In a tight, back in forth battle, the Brown Bears took down the undefeated Quinnipiac Bobcats in a 1-0 win on Saturday afternoon.
The game turned into a goaltending showdown between Brown’s junior Rory Edwards and Quinnipiac’s sophomore Felicia Frank, with both goalkeepers finishing the night with more than 30 saves.
The Bears tested the Bobcat defense early. Junior forward Ava DeCoste put a shot on Frank, which she would deflect right back to DeCoste’s stick and create a wild scramble right in front of the net. In the chaos, senior forward Emerson Jarvis would clear the puck away from the goal.
Quinnipiac’s attack would struggle in the first period, finding it difficult to string together passes, and create opportunities against a very gritty Brown defense. The Bobcats best chance would come with less than a minute to go in the period.
While on the offensive end, sophomore defender Makayla Watson would complete a pass to junior winger Kahlen Lamarche. Lamarche would find sophomore forward Bryn Prier who immediately put a shot on goal. Edwards would make a great save and keep the score knotted at zero.
The second frame saw more of the same for both squads. Two minutes into the period, freshman defender Isabella Gratzi ripped a shot from the blue line, which Frank would deflect right onto the stick of DeCoste. Frank would make yet another save and keep the game scoreless.
Frank would make two more great saves around halfway through the frame. Senior forward Jade Iginla ripped a shot to the Bobcat net. Her shot would be deflected and sophomore forward Olivia Fantino’s response would be saved by the outstretched leg of Frank.
Edwards would continue to flash the leather in the second frame. At the 16 minute mark of the period Lamarche would take the puck deep into the Brown end and send a pass to senior center Tessa Holk right in front of the crease. Holk’s chance would go right into the glove of Edwards.
Edwards wasn’t done there, stopping chances from Jarvis and freshman forward Ruby Rauk respectively just after the 10 minute mark, and stopping a shot from freshman forward Ella Johnson with less than a minute left to go in the period.
Penalties would prove to be a big problem for the Bobcats in the second. Early in the period Brynne West would be called for tripping. Seven minutes later, senior defender Zoe Uens would be sent to the box for the Bobcats third penalty of the game.
However, the third period saw more power play problems for Quinnipiac.
Halfway through the final frame, freshman forward Reagan Berglund would be booked for a tripping penalty and Quinnipiac’s fourth time going on the penalty kill.
Brown would capitalize on the penalty 90 seconds later. While just shy of the blue line in Quinnipiac’s end, junior forward Margot Morehead sent a pass into the right faceoff circle to the stick of senior forward India McDaid. McDaid would squeeze the puck in between Frank and the right goalpost into the back of the net, giving the Bears the lead heading into the final stage of play.
The Bobcats would pull Frank with less than two minutes to go in the game and the Bobcats would have their best chances for the entire period. With one minute left in the period, Uens would find Prier just shy of the crease. Prier would send the puck to the back of the net. After a lengthy review, the goal was overturned due a hand pass from Jarvis just before Uens got the pass to Prier.
The Bobcats would fail to score for the remainder of the game, finalizing Brown’s victory and taking down the once undefeated Bobcat squad.
Quinnipiac returns to action Friday Oct. 31 on home ice against the Union College Chargers. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
