FAIRFIELD — After an upsetting loss to UConn in the semifinals of CT Ice, No. 15 Quinnipiac bounced back Saturday afternoon to defeat Yale 6-2 in the consolation matchup.
The Bobcats’ biggest takeaway from their matchup is that committing to the small changes creates the win. Quinnipiac learned from its mistakes on Friday night, tweaked them and took control against Yale.
Despite having a 5-on-3 chance against UConn and numerous power play opportunities, the Bobcats failed to produce on the power play, going 0-4.
A focal point of the Bobcats’ game against Yale was their movement and way of seeing the ice. Quinnipiac let itself get caught flat-footed, whether it was on offense or defense. Its puck control also immensely improved in that 24-hour span which helped the Bobcats control possession.
Combining movement, puck control and seeing the ice effectively, Quinnipiac was able to capitalize on Yale’s penalties, scoring three power play goals.
“I thought our power play was excellent,” Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold said.
These goals proved crucial for Quinnipiac to secure the win, with junior forward Jeremy Wilmer, graduate student forward Travis Treloar and sophomore forward Andon Cerbone getting power play notches for the Bobcats.
A working power play is what Quinnipiac has been searching for the majority of its season, as the Bobcats have struggled to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes. This season, Quinnipiac has only gone 25 for 88 on the power play, only scoring three times on their previous 15.
“It was working,” junior forward Jeremy Wilmer said.
With the Bobcats playing effectively on the power play, their energy translated into their penalty kill. Quinnipiac deconstructed Yale’s power play, giving them numerous short-handed breakaways, one ending up in the back of the net.
Freshman forward Chris Pelosi played with extra pressure, breaking up the Bulldog’s play for a shorthanded goal that helped Quinnipiac get an early lead.
“Penalty kill was great, the first month this season we struggled with it having so many new players learn the system. But it’s been really good for the most part,” Pecknold said.
With critical conference games left in the season, the Bobcats look to continue their strong power play and overall game approach to secure a spot in the national tournament.
