HAMDEN – Looking to string together some momentum after losing four of its last five games, Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey lost 4-3 to No. 7 St. Lawrence in heartbreaking fashion in overtime Friday night.
The Bobcats roared back from a 3-0 deficit in the third period, but Saints junior forward Abby Hustler blew a breakaway shot past Quinnipiac graduate goaltender Logan Angers in overtime to secure a hat trick for herself and a win for her team on Quinnipiac’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
“Clearly there were some moments we’d like to do over and rewind in that game,” Quinnipiac head coach Cass Turner said. “But I thought overall our team battled hard. I think we continue to get better, and we showed a lot of confidence with the puck and great scoring opportunities today.”
However, it took more than 40 minutes of game time for the Bobcats to demonstrate said confidence and ability to create scoring chances. The first two periods were defined by instances of Bobcats entering the zone offside, losing edges while skating and skating out of position during odd-man rushes. The works.
Quinnipiac fell behind 3-0 in the second after a goal from St. Lawrence senior forward Anna Segedi and two from Hustler, all stabs through the heart of the Bobcat defense. The most impressive play of the game came on Hustler’s first goal. Segedi completed a spin-o-rama pass to the trailing Hustler, who then buried the shot past Angers.
Once the third period began, the Bobcats came alive, as three goals in 12 minutes brought the game back even. The goals in order were a tip-in from senior forward Nina Steigauf at 4:32, a wrister from graduate forward Jess Schryver at 6:33 and a tip-in from graduate captain Sadie Peart at 16:26.
“When we’re at our best, that’s how we’re playing,” Turner said. “I think that’s a huge confidence boost for each of those lines to be in a position against a good team to be scoring.”
Those three third-period goals were enough to send the game into overtime. A minute into the extra frame, senior defender Maddy Samoskevich nearly put the game away, ringing a shot off the right post. Moments later, however, it was Samoskevich who turned the puck over to Hustler, leading to the Saints’ game-winner.
“Certainly not the way we wanted that game to end,” Turner said. “It’s always kind of funny when you hit a post and then they go back the other way and they win the game.”
St. Lawrence might have spoiled Quinnipiac’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day festivities, but in the eyes of Turner, it does not change how much her team can mean to the community.
“I think for our team, they find as many opportunities as they can to interact with young girls and that is just invaluable,” she said. “The mentorship opportunities, the chance for young girls to see what they put into their sport, what they put into their academics, without a doubt their role models, and we’re really proud of how they approach it.”
Quinnipiac will have less than 24 hours to process this loss before taking the ice again at 3 p.m. tomorrow against No. 3 Clarkson. As losers of five of their last six, the Bobcats need to play the Golden Knights like their lives depend on it.
“We love playing Clarkson, and we always have, so I know our team will be ready to go,” Turner said.
