Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey took on the Providence Friars in the second game of a home-and-home weekend set at M&T Bank Arena
The Bobcats would come out of the gate hot, trying to continue where they left off yesterday. Ella Sennick would get a good look early, taking a shot from the top of the circle that would be stopped by Providence goalie Hope Walinski.
A couple of minutes later, the Bobcats would have the chance to show off their power play early as Taylor Leemrijse would get two minutes for tripping.
While Quinnipiac’s power play did look good, Providence would stay strong, limiting Quinnipiac’s looks.
Shortly following the ten-minute mark of the period, Ella Johnson would skate the puck by her bench past the Friars’ defense and take a quick shot that would be snagged by Walinski.
Alex Law, coming off a three-goal game yesterday in Providence, would be battling for a puck on the boards where she would receive a hard hit, sending her down to the ice. She would struggle to get up holding her arm, but with the help of a few of her teammates skated to the bench and headed straight into the locker room.
Before the end of the period, the Bobcats would have two different two-on-one situations but couldn’t handle the cross pass on either, allowing the Friars to go into the first intermission knotted at zero.
“We were a little uncomfortable in the first period,” head coach Cassandra Turner said. “But our group stayed composed and found a way to settle in as the game went on.”
Three minutes into the second period, Quinnipiac would quickly put up four shots on goal, all being stopped by Walinski.
The Friars would have a chance of their own to get on the board first, as a pass in front of the net to Audrey Knapp would be shot, then stopped by Bobcats goalie Felicia Frank.
With less than six and a half minutes left in the second period, Makayla Watson would skate towards the corner, cut in, and set up the one timer for Lamarche, who would send it straight to the back of the net, giving Quinnipiac a one to nothing lead.
“When she gets the puck, great things happen,” Turner said of Watson. “She’s playing with a lot of confidence right now and sees the ice really well.”
Coming straight off the face off from the last goal, Emerson Jarvis would attempt a wrap-around shot that would be stopped but rebounded to Makayla Watson for her second goal in two days, making it quickly a two nothing game.
Only 40 seconds later, Aynsley D’Ottavio would have the puck on her stick at the blue line, shoot it along the ice, and it would go right under the arm of the falling Walinski, to get her first NCAA goal and to give Quinnipiac three goals all coming within 1:02 of each other.
“I liked the way our team rallied together and played offense in the second period,” Turner said. “They were relentless on the puck, connected, and on a mission to win.”
D’Ottavio would continue where she left off as she gets the puck within the left wing circle and fires it straight into the net.
“The first one was kind of a fluke, I just sent it to the net,” D’Ottavio said. “The second one, Tay made a beautiful pass. It’s a good feeling to finally get one.”
With just over five minutes left, Avery Bairos’ shot rebounded to freshman forward Ruby Rauk, who buried it into an open net for her first collegiate goal.
“Honestly, it felt pretty amazing,” Rauk said. “I was kind of surprised the puck just popped right onto my stick, but it was a great feeling.”
Before the end of the game, Sarah Davies would get a breakaway trying to put Providence on the board but her shot would go straight off Frank and head to the corner.
The game would conclude in a five-to-zero victory in favor of the Bobcats. Improving them to 4-0-0 and setting the Friars to 0-2-0.
Quinnipiac will now head to Syracuse to play two games on Friday and Saturday.
