NEW HAVEN, Conn – In the first of at least two matches this season, the No. 5 Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team defeated the Yale Bulldogs by a score of 4-0.

Sophomore goaltender Yaniv Perets recorded his third shutout of the season in the victory. He’s started all 10 games for the Bobcats on the year.

“He’s an All-American,” Quinnipiac Head Coach Rand Pecknold said. “He could play five (days) in a row if we needed him to.”

Quinnipiac struck first 10 minutes into the first period as sophomore forward Collin Graf netted his fourth of the year, gliding to his right and sneaking the puck over Yale junior goaltender Nathan Reid’s right blocker.

“He just keeps getting better and better for us,” Pecknold said. “He’s working hard away from the puck and defending well. His details have really improved since we got him.”

Nearly seven minutes later, Graf scored again, this time on the power play. He ripped a one-timer from the right circle off assists from freshman forward Sam Lipkin and graduate student defenseman Zach Metsa.

After transferring from in-conference foe Union, Graf credits his early success to the locker room.

“The leadership we have is great and really made me feel welcome,” Graf said. “Coming in early in the summer I think a lot of the older guys really made me feel comfortable and it’s been fun.”

The power-play goal marked the Bobcats’ tenth of the season, already reaching half of last year’s total in a quarter of the games. A little over five minutes into the second period, Metsa scored his third goal of the year with Lipkin earning his third assist of the game and graduate transfer forward Jake Johnson’s first and only point of the night on an assist.

Graf completed his hat trick with 20.3 seconds left on the clock with his second power-play goal of the game, assisted by senior forward Skyler Brind’Amour and Lipkin for a golden sombrero.

A small sample size compared to last year, but this season, Quinnipiac has been able to convert on 23.4 percent of power play chances, compared to a conference worst of 14.4 percent last season. 

While on the losing end, Reid was able to stop 41 of the Bobcat’s 45 shots on goal.

“I thought he played really well tonight. I was really impressed,” Pecknold said. “I like him, he’s good. He squares the puck up well.”

After finishing the weekend with two wins, the Bobcats look to move up in the national rankings before taking on Princeton on Nov. 18, and 19, in a home-and-home series beginning in New Jersey.