Crimson Fall to Bobcats, Prepare for Game Three

Photo by DSPics.com

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Quinnipiac scored on its first four power-play chances of the game and survived a barrage of Crimson shots in the third period to defeat the No. 17 Harvard men's hockey team, 7-4, Saturday night at Bright Hockey Center, forcing a deciding third game in the teams' Bank of America ECAC Hockey Championship quarterfinal series.

The series will conclude Sunday at 7 p.m., with the winner moving on to the league semifinals March 21 in Albany, N.Y.

Dan Henningson had two goals and two assists to help the Bobcats (20-14-4) hand Harvard (15-12-4) just its second loss in its last 20 home playoff games and its fifth playoff loss ever at Bright. Ben Nelson had a goal and four helpers, while Jamie Bates notes two goals and an assist. Bud Fisher made 21 of his 41 saves in the final period to seal its first win in its last seven meetings with Harvard.

Alex Meintel scored twice for Harvard, while linemates Pier-Olivier Michaud (one goal, two assists) and Dave Watters (three assists) continued their big offensive weekend. Senior Jon Pelle had a power-play goal for the Crimson, which broke the 40-shot barrier for the second straight night and held a 45-27 edge in shots for the game. Sophomore Kyle Richter made 20 saves.

Quinnipiac came out flying, recording 10 of the game's first 12 shots, but Richter was sharp early, making a left-to-right pad stop on David Marshall and a diving save with his arm on Bates. However, Bates buried his next chance at 2:43, and Nelson gave the Bobcats a 2-0 lead at 8:10.

Michaud cut the lead in half five minutes later, roofing a shot over Fisher's blocker after Watters dug the puck out of the corner. Henningson's first goal made it 3-1 at 16:48, but the Bobcats then hurt themselves with two penalties nine seconds apart.

Pelle scored a 5-on-3 goal, banging in a pass through the crease from senior Mike Taylor after Taylor got the puck from sophomore Doug Rogers up top. Taylor's assist pushed his point streak to 11 games. Quinnipiac held a 16-14 shots advantage in the wide-open period.

Harvard outshot Quinnipiac, 9-6, in the second period but fell a goal further behind. Bates scored just 19 seconds into the frame, deflecting in a Henningson shot on the power play. Henningson added a power-play tally of his own to make it 5-2, but the Crimson seemed to be right back in it with a goal at the 11:44 mark.

Meintel had the score for the Crimson. After a Watters shot was knocked down, Michaud passed out of the corner to Meintel in front. His high shot beat Fisher.

Harvard appeared to gain further momentum when the Bobcats were whistled for a penalty with exactly two minutes left in the period. It was Quinnipiac, though, that got on the board. Eric Lampe took the puck from the Harvard point men, skated down to the other end and finished off his breakaway to send the Crimson to the second intermission trailing 6-3.

The Crimson pressured Fisher early and often in the third, holding a 22-5 advantage in shots. The Bobcats withstood a Harvard power play, however, and the Crimson could not cut into the lead until the 12:25 mark on another Watters-Michaud-Meintel connection. Meintel took the puck on the rush and dislodged Fisher's water bottle with a wrist shot over the goalie's shoulder to make it 6-4.

The Bobcats killed another Harvard chance on the man advantage before, with Richter pulled for an extra attacker, Andrew Meyer sealed the QU win. He banked a shot from his own end off the boards all the way down and into the empty net.