The Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team returned to the M&T Bank Arena on Friday, Jan. 19th. The Bobcats came into the weekend ranked No. 6 in the most recent USCHO polls, and they kicked off an ECAC weekend against the No. 4 Colgate Raiders, with the result of the game ending as a 5-0 loss for the Bobcats.
In the blowout loss, there were a few takeaways:
1. The Bobcats will use this loss as a lesson.
Head coach Cassandra Turner spoke postgame about the team’s performance and their identity moving forward.
“I think we learned a lot about who we are today,” Turner said. “I think that we really need to be more disciplined to stay out of the penalty box. That could’ve been a very different game. I thought parts of our game plan were executed pretty well.”
This loss symbolizes how much room this team has for improvement, especially if they are aiming for title hopes in late March.
2. Colgate has had Quinnipiac’s number in recent years.
The Bobcats have not beaten the Raiders since the regular season of last year, as they lost to them in the ECAC semifinals last year. The Bobcats have faced the Raiders in the ECAC tournament semifinals for the last three years, and each year they have lost to them in the semifinal round.
When asked about their troubled history with the Raiders and how the team planned to use this game as a learning tool for another potential faceoff in the ECAC tournament, Turner spoke insightfully.
“There is so much we can take from it, and it’s going to be so valuable. You look at last year, we beat them twice in the regular season, then we lost in the playoffs, if history is going to repeat itself, then maybe it will go our way in the playoffs.”
3. Team depth will be crucial for this team going forward.
The Bobcats are not new to rotating depth to give unique looks throughout the season. Whether that be on the first line or the fourth line, team depth has helped the team tremendously throughout the season.
“I think our team has shown that depth in scoring all year,” Turner said.
During the game against the Raiders, sophomore forward Emerson Jarvis suffered an injury after colliding with the boards. Jarvis was stretchered off the ice and removed from the game. With a timetable for her potential return unknown, the Bobcats will be missing a key forward in their lineup down the stretch.
When asked about how the team performed today with a few missing pieces in the lineup, Turner spoke on the adjustments that her players had to make mid-game.
“We typically have been a team that plays three lines and a few forwards so, we are ready to adjust,” Turner said. “As hard as it is, you need to adjust and be ready to go.”
The Bobcats will look to bounce back right away, as they have another tough ECAC match up on Saturday, Jan. 20 when they will take on the Cornell Big Red at 3 p.m. at the M&T Bank Arena.
