The Battle of Whitney Ave hit the ice tonight as the Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team defeated rival Yale 2-1. A tight game for all three periods, Quinnipiac were able to find a cushion late in the second period that contributed to a big ECAC victory.
“We just kept pushing and pushing today…So many really good things for us to keep building on and keep growing as a hockey team.” Quinnipiac head coach Cassandra Turner said of the victory
A fast-paced first period saw good chances for both sides, and throughout the second period, both the Bobcats and the Bulldogs were knocking on the door, looking for a vital breakthrough.
Late in the second period with 1:05 left, a tic-tac-toe play saw Quinnipiac senior forward Maya Labad and junior forward Tessa Holk assist a goal by junior forward Emerson Jarvis, scoring her fifth goal of the season.
“It was pretty fun, I feel like we’re a pretty fast line, so it’s kind of nice to have a first game together, and get things going there on that goal, a little tic-tac-toe moment, it was nice to see the hard work pay off,” Jarvis said of her linemates.
Seconds later, sophomore forward Kahlen Lamarche came into the zone with speed, and pulled off a sensational move, putting the puck behind her back and through the legs of Yale junior defenseman Sylvia Bojarski and into the back of the net to the delight of the home crowd.
“It was late in the period, so I was just trying to get in deep or make a move, and get a shot on net, I didn’t even know the puck went through my legs,” Lamarche said of her goal.
“Sometimes you gotta take risks to make plays, and she took a risk and it paid off,” Turner said of the goal.
The Bobcats continued to push for a third goal to seal the game, but Yale senior goaltender Pia Dukaric made some key saves to keep the Bulldogs in it.
Ultimately, Yale found a goal with 11.5 seconds left in regulation by junior forward Jordan Ray, but it was too little too late as Quinnipiac closed out their seventh victory in ECAC play.
Quinnipiac senior goaltender Kaley Doyle made 22 saves on the evening, staying strong during chaotic scrambles at the net, continuing to help the Bobcats win close games.
“She’s been so solid for us, her save percentage is outstanding, but it’s the saves she makes in key moments that I think is really important, and she did that for us today. I thought she did a really good job finding pucks through traffic, and making clean easy saves when we needed them,” Turner said of her goaltender.
“I think it’s just another level of confidence for the team when you have such a reliable goalie, she’s always going to make some really nice saves, I think just having her calmness and steady goaltending is a huge part to this team,” Jarvis said of Doyle’s performance.
Quinnipiac will be back on home ice tomorrow to finish a home back-to-back, hosting the Brown Bears. The puck drop is slated for 3 p.m.
