STORRS — The Quinnipiac Bobcats have been perennial contenders in the annual Nutmeg Classic Ice Tournament for over a decade. On Friday afternoon, it’s dominant stretch finally came to a close, falling in a tight, back-and-forth contest to the UConn Huskies 4-3.
This marks Quinnipiac’s earliest exit in the annual tournament, marking the first time since 2016 that the Bobcats failed to make it to the championship game. Throughout the game, it was the defensive struggles that forced Quinnipiac to play from behind for almost all 60 minutes of play.
“Offensively, we played the kind of game we need to win a championship,” head coach Cass Turner said. “We didn’t have that defensively.”
The opening frame quickly turned into a goalie battle between sophomore Felicia Frank for the Bobcats and graduate student Tia Chan for the Huskies. The offense from both squads tested both keepers early, tallying 20 combined shots by the end of the first period.
One of those shots came from an offensive breakaway from senior center Emerson Jarvis. That breakaway would help the Quinnipiac offense limit the Husky attack to only two chances, both of which were saved by Frank.
Early into the second, Frank would continue to be tested. Back to back to back chances for the UConn offense put them on the doorstep of taking the advantage.
Thirty seconds later, the Huskies would do just that.
Skating deep into the Quinnipiac end, senior forward Brooke Campbell would backhand a pass to fellow senior forward Kyla Josifovic. The Burlington, Ontario native would launch the puck past Frank, opening the scoring and giving UConn the 1-0 lead.
Around the halfway mark of the period, the Bobcats would respond.
Skating four on four, senior defender Zoe Uens would attempt to connect with junior forward Kahlen Lamarche. With the puck still loose, senior center Tessa Holk would pick up the loose puck and snipe it behind Chan and tie the game at one apiece.
The score wouldn’t stay tied for long, as junior forward Ashley Allard would split the legs of graduate student defender Mia Lopata and find the back of the net minutes after, giving UConn the lead heading into the final frame of play.
Quinnipiac would start the third period picking up right where it left off.
Driving into the Husky end, Jarvis would find Uens just shy of the blue line. Uens would rip a snap shot that would deflect off junior forward Livvy Dewar and into the back of the net, tying the game once again.
“We weren’t helping Felicia at all,” Turner said.
Yet, the score wouldn’t stay knotted for long, as less than 30 seconds later, UConn would add to the scoring again.
Sophomore forward Sadie Hotles would steal the puck off the skate of sophomore defender Makayla Watson and find Allard right in front of the net. Lightning would strike twice for the Ottawa, Ontario native as she would beat Frank again to give UConn the lead once again.
The score would stay at 3-2 until the halfway mark of the final frame. Coming off the bench, Watson would weave her way through the Husky defense and squeeze the puck in between the post and Chan into the net, tying the game once again at three.
“They were shot ready,” Turner said. “They were ready to fire the puck.”
In the final five minutes of the closing period, UConn would put the final nail in Quinnipiac’s coffin. Campbell would find herself on a two-on-one breakaway deep in the Quinnipiac end. She would send the puck to senior forward Megan Woodworth, who would go on to beat Frank again and give the Huskies the 4-3 lead.
The score would stay that way for the rest of the period, as an empty net offensive rush with under a minute to go for Quinnipiac wasn’t enough. As the final horn rang, the Husky win became final.
Quinnipiac now moves to the consolation game on Saturday, Nov. 29, against the Sacred Heart Pioneers. Puck drop is set from Storrs for 3 p.m.
