HAMDEN, Conn –The Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team welcomed Boston College for its home opener Friday night. The No. 7 Bobcats were able to take down the Eagles 5-0 in dominating fashion thanks to a hat-trick from freshman forward Madison Chantler.

The Bobcats came out fast, dominating in the offensive end from puck drop. In the first minute, senior forward Alexa Hoskin rattled a shot off the left post in what was a barrage of shots from Quinnipiac. It wouldn’t be long after that until Hoskin ripped one past BC graduate student goaltender Abigail Levy, putting the Bobcats up by one in the opening minutes. 

It was remarkable how fast Quinnipiac came out, applying pressure on the puck and not letting BC get it out of its own end.

 “It was nice to see us finish, but I was really impressed with how hard we pressured the puck, how quickly we supported one another when we had it and just the puck possession that we had today,” Quinnipiac head coach Cass Turner said. 

Whatever the game plan was, it seemed to work, as the Bobcats outshot the Eagles 18-5 in the first period. 

Quinnipiac didn’t skip a beat after the first intermission. In the second period’s opening minutes, Chantler poked a deflected puck into the back of the net for her first collegiate goal.

“She’s a big time player and her mental game is phenomenal,” Turner said. ”I’m excited that she was able to find that so quick.”

The Bobcats continued to attack the puck at will in the second period. Levy was strong in net despite giving up five goals, as her 49 saves kept BC close through two periods. 

As the third frame began, the Eagles were visibly worn down from the Bobcats’ relentless pressure. It wasn’t long before Chantler’s special night continued as she sent the puck through Levy’s five-hole, giving the Bobcats a 3-0 lead. After Chantler’s goal, Quinnipiac blew the game open as sophomore forward Maya Labad blasted the puck past Levy to put the Bobcats up four. 

It seemed that Chantler had a knack for the puck, as she lit the lamp again off another deflection to complete the trifecta. Although no hats were thrown on the ice, it was a special moment for her first game in Hamden. If Friday night is any indication, it could be an exceptional debut season for Chantler. 

Quinnipiac’s puck pressure was truly impressive from start to finish. The Bobcats never gave BC any life throughout the game, shutting down any opportunity the Eagles created. Turner spoke on how they wanted to get as many shots on net as possible and it showed in the stats column as the Bobcats outshot the Eagles 54-13. 

Chantler and the Bobcats will look to build off their dominating performance as they face off against New Hampshire at home on Sunday at 4 p.m.