Leitch's Hat Trick Lifts Quinnipiac

HAMDEN, Conn. -- Bryan Leitch's (Coquitlam, B.C.) hat trick gave the Quinnipiac University men's hockey team a 6-3 exhibition win over the University of Prince Edward Island at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. Jean-Marc Beaudoin (St. Paul, Alberta) added two goals and an assist, while Brandon Wong (Victoria, B.C.) recorded three assists in the contest.

Prince Edward Island scored the game's first goal, shorthanded, when Vince Scott intercepted a pass in the Tigers' zone and took off on a breakaway down the ice. Scott, one-on-one with Quinnipiac starter Nick Pisellini (Itasca, Ill.), took a backhand shot that beat the freshman net minder top shelf.

Quinnipiac's Wong tied the score with just under five minutes to play in the period. Captain Dan Henningson (Edmonton, Alb.) passed from the point to Leitch who put a shot on goal. Wong was in front of the net to tip it past PEI goalie Wayne Savage.

The Tigers were quick to respond, scoring less than twenty seconds later when Justin Donati beat Pisellini to give Prince Edward a 2-1 lead.

Prince Edward Island took a two-goal advantage 6:32 into the second period on a short-handed goal from Donati. Graham McNabb made a centering pass to a streaking Donati at the top of the slot where he made a head deke and slid the puck under Pisellini for the 3-1 lead.

Beaudoin brought the Bobcats to within one, 3-2, with 2:49 remaining in the middle session. The junior wing blasted a one-timer past Savage from just below the left circle. Wong threaded a pass through two defenders in the slot to Beaudoin who finished the play. Leitch also collected an assist on the goal.

Beaudoin tied the game, 3-3, 2:08 into the third period on another one-timer from the right side of the net. His second goal came on an almost identical play as his first. Wong passed the puck to Leitch in the high slot who found the waiting Beaudoin for the equalizer.

Leitch broke the tie at the 15:44 mark on the Bobcats' fourth power-play goal of the game. Henningson moved the puck along the blueline to Wong who moved the puck down low to Leitch standing to the left of the goaltender. Leitch fired a high wrist shot into the far corner for the game winner.

Leitch and Mike Atkinson (Sparta, N.J.) added insurance goals to seal the Bobcats' 6-3 victory. Leitch netted his third goal of the game for the hat trick on another wrist shot from the right side of the net on a pass from Greg Holt (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) on the power play with 3:16 left in the game. Atkinson netted an empty-net goal with 14 seconds showing on the clock.

The Bobcats open the season on Oct. 17-18 when they travel to Omaha, Neb. for the Mutual of Omaha Stampede hosted by the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Quinnipiac will play ECAC Hockey foe Union College in the tournament's first game in a non-conference match-up on Friday, Oct. 17 at 4:05 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to the tournament championship game against the winner of the other Friday night match-up between American International College and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.