No. 5 Quinnipiac’s women’s ice hockey team met a familiar foe in No. 8 Clarkson Friday at the High Point Solutions Arena in Hamden. The teams met four times last season with three of the games in Hamden. The Bobcats topped the Golden Knights, 1-0, in the ECAC Championship game at home on March 6 for their first ever conference title. The two teams met again six days later at the same rink in an NCAA Tournament Regional game, but this time it was Renata Fast’s goal 10 seconds into the contest that won the Golden Knights the 1-0 shutout.
Clarkson continued that success against Quinnipiac on Friday night as it won by a score of 4-1.
The first period between the Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team and Clarkson was evenly matched, but as the game progressed, Quinnipiac seemed to get weaker while Clarkson kept getting stronger.
“[Clarkson] came ready to play,” Quinnipiac head coach Cassandra Turner said. “We gave them a little bit of space, and they certainly took it. They’re a good hockey team. We’re in a great hockey league in the ECAC. We know it’s going to be a battle day in and day out. Today, they wanted the game more than we did.”
Goal-wise, the first period was uneventful. Neither Quinnipiac nor Clarkson scored, and there were only seven shots on goal combined by both teams. The Bobcats went on a power play with 8:42 to go in the first period, yet they were unable to get a shot on goal during the man advantage.
“When we’re up a man, we should be winning every battle in the corners, on faceoffs and on the breakouts,” senior forward Emma Woods said. “Power plays are all about confidence. We’re up a man, and there’s no puck that’s loose that we shouldn’t win.”
In the second period, Clarkson went on their first power play of the night when Emma Woods was sent to the penalty box for hooking. Clarkson wasted no time capitalizing on the power play, scoring just 16 seconds into the man advantage. At the end of the second period, Clarkson held a 1-0 lead over the bobcats.
“We’ve got to believe in being able to win and come back,” Turner said she told her players during the second intermission. “I think that will still be our message, and I think we can find that. It’s a long season in our conference and a long season in the NCAA.”
Less than three minutes into the third period, Clarkson defenseman Corie Jacobson initially dumped the puck into the zone, but the puck went straight to Quinnipiac goaltender Sydney Rossman. The puck took a funny bounce off the ice and went through the legs of Rossman and Clarkson took a 2-0 lead on Jacobson’s shot from center ice.
Clarkson struck again, scoring less than four minutes after their previous goal. This time, Jessica Gillham was the goal scorer for the Golden Knights.
After giving up three goals, Turner decided to take Rossman out of the game and replaced her with freshman goaltender Abby Ives.
Quinnipiac defenseman Kati Tabin scored the lone goal for the Bobcats, and was the first goal of her collegiate career.
Clarkson scored once more on an empty netter by forward Cayley Mercer with less than a minute to go in the game.
Despite Rossman’s rough game, Turner, as well as the rest of the team, said they support her.
“Sydney is a great goaltender, and we believe in her wholeheartedly,” Turner said. “She is someone who we rely on and who we will rely on.”
Quinnipiac’s next opponent will be No. 7 St. Lawrence. They will play Saints at High Point Solutions Arena on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m.
