HAMDEN — Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey ended 2025 with a shutout loss against the Union Garnet Chargers.

“It left a bad taste in our mouths,” freshman forward Antonin Verrault said on Jan. 2.

Almost a month later, it was the Bobcats who came out on top, dominating the Garnet Chargers en route to a 7-2 win Friday night.

Coming into the contest, Union hadn’t seen an opposing player record more than two points in a game. Quinnipiac broke that streak and then some, finishing the game with four multi-point skaters.

“I thought it was a great win,” head coach Rand Pecknold said. “We did a lot of things right tonight.”

It became apparent from the opening puck drop that the two squads would use their physicality in order to come out on top. Five minutes into the period, Union would use that strength to get on the board first.

Freshman forward Troy Pelton would split two Bobcat defenders, finding senior forward Carter Korpi to the weak side of junior goaltender Dylan Silverstein. The Michigan native would take two steps and rip the puck past Silverstein, giving Union the early lead.

Less than thirty seconds later, Quinnipiac responded.

Driving deep into the offensive end, sophomore forward Aaron Schwartz would backhand a pass to fellow sophomore forward Chris Pelosi. The Boston Bruins prospect’s shot would be deflected off the pad of sophomore goaltender Cameron Korpi. Sophomore defensemen Braden Blace would bury the loose puck into the back of the net, tying the game at one.

After a game misconduct penalty on junior defender Tyler Dunbar that forced junior forward Mason Marcellus to exit the game due to injury, the Bobcats found themselves with a man advantage halfway through the period.

Quinnipiac would win the ensuing faceoff, with freshman forward Ethan Wyttenbach finding Verrault in the faceoff dot. Verrault would launch a shot past Korpi into the back of the net, giving Quinnipiac the lead.

But they weren’t done there.

In the closing minutes of the final frame, the Bobcats were knocking on the door once again. Junior winger Andon Cerbone would take a pass from Schwartz past Korpi’s glove side and into the back of the net.

Two minutes later, Quinnipiac would strike once more.

Playing in his 100th career game, senior forward Anthony Cipollone connected with Wyttenbach on a stretch pass to the left of the crease. The Roslyn, N.Y. native found the back of the net for the 12th time this season, extending the Quinnipiac’s lead.

“It was a great feed,” Pecknold said.

The Bobcat’s scoring ways continued into the following period.

Deep into the second, the Bobcat’s first line of senior forward Victor Czerneckianair, Verreault and sophomore forward Tyler Borgula found themselves on a 3v0 breakaway in the Union end. In the end, it was Borgula who would bury the puck past freshman goaltender Brayden Gillespie, furthering the Quinnipiac lead to five.

Less than five minutes later, freshman forward Mathew Lansing would join in on the scoring frenzy. After leveling a big hit against freshman defender Etienne Lessard, Lansing would weave his way through the Garnet Charger defense, backhanding a shot past Gillespie for his fifth goal of the season and sixth of the game for the Bobcats.

Quinnipiac’s scoring came to a close early in the final frame. Senior defender Will Gilson would snipe the puck from the blue line past Gillespe for his third of the season and the seventh Bobcat goal of the game.

Union would strike back with a goal of their own, but it wouldn’t be enough as the clock hit zero and the Bobcat’s win became final.

Quinnipiac returns to action tomorrow against RPI. Puck drop is set from Hamden for 7 p.m.