Despite efforts from senior goalkeeper Evan Miner and junior attacker Nate Watson, Quinnipiac saw its season come to an end Sunday in the first round of the MAAC Tournament. They fell 14-12 at the hands of the Merrimack Warriors in North Andover, Mass.
Merrimack’s offense was the story of the game, putting nine first-half goals past Miner. However, Miner returned poised for play in the second half. When all was said and done, he had tallied 22 saves, setting a new career high.
This mark comes less than a week after a 17-save outing in a home loss to Manhattan, just one stop shy of his previous career high.
“I’m glad to see him be able to get in the game and really shine,” head coach Mason Poli said.
Miner also earned a lot of praise from both Miner and his teammates during the season after taking over for the usual starter, Mason Oak, following a home loss to the Siena Saints.
Since that point, Miner’s save percentage, goals against average and saves per game would rank in the top three in the MAAC if qualified. His 22 saves would only further increase his lead in the category among MAAC goalies.
“(Miner) didn’t really have an expectation to come in, but he’s come in, and he’s been a brick wall,” Watson said following the win over Mount St. Mary’s. “He’s just been great.”
On the other side of the ball, Quinnipiac’s offense came out of the gate looking stellar, matching Merrimack’s nine-goal mark before halftime to even the score through 30 minutes.
As per usual, Watson proved to be a star for the Bobcats’ attack, tallying seven points in the loss. This seven-point total powered him even higher up on Quinnipiac’s all-time leaderboard, as his 54 points on the year tied the eighth most in a single season in program history.
“To see him succeed in different situations has been great,” Poli said. “Whether it’s him dominating the ball, off the ball, or creating opportunities for other players, he did a great job.”
Unfortunately for the Bobcats, their offense became stagnant in the second-half. After matching Merrimack’s 16 shots on goal over the first 30 minutes, the Bobcats mustered just six total shots on goal in the second half, and only six shot attempts over the first 20 minutes of the half.
The Bobcats went a full 21 minutes without a goal in the second half before sophomore midfielder Jake Gallose ended the drought with five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to three following a string of five straight Merrimack scores.
Merrimack sophomore goalie Jaden Galfano also deserves a lot of credit for his service time between the pipes, as he recorded ten big saves in the afternoon.
Poli commented on Galfano and the aggressive Warrior defense.
“They were using their shorties to shut down our offensive players, and I thought it slowed us down a little too much,” said Poli. “Kudos to them and kudos to their goalie, he made a lot of really big, timely saves.”
The Bobcats’ season included some bright spots, though, with a home win against Mount St. Mary’s on April 11 marking their first win on home turf in two years.
Watson had a hat trick in that win, one of six hat tricks he recorded over his final seven games this season. Miner also picked up the win in net, conceding just eight goals over 57 minutes.
A 19-7 win over Iona in the following game tied the second-most goals scored in a game by the Bobcats since Feb. 11, 2023. d
All in all, the Bobcats put together a solid season. They have a few key potential returners, including top scorers Watson and junior attacker Cole Marsala, as well as, hopefully, senior goalie Evan Miner. The build-up to the 2027 campaign should be full of hope for Bobcat fans.
