Bobcats Edged by UConn in Nutmeg Classic

Box Score

Hamden, CT -- The Connecticut Huskies defeated the Quinnipiac Bobcats on the opening day on the 2007 Nutmeg Classic. The loss drops the Bobcats to 1-12-3, while the win improves the Huskies' season record to 12-4-1. The Bobcats will play Niagara in the consolation game tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. and UConn will be the host to Yale in the championship game starting at 7 p.m.

The Huskies got on the board first when Samantha Reid scored her second goal of the season at 7:38 in the first period. Reid beat Jamie Miller glove side on a feed into the slot from Domininque Thibault, who was stationed on the left hash mark.

It wouldn't take Quinnipiac long to even the score at one. Brandice Moniz took a pass from Elyse Cole and skated behind the UConn net. Pulling Connecticut goalie Jennie Bellonio to her left, Moniz backhanded a pass out front to Erica Bolognino (Carol Strea, Ill.) who slammed the puck into the back of the net from just above the crease.

The second period seemed destined to finish just as the first period had, tied 1-1. However, after a flurry of activity in the last few minutes, the Bobcats and Huskies would be tied 2-2 at the end of the middle frame.

Quinnipiac jumped out to a 2-1 lead when Nicolette Leone's (Trenton, Ont.) slapshot from the point beat Bellonio after being deflected up into the top of the net by her goalie stick. Assisting on the power-play goal was Trudy Reyns (Port Hope, Ont.) along with Bolognino.

Thibault would tie the score at two with 2:01 left in the second period when she took a feed from behind the net from Reid and beat the outstretched reach of Miller. In the midst of all the action, there was a bevy of activity in with both teams combining for six penalties in the last five minutes of the period.

The Bobcats came out in the third looking to score, but were denied and would soon fall behind 3-2 on another Thibault goal. Her second came at 7:05 of the final period when she skated from behind the net and threw a shot on goal through a crowd in front of Miller for the game-winner.

Miller stopped 23 of the 26 shots she faced in the game, while Bellonio made 24 saves on the Bobcats' 26 shots.

Quinnipiac finished the game 1-for-5 with the man advantage, while the Huskies scored on two of their three power play opportunities.