HAMDEN — Senior forward Maya Labad found the back of the net not one, not two but three times to give the Bobcats their sweep over the Syracuse Orange on Saturday.
After outsourcing Syracuse 4-0 in Quinnipiac’s Friday night matchup of its weekend series, the Bobcats matched their numbers on Saturday with a 4-1 victory.
“We got together as a group of forwards and talked about how we can support one another,” freshman defender Makayla Watson said. “And then I think we knew we had more to give, so we came out.”
However, Syracuse was first to open the scoring on Saturday afternoon with an early second-period goal from freshman center Rylee McLeod.
While the Orange appeared to have the stamina they needed, they did not have enough to fend off the Bobcats. After a slow first frame, the Bobcats reconfigured using their speed, communication and quick play to regain their dominance from Game One.
“I did expect them (Syracuse) to play as they did, but I thought we responded really well from that,” Quinnipiac head coach Cass Turner said.
Quinnipiac picked up the pressure in the offensive and defensive zone in the middle period, limiting Syracuse to six shots on goal, while putting 23 shots on Orange graduate student goaltender Allie Kelley, two of which aiding in Labad’s hat trick.
The Bobcats continued to capitalize after Syracuse junior forward Charlotte Hallett committed a major for contact to the head, allowing Labad to bury home her second goal of the game.
Labad continued to hammer down on Syracuse’s penalties, earning her first collegiate hat trick in the 3rd period.
“She’s a great shooter,” Turner said. “The things I liked a bit more about her game were just the battles she had.”
Quinnipiac sealed its win with an empty net goal by sophomore forward Kahlen Lamarche.
The Bobcats also honored their alumni pregame, including those who play in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL); Zoe Boyd ‘23 and Logan Angers ‘24 of the Ottowa Charge, and Kelly Babstock ‘13 of the Boston Fleet.
“It’s just nice to see generations,” Turner said. “We really aren’t that old of a program, and so to see everyone come together and share some ownership over the success that Quinnipiac has, it was a pretty special day.”
As the Bobcats prepare for their next task, Labad feels confident in their ability to exceed expectations.
“I think all those games that we’ve played so far is building up some confidence, and we play well as a whole, and I feel like we’re ready to attack the ECAC game,” said Labad.
Quinnipiac’s next matchup will open conference play, facing off against Brown on Oct. 25. Puck drop set for 6 p.m.
