HAMDEN —  Despite the noise, Quinnipiac women’s soccer was able to push past a feisty Canisius team at home, blanking the Golden Griffins 2-0 Saturday in the squad’s ninth straight points finish. 

As every game is in this final MAAC stretch, this matchup for the Bobcat side was of utmost importance. Playing yet another team in the top half of the conference, sandwiched between matchups against No. 1 Sacred Heart and No. 4 Marist, it was pertinent that Quinnipiac maximize the amount of points it earned in its return to Hamden.

“We haven’t been as successful on the road, so we really wanted to focus on just doing the simple things right today and getting this one,” senior forward Morgan Cupo said.

For the Bobcats, the game started the right way. Although their typical offensive pressure was lacking off the jump, the defense was stifling. Multiple times, Canisius was forced to make untimely clears because of the complete team effort Quinnipiac managed in its opening press of the Griffins backline. 

Despite the strong play, a developing issue for both sides would be the officiating. From nearly the opening kickoff, frustration from the Canisius coaching, players and even fans seemed to be boiling over. 

Early on, it felt that Canisius was begging for Quinnipiac to be penalized. It felt that no matter how innocuous the action, someone had something to say. 

“She kicked the ball away!” a member of the Canisius coaching staff said. 

“It’s how it was last year, they’re so f—g dirty,” a Canisius supporter said. 

Despite the incessant chirping, Quinnipiac continued to keep it where it counts. On the squad’s first corner of the game, freshman defender Corey Andersson’s cross would put the ball directly in a gaggle of white and navy jerseys. Freshman goaltender Chloe Tseros’ failed punch-out on the initial shot led to a scramble in the box. 

An errant kick popped the ball into the air. Once again Tseros made an effort to pull it down, but this time Cupo was there to collect the Golden Griffin fumble, putting the ball away to break the scoreless first. 

Senior defender Madison Alves, who earned an assist on the play, asserts that the Bobcats focus on-field comes as no surprise. 

“We always talk about controlling the controllables, so obviously we can’t control the refs, the other team,” Alves said. “We can just focus on what we do best, and that’s what we did today.”

For the Bobcats, what they did best today remained that defensive effort. Despite building physicality and the continued questioning of the calls on the field from players and fans alike, the Quinnipiac side kept its head down and fought. 

Ultimately, its efforts would be rewarded, with Canisius failing to record a single shot on frame in the first half. 

After the break, Quinnipiac’s offense seemed to come alive. Building off increasingly successful through balls, the Bobcats would maintain greater pressure in the offensive third. 

However, with that greater pressure continued the chippiness that had steadily built on both sides. Physicality isn’t something new to this Quinnipiac squad, and isn’t something they try to shy away from. 

“The MAAC is very physical, so you’ve got to withstand that, if not be better individually,” Alves said. 

Quinnipiac proved to be better individually later in the half. A clear by freshman defender Marta Ankacrona put the ball in a perfect place for sophomore midfielder Addyson Earl to make a play. The quick-footed Earl beat the bounding ball to the sideline, driving to the flag before flicking it over the head of a Canisius defender. 

Earl collected her own pass, putting up a shot that was put away definitively off Cupo’s header for her second of the game. 

Two timely saves by sophomore goaltender Oliva Jarvis, who would make her first start in the month of October, would be all it took to put the hard-earned contest away for the Bobcats. 

“We knew coming into this game it was going to be a grind,”Alves said. 

Regardless of any outside noise, a conference win in a tight MAAC race remains the most important takeaway from any Quinnipiac contest. 

“Happy with the results. Happy with the three points.” said head coach Dave Clarke. 

Clarke, who celebrated his 250th win as an NCAA head coach with the victory, still believes he has the same drive as he did when he began coaching at the collegiate level 27 years ago. 

“It’s just a milestone. Hopefully there is another 250 in me,” Clarke said.

The Bobcats travel to Fairfield, Conn., on Oct. 18 to take on No. 1 Sacred Heart. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.