The Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team lost Friday to the Clarkson University Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime — a loss that was an all-around frustrating effort for the team to kick off its final regular season weekend of the season.
There were certainly some significant stakes coming into this game. Quinnipiac had a strong record on the season at home going in at 13-2-0. They also have yet to lose a game in regulation at home in the 2023-24 season.
The team also carried sentimental stakes going into the game, as long-time Bobcats season ticket holder and Former University Associate Dean of Admissions Al Carbone passed away the previous weekend. The crowd at M&T Bank Arena held a moment of silence for Carbone and Bobcats head coach Rand Pecknold reflected on Carbone after the game.
“Al, I mean, great friend, I mean I loved him. It’s been a tough week for all of us,” Pecknold said. “It was nice that we could honor him in a small way here.”
If there was one thing that was the name of the game for the Bobcats, it would be missed opportunities. In the first period alone there was a stopped two-on-one between Jacob Quillian and Andon Cerbone by Clarkson, a handle lost in front of the net on a power play opportunity by Travis Treloar, and a missed opportunity on a one-on-one between Christophe Fillion and Golden
Knights goalie Austin Roden, a man Pecknold had high praise for after the game.
“Roden was probably the best player on the ice tonight. I thought he was excellent, especially in the first, we had a lot of chances, he had a lot of huge saves,” Pecknold said.
Roden would end up finishing the game with 23 saves on the night.
The second period was more of the same story for the Bobcats, with more missed opportunities on shot attempts and missed passes. However, Clarkson would open the scoring in this period. With just under 10 minutes to go in the period, Quinnipic would be at a severe disadvantage, being in a 4-on-3 situation after penalties drawn by Sam Lipkin and Charles Alexis Legault.
The Bobcats would survive the initial disadvantage to make it back to an even 4-on-4, but the defense would finally break as Tristan Sarsland finished off a shot from Ryan Richardson to put the Golden Knights up 1-0.
Quinnipiac would answer later in the period however, as Zach Tupker would spoil a Clarkson power play and race into their zone. He missed his first shot attempt but stayed with the puck and snuck a shorthanded goal past Roden to know the score at one off the assist from Alexis Legault.
Clarkson would then respond to their own botched power play three minutes later by spoiling Quinnipiac’s powerplay and scoring a breakaway goal from Erik Bargholtz, putting clarkson up 2-1 heading into the third.
It was more of the same frustration for the Bobcats in the third. They did manage to tie the game with a goal from Cooper Moore but there were still too many missed scoring opportunities such as another empty-handed powerplay with 9:54 left, another of five empty opportunities on the night, along with a shot from Moore which hit the post that could have given QU the lead.
Then in overtime, just like how the scoring opened, Quinnipiac would start in a 4-on-3 disadvantage. Just a minute and a half into the period, it was over. Mathieu Gosselin would sneak a goal past Quinnipiac Goalie Vinny Duplessis to give the Golden Knights the win off a bevy of passes from Ayrton Martino and Anthony Romano.
Pecknold didn’t have much else to say but congratulate Clarkson after the game.
“We don’t lose a lot at home so that’s frustrating,” Pecknold said. “Casey (Jones) did a really good job getting those guys ready.”
The Bobcats continue their weekend slate of games tomorrow versus St. Lawrence. The senior day celebration will be held during that game.
