attempting the Friars in shots (37-28) and shots on goal (19-18) respectively.
“I think it was just ‘Do you have higher level?’” said head coach Cassandra Turner when asked about the locker room conversation going into the third. “We asked them, ‘what’s the next step for this group? Can we play harder?’”
The Bobcats found the answer that any coaches would love, ripping off an electric four points en route to the win.
Quinnipiac forward Julia Nearis started it off after she tipped in a goal, with the assists going to defenseman Zoe Uens, and forward Maya Labad.
It was a play that could’ve shifted the momentum either way, after it was reviewed for a possible offsides call. However, it went in the Bobcats’ favor, and they skated off with it to victory.
With just under nine minutes to go in the last period, senior forward Nina Steigauf flipped an off-angle shot up into the very top right of the net to give Quinnipiac the lead.
“I was quite tired, so I just decided to throw it on net and at the corner I wanted, and it turned out nicely,” Steigauf said with a laugh. “I actually do morning skills quite often with Brent. We’ve talked about off angle shots all the time and I never really thought to take one. Then I had the puck at the goal line, and I saw no one coming at me.”
This was also Steigauf’s 100th game with the Bobcats.
Within the same minute, forward Jess Schryver won the faceoff for her team, finding her way to the center of the ice to slide in a goal of her own.
The teams went back and forth for a few possessions both showing aggression offensively and getting good looks at the net.
However, it was the final goal of the game that relieved some pressure and kept the energy in the Bobcats’ favor.
Sadie Peart was able to breakaway up the left side of the ice and flick her 100th career point into an unattended Providence goal with ease.
“You can see just how well respected she is by her teammates by how they’ve reacted and responded to that,” said Turner. “You know I joked with her and was like ‘might as well make it an easy empty netter for the 100th.’ She’s smart she’s like ;‘No matter how it goes in, it counts.”’
Peart was surrounded by cheering white jerseys and excited fans following her goal. After being one of the first to embrace her, Steigauf wasted no time in grabbing the special puck for her close teammate, and dear friend.
Peart expressed that, with her 100th point lingering over her, she felt a little pressure coming into the game, but she chose to focus on other details to stay grounded.
When asked to reflect on how significant that moment was for her, it was her teammates’ reactions that she highly valued.
“The support from the team has been surreal,” Peart said. “I’ve never had so much support from a team before. It’s a lot to take in but I’m really grateful for the team that I have.”
The Bobcats have a quick turnaround, as they will finish their series tomorrow in Providence at 3 p.m.
