Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey’s stars showed out in the squad’s 5-1 victory over the RPI Engineers Friday evening.
After a disappointing defeat in the Friendship Series, the No. 7 Bobcats need to utilize this road trip in upstate New York to rise in the ECAC rankings. Despite Quinnipiac’s impressive standing in the national rankings and its 15-5-2 overall record coming into the contest, the Bobcats’ 5-4-1 record in conference play leaves the squad seventh in the ECAC standings.
However, tonight’s win in Troy, N.Y., is a great first step to climbing back up the conference ranks.
The Bobcats came into the contest maintaining a 12-game win streak against the Engineers, and as early as the first period, a 13th straight victory appeared to be on the horizon.
Quinnipiac, in typical fashion, maintained significant possession of the puck in the first period, pressuring junior goaltender Reese Keating with 11 shots on net. However, the most important play of the period wasn’t a shot at all; instead, it was a pass off the stick of junior forward Kahlen Lamarche.
With the entirety of the Houston Field House expecting the Sudbury, Ontario native to shoot close range on Keating, Lamarche sauced a pass to freshman forward Jade Barbirati. Barbirati, who is representing Team France in the upcoming Olympics in Milan-Cortina, buried the backdoor pass to put the Bobcats in the lead. Lamarche’s primary assist would be her 100th collegiate point.
It was a lead the Bobcats weren’t keen on giving up. Despite RPI finally maintaining a bit of momentum, outshooting the Bobcats for the period, the Bobcats would continue their scoring prowess against the Engineers.
The second Bobcat milestone of the evening would come midway through the second period. Sophomore forward Avery Bairos would double the Bobcat lead with her first collegiate goal, managing to sneak the puck past Keating as she tumbled into the crease.
Despite an Engineer goal halfway through the period, the Bobcats stayed composed and easily took back the two goal lead. After fooling the Engineers on her first point with the pass, Lamarche’s second point of the evening hit the back of the net.
The final period was more of the same. A few close chances for RPI were stopped at the doorstep for sophomore goaltender Felicia Frank, and she was rewarded with even more goal support from the Bobcat skaters.
With head coach Cass Turner returning Lamarche to the same line as forwards graduate student Laurence Frenette and senior Tessa Holk to start the third period, the high-scoring line from the start of the season delivered once again, with Lamarche potting her 50th collegiate goal. Her second milestone of the evening, the score puts her as the top goal-scorer in the ECAC and second in the nation.
With victory already in Quinnipiac’s grasp, freshman defenseman Ella Johnson would light the lamp one last time, finishing off the Engineers 5-1 to sweep the season series.
The Bobcats will complete the weekend road trip tomorrow, taking on the Union College Garnet Chargers in Schenectady, N.Y. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m.
