The battle of Whitney Avenue is more than a rivalry game, it’s a cornerstone of Quinnipiac University’s culture.
Waiting in line hours before puck drop, munching pre-game Eli’s on Whitney pizza that was delivered by Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold, waiving golden rally towels and wearing shirts emblazoned with the phrase “BEAT YALE” have become rites of passage for Quinnipiac students both past and present.
The match-up between Quinnipiac and Yale is an event that transcends athletics and captures the fervor of the on-campus community. Electricity was in the air as a sold-out crowd of 3,625 packed M&T Bank Arena to watch the Bobcats cruise to a 5-2 victory over the Bulldogs.
“It was the one game [when] being recruited here that everyone would talk about,” Quinnipiac graduate defenseman and team captain Jayden Lee said. “There’s obviously that hype around it.”
Rather than dressing in blue and gold, Lee led his team out on the ice in camouflage jerseys, worn in honor of Veterans Day. Adorned with custom nameplates such as “duty”, “courage”, “commitment”, “honor” and “freedom”, the Bobcats retained its 11th straight Heroes Hat.
The Heroes Hat, a firefighter’s helmet given to the winner of each battle of Whitney Avenue game, is Joseph Mascali’s, a New York City firefighter and father of three Quinnipiac alumni who tragically lost his life during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“I said to the guys in the locker room after the game, like, it’s more than just a hockey game,” Lee said. “It’s for the Miscali family, for those that serve, those that are serving, you know. Those that sacrificed so we can be here today.”
Powerplay prowess allowed the Bobcats to open the scoring in the second period after a tight but scoreless first. First-year forward Andon Cerbone found himself open in front of the net off a feed from Collin Graf to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
“[I’m] on a powe play with four other great players looking to make plays,” Cerbone said. “I went at a great net front screen, so I was able [to] you know, see the back of the net, just put the puck where I wanted it.”
Later in the frame, Lee made his mark in his final home game against Yale, as he scored on a shot from the blue line to make the lead 2-0. By the end of the second, Quinnipiac added another powerplay tally on a two-man advantage, as Christophe Fillion potted his fourth of the year.
However, Yale would not go out quietly after allowing three goals.
Late in the second, the Bulldogs scored its first power-play goal against Quinnipiac since 2014, as Niklas Allain tipped a Connor Sullivan wrister from the point past Vinny Duplessis to find twine. Four minutes into the third period, Ryan Conroy netted his first goal of the season to cut down Quinnipiac’s lead again.
“I thought we handled the adversity well. You know, we had the game kind of in control, and then all of a sudden bang, it’s 3-2.” Pecknold said. “I think we just found a way to battle through. The crowd was rocking.”
After letting the Bulldogs come within one, the Bobcats responded a minute later, as Jacob Quillan initiated a two-on-one and fed Sam Lipkin, who deked around Nathan Reid’s sprawled-out pad to push the score back to 4-2.
Sixty six seconds after Quillan’s tally, the Bobcats struck again on a breakaway five-hole goal from Mason Marcellus, with an assist from Cerbone, sending M&T Bank Arena into a fever pitch.
“They’re really high-end players. Top 10 [scorers] in the USHL last year,” Pecknold said about Marcellus and Cerbone’s first-year development. “This is what we expected them to do… they’re big-time players and they’re playing that way already.”
After the horn sounded, Lee accepted the Heroes Hat from the Mascali family at center ice. It’s a privilege he’s seen bestowed upon Quinnipiac’s former captains like Odeen Tufto, Wyatt Bongiovanni and Zach Metsa. This time, it was his turn to uphold the values that make the battle of Whitney Avenue more than just a game.
“Continuing the Mescali legacy on, and getting the younger guys to understand that tradition, you know, the Heroes Hat hasn’t left this building in my five years here,” Lee said. “I told the guys earlier this week, we’re not planning on changing that anytime soon.”
With momentum on its side after three straight wins in conference play, the Bobcats will prepare for No. 7 Cornell to come to Hamden on Friday, with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
