Bobcats Dropped by Top Ranked Harvard
HAMDEN, CT -- The Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team lost 4-0 to #1 Harvard Saturday afternoon at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. Harvard's Sarah Vaillancourt scored two goals, including one on a penalty shot in the first period to lift the Crimson to the win. The loss drops the Bobcats to 5-22-5 on the season with a 2-14-4 mark in the ECAC Hockey League. Harvard continues to dominate league play, sporting a 20-0-0 record this season and is 25-1-0 overall.
Harvard scored the game's first goal 8:29 into the opening period when Caitlin Cahow tipped in a centering pass in the slot from Vaillancourt. The goal came just five seconds after the Bobcats had been whistled for too many players on the ice.
Jamie Miller (Richmond Hill, Ontario) made nine saves in the first, including stopping Vaillancourt on a point-blank effort. Miller stopped the Harvard forward with her left pad and then grabbed the puck out of the air before it fell into the goal.
The Crimson made it 2-0 nearly with just over three minutes left in the period. Vaillancourt scored on a penalty shot after a Bobcat defender covered the puck in the crease which automatically allowed Harvard the shot attempt.
Harvard's Sarah Wilson scored the team's third on a turn-around slapshot from just above the slot at the 8:29 mark of the middle period. A Quinnipiac defender blocked a point-shot and tried to tie up Wilson's stick, but was unable as she beat Miller for the goal. Vaillancourt scored her second of the game 1:30 later on a one-timer from the hash marks. She received a pass from Liza Ryabkina at the half-boards before slamming home her 18th of the season.
The Bobcats best scoring opportunity of the game came with just under eight minutes left. Kallie Flor (Farmington, Minn.) wristed a shot that snuck between Kessler's pad, but didn't score as the puck slid past the far post.
One of Miller's 12 third period saves came on a redirection from Randi Griffin just above the crease. Miller snagged the puck as Griffin tried to tip it past the Bobcats' goalie. Miller turned away 30 of 34 total shots she saw in the game.
Kessler stopped all 24 shots she faced, recording her 11th shutout of the season. That shutout mark is a new NCAA single-season record.
This afternoon marked the final home game of the season with the graduating seniors honored in a pre-game ceremony. Vicky Graham (Glen Riddle, Pa.) and Jessica Buttaro (Woburn, Mass.) were joined by their parents in honor of their last home games with the team. Also joining them on the ice was student athletic trainer Meg Fin. The game also was the final game of the ECAC's Pink At The Rink weekend for cancer awareness.
The Bobcats return to action next Friday when they travel to Potsdam, N.Y. to take on Clarkson in their last weekend of the season. Quinnipiac then heads to Canton, N.Y. Saturday afternoon for their last regular season game against St. Lawrence.
