Back and forth.

Hockey is a continuous game of back and forth.

In Friday and Saturday’s matchup, No. 10 Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey split its series against No. 13 Northeastern. After dismantling Maine’s last weekend in a sweep, the Huskies put up a dogfight for the Bobcats.

In the series opener, the Bobcats’ lack of energy and messy plays got the best of them in a 4-2 loss. However, Quinnipiac was able to fix its messy decision-making and lack of speed in its second match-up, pulling off a 3-0 win with graduate student goaltender Kaley Doyle recording her third shutout of the season.

Here are three takeaways from the road trip:

Pressure is key

Pressure was a problem for the Bobcats in Game 1. Quinnipiac failed to press Northeastern in the defensive zone, giving the Huskies time and space to set up and make plays.

Northeastern capitalized on these woes behind the blue line, firing 24 shots on Doyle, four of which found the back of the net.

On offense, the Bobcats struggled to rush the puck deep in Northeastern’s zone, allowing its back line to set up behind the net, creating a clean break out.

Defensively, the Huskies were able to protect the house, keeping Quinnipiac from generating solid opportunities in front of the net.

“I think we’re just playing shut down D, definitely taking the body when we need to (and) being psychical in the corners, establishing a good forecheck and I think we’re doing really well,” Northeastern junior defenseman Kristina Allard told ESPN+.

The Bobcats were all over the Huskies in Game 2, both offensively and defensively. Quinnipiac used its speed to pressure Northeastern into choking up the puck and keeping play in its defensive zone.

After a low shot on Northeastern senior goaltender Paige Taborski, graduate student forward Kathryn Stockdale used her speed to rush the net and give the puck a final tip-in, giving Quinnipiac a 2-0 lead in the second period.

Control of the game

During Game 1, the Bobcats struggled to maintain control of the puck, making poor passes that ended up on the tape of the Huskies’ sticks, resulting in numerous turnovers.

Throwing the puck allowed Northeastern to take advantage and generate quick rushes into Quinnipiac’s zone. In many cases, these were odd-man rushes, with Quinnipiac only having one defender back.

In Game 2, the Bobcats used their speed to cycle the puck, generating space to set up plays. In the defensive zone, they were able to use their talent to position effectively, allowing them to steal the puck on Northeastern’s mistakes and create clean breakouts.

Ultimately, the Bobcats were able to control the game over the Huskies, winning 36 faceoffs to Northeastern’s 25.

Smart decisions

To maintain control of a game and pressure an opponent, a team must make effective decisions on offense. While throwing the puck on the net works sometimes, there are better ways to score.

Quinnipiac outshot Northeastern, in its first matchup, 35-24. And while Quinnipiac had better chances than Northeastern, it played out the other way around.

In hockey, there are good shots and bad shots. While many believe the category of the shot depends on whether it goes in the net or not, there is a deeper meaning behind a good shot and a bad shot.

Northeastern made smart offensive plays, during the opening game of the series, in front of the net by screening the goalie and firing low shots onto Doyle.

In the odd-man rush, Husky forwards used their speed and shot to dish the puck over Doyle’s shoulder.

“I think my unit did such a great job and (freshman forward Éloïse Caron) did an awesome job there getting the puck to the net,” Northeastern senior forward Taze Thompson told ESPN+.

Just because Quinnipiac fired more shots at Taborski, it wasn’t necessarily hitting its mark The Bobcats couldn’t load the front of the net or make plays difficult for Taborski, giving her clear vision to locate the puck.

However, in the second matchup, Quinnipiac improved its shot-taking, utilizing strong defenders, like graduate student Kendall Cooper, to send shots from the top of the circles, while its forwards created traffic in front of the net.

By doing so, the Bobcats were able to draw the Huskies down low, keeping their defensemen open with time and space to make smart plays. This allowed Quinnipiac to notch two goals past Taborski and cap off the game with an empty netter.

Quinnipiac hits the road Oct. 15 for a bout against Providence. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m.