In a scrappy and downright chaotic Tuesday night rematch, Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders 7-6, earning its second win against the Crusaders on the season.

The Bobcats entered the matchup on a four-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 18 to eight. And they did not hold back from carrying this dominance into tonight’s matchup in the opening frame.

Junior goaltender Matej Marinov would get the start in net once again at M&T Bank Arena, scoring a .910 save percentage thus far in the season. Last week’s ECAC Goalie of the Week would make 18 saves on the night, with a .750 save percentage on the night. 

The opening 20 minutes of play were dominated by Quinnipiac, with the Crusaders having little to no puck possession in the period. The Bobcat forwards, looking for their first goals of the season, would get Quinnipiac on the board in the first. 

Quinnipiac wasted no time getting on the board, with junior forward Andon Cerbone alone in front of junior goaltender Connor MacKenzie, to light the lamp just over a minute into play.

The early goal only fueled the Bobcats, who would keep the Crusaders constantly on their toes, with fast movement, sharp passing and finding the lanes in play to rush the net. 

Shortly after the first goal, sophomore defenseman Elliot Groenewold would take the puck down to the hasmarks, throwing it to sophomore forward Tyler Borgula. Borgula would redirect the puck past MacKenzie, who couldn’t get the glove up in time, extending Quinnipiac’s lead by two.

Quinnipiac’s play forced the Crusaders to commit penalties throughout the first period. Holy Cross would close out the first period with five penalties, with Quinnipiac getting two different two-man advantages. The Bobcats capitalized on one two-man advantage, with a pass from freshman forward Ethan Wyttenbach to sophomore forward Chris Pelosi on the wide-open back door. 

A loss for the Bobcats came with senior forward Jeremy Wilmer, who got hooked in a spin-o-rama move, and was seen limping to the bench in visible pain. 

Despite being outshot on net 14 to three after the first 20 minutes of play, the Crusaders would come out of the locker room with some steam, getting quick shots in the Bobcats’ zone. Yet, none would convert for Holy Cross. 

Quinnipiac would take the lone penalty in the second period, with Wyttenbach heading to the box for roughing. While the Crusaders would not capitalize on the man advantage, they would get the Bobcats’ defense caught in the zone, unable to escape their pressure. 

Just one second off the power play, sophomore forward Noah Eyre, a former Bobcat, would put the Crusaders on the board, getting the puck past the far skate of Marinov.

Despite slowing down in the second, the Bobcats still managed to outshoot the Crusaders on net 13 to seven, closing the period with a man advantage to start the final 20 minutes of play. 

Yet, the Bobcats continued to not be able to convert on the man advantage, and in deja vu like fashion, the Crusaders would capitalize quickly after killing off the penalty. A goal from junior forward Ty Gagno on the rush would put Holy Cross within one goal. 

A matchup that ultimately the Bobcats should not have let get that close, as Holy Cross struggled in the first.

But the Crusaders were not done just yet. 

A third straight Crusader goal from senior forward Matt DeBoer would give Holy Cross hope, tying the game at three goals apiece. 

Three unanswered goals. That’s an ego-deflating comeback for the Bobcats. 

Yet, the Rosleyn, N.Y. native, Wyttenbach, had other plans. Less than a minute after the Crusader’s tying goal, Wyttenbach would get a pass in the slot, putting his all into his shot, firing the puck into the back of MacKenzie’s net.

Quinnipiac would extend its lead on a Crusader penalty, with freshman forward Markus Vidieck burying it past Holy Cross’s netminder, with a pass from Wyttenbach, his third point of the night. 

And the Bobcats continued to not take those back-to-back-to-back goals lightly. 

A long look-ahead pass to Wyttenbach on the breakaway would give Quinnipiac’s lead to 6-3, as the star freshman would bury his second goal of the night past MacKenzie and his eighth of the season. 

Yet, once again, Quinnipiac could not hold onto its three-goal lead, as Holy Cross would get three unanswered goals again. Two goals from DeBoer, earning a hat trick on the night, and senior forward Michael Abgrall contributed to the Crusaders’ second three-goal comeback of the night.

For both squads, it was as if the defense checked out a period early, collectively allowing eight goals in the third period. 

Entering the extra five minutes of play, it was anyone’s game after the third period’s chaos. Anyone could finish writing the story of the game for either the Bobcats or Crusaders.

The Slovakia native in net for the Bobcats would make a huge stop against junior forward Jack Stockfish, keeping Quinnipiac alive. This big stop would prove crucial for the Bobcats, giving them the opportunity to strike against the Crusaders.

A pass from junior forward Mason Marcellus to Cerbone would seal it for the home squad, with Cerbone earning his second goal of the night with the game-winning goal. 

Quinnipiac will face off against Stonehill College on Saturday, No. 29 at M&T Bank Arena. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m.