HAMDEN — A small spark is burning under Quinnipiac’s skates, and it’s chemistry — a key factor in its 8-2 victory over UNH on Friday night.
Here’s a look at what went well for the Bobcats, and what could go better:
In the crease
The obvious takeaway from the matchup was freshman goaltender Dylan Silverstein earning his first win as a Bobcat, at home no less.
“He’s a gamer,” graduate student left wing Jack Ricketts said. “Playing in front of him is fun, we’re learning now that he can make some pretty big saves for us at the right moment.”
Silverstein got the nod Oct. 18 against Maine, letting up two through his first collegiate start. A week later, he remained a stone wall between the pipes, blocking 28 of 30 Wildcat shots on goal.
One of Quinnipiac’s biggest unknowns at the start of the season was who would follow Vinny Duplessis ‘24 in net — sophomore Matej Marinov or Silverstein.
However, Pecknold is known to rotate goaltenders throughout the season, and Marinov may have the edge Saturday. At the moment, the rookie has better numbers. But right now, the future of that starting slot is up in the air.
On a tear
Quinnipiac produced half as many goals as it did through two losses against Maine last weekend in just 20 minutes, ending the first frame with a 3-0 lead.
With the final whistle, the Bobcats had a touchdown and made the two-point conversion.
More importantly, five out of eight goals were scored by transfers or freshmen. Left wingers junior Jeremy Wilmer — who accumulated four points — and Ricketts went unassisted, while freshmen right wings Tyler Borgula and Aaron Schwartz combined for three — two of which came from Schwartz’s stick.
“Our freshmen class is unbelievable,” Ricketts said. “They’ve been able to produce and step up and make really good plays and be impact players already.”
The bottom line is Quinnipiac’s offseason buy-in appears to be working, especially on its first two lines.
To put a boost of confidence in the Bobcats’ pocket, Wilmer and one of Schwartz’s goals were converted on the power play, which went 2-for-5 on Friday. Compare that to last weekend’s series in which they went 2-for-13.
“I think the power play’s been good all year,” Pecknold said. “It’s just sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t, but we’re getting good looks.”
Weak spots
The Bobcats played most of the first six minutes of the second on the penalty kill. And while the Wildcats had nothing to show for it, it’s not ideal for any team to be shorthanded for so long.
One of Quinnipiac’s major setbacks last season was taking bad penalties, and the trend isn’t completely out of style just yet.
There’s also still some clunkiness among the new squad, which is of course, to be expected. It’s game four of a six-month season. Quinnipiac often finds itself facing the consequences of haphazard turnovers, and there isn’t usually light at the end of that tunnel.
With Silverstein behind the defense, there was. His ability to see the puck and position himself accordingly held UNH to two.
Many of the Bobcats’ pitfalls can be fixed, the key is sticking to the fundamentals. Don’t do too much with the puck, keep emotions low and stay out of the sin bin.
“The amount of turnovers was staggering, probably by both teams, but really, it was just unbelievable,” Pecknold said. “But, you know, then we scored eight goals. So it’s a crazy game.”
The matinee
Quinnipiac wasn’t perfect, but it played to its strengths on Friday, capitalizing when necessary and bearing down behind the blue line against a physical UNH roster.
“We know they’re gonna be angry tomorrow that we put up eight on them,” sophomore right wing Mason Marcellus said. “So we’re gonna come in with a fresh mindset and kind of forget what we did today, just be ready to go.”
The Bobcats look to complete the sweep in Hamden Saturday at 4 p.m.
