NEW HAVEN — In a game seeking revenge from the 2025 NCAA Regionals, Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey fell short to the UConn Huskies, 4-2, Saturday night.
“First, I’d like to congratulate UConn,” Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold said. “I thought they played a great game. It’s a really good staff, good players and you know, they found a way to win.”
However, the game didn’t always look in favor of UConn. From opening puck drop, Quinnipiac came out with a dominant sense of energy, fired up by the momentum from its dominant 5-1 win the previous night.
The Bobcats outskated the Huskies while delivering 13 shots on UConn’s senior goaltender Tyler Muszelik, while only allowing the opposition three shots on net. They came out with grit and determination, consistently being all over the Huskies, breaking up plays and generating chances of their own.
Yet, the Bobcats would get a man sent to the box first, with junior forward Mason Marcellus being called for cross-checking. Quinnipiac’s defense would lock down, not allowing UConn to lay any shots on junior goaltender Matej Marinov, keeping the game scoreless.
With the ice seemingly tilting in Quinnipiac’s favor, senior forward Ryan Tattle would take a penalty for hooking, putting the Bobcats on the man advantage.
For a team tied for 11th in the nation in power play percentage, what could go wrong?
Yet, a Husky breakaway by junior forward Joey Muldowney would put UConn on the board first, despite the Bobcat man advantage.
As the second period opened up, momentum continued to sway towards the Bobcats, using speed to their advantage to pound shots on the Huskies’ net.
However, part of the Bobcats’ flaws throughout the game can be attributed to their lack of quality shots compared to the quantity of shots. While, on the contrary, the Huskies generated quality chances on net, keeping the Bobcats and Marinov on their toes.
Still, a sneaky deflection by freshman forward Markus Vidicek on a shot from the blueline by freshman defenseman Graham Sward would tie the game at one apiece, fueling the Bobcats offense.
And Quinnipiac wouldn’t be finished there.
Less than a minute later, a diving effort by sophomore forward Chris Pelosi, finding the puck bouncing off the pad of Muszelik, would give Quinnipiac the lead for the first time in the contest.
Going into the final 20 minutes of play, it seemed the game was in favor of the Bobcats. While UConn put up a physical fight, Quinnipiac continued to stay out of the box, using its unique skillset of fast skating, sharp passes and ability to generate plays quickly to keep the game in its favor.
However, Muszelik would stay locked down for the Huskies in the final frame, stopping all nine chances by the Bobcats to extend their lead late in the game.
“Muszelik was the best player on the ice, and he played great,” Pecknold said.
The Husky defense would further contribute to the team’s late success, only allowing Quinnipiac a handful of chances on Muszelik, while generating a clean breakout to let UConn lay 15 shots on Marinov in the third.
The Huskies would once again capitalize on a Bobcat turnover, with freshman forward Alexandre Blais winning the battle on Quinnipiac’s blueline and feeding the puck to freshman forward Carlin Dezainde to tie the game.
From there, the contest became who wanted it more. The team that is the three-time CT Ice Champions, or the team with the potential to become the latest back-to-back champions?
It would take 10 minutes of back-and-forth hockey, with chances flying on both ends of the ice for the puck to eventually find the back of the net.
Only it didn’t go in the Bobcats’ favor.
With 2:25 remaining, senior forward Jake Percival would sneak past the Bobcats’ defense, right as senior forward Trisitan Fraser rocketed a shot from the blueline.
With Marinov getting caught down on his left pad, Percival would be given the time and space to bury the puck in the Bobcats’ net, as Ingalls Rink roared with Husky fans.
Quinnipiac would look for the quick chance to tie the game late, pulling Marinov for the extra skater, yet a shot into the empty net by Muldowney would seal the victory for UConn.
The Bobcats will travel to upstate New York to face off against the St. Lawrence Saints on Jan. 30. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
