Team Notes: Quinnipiac Squares Off Against Connecticut in Nutmeg Classic
Nutmeg Classic Weekend
The Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team (7-7-1) (5-2-1
ECAC Hockey) begins its quest to repeat as Nutmeg Classic Champions
when travels to face Connecticut (2-11-2) (2-5-0 Hockey East) in
the first round of the annual tournament on Friday, Nov. 25 at 4
p.m. Following Quinnipiac's game, Yale (1-10-0) (1-5-0 ECAC Hockey)
takes on Robert Morris (9-1-1) (0-0-0 College Hockey America) at 7
p.m. The tournament's consolation game will take place the
following Saturday, Nov. 25 at 4 p.m., followed by the championship
game at 7 p.m.
Multimedia
Live stats, audio and video for this weekend's games can
be accessed by visiting the Official Website of Quinnipiac
Athletics,www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com.
Bobcats' Nutmeg Classic History
After winning its first tournament title during the
2006-07 season, Quinnipiac won the Nutmeg Classic last season when
it hosted the annual tournament on Friday, Nov. 26 and Saturday,
Nov. 27. Quinnipiac advanced to the championship game when it
defeated Sacred Heart, 9-1, on Friday, before downing Yale on
Saturday, 2-1. Junior forward Kate Wheeler (Oakville,
Ontario) netted Quinnipiac's first goal with just six seconds
remaining in the first period, while sophomore Brittany
Lyons (Canton, Mass.) scored the game-winning goal at the
11:56 mark into the second period of
play.
About Connecticut
The Huskies are coming off a 3-0 victory over Vermont,
halting their season-high six-game losing streak. Sophomore Jenna
Welch, freshman Kayla Campero and sophomore Maggie Walsh each
scored for Connecticut, while junior goaltender Nicole Paniccia
made 28 saves in net. Overall, the Huskies are led by senior Sami
Evelyn's eight points (two goals, six assists), followed by
freshman Emily Snodgrass' seven points (four goals, three assists).
Paniccia and senior netminder Alexandra Garcia have split time in
net this season, with each seeing action in eight games. Paniccia
holds a 2.22 goals against average and a .931 save percentage,
while Garcia has a 3.14 goals against average and a .912 save
percentage.
All-Time Against The Huskies
Friday's contest will be the 13th time
the two sides face each other. In the team's last meeting on
November, 27, 2009, Connecticut came away with a 1-0 shutout
victory. The Huskies Monique Weber netted the game-winner just
under four minutes into the first period of play, as each team went
scoreless through the remainder of the contest. Freshman
goaltender Victoria Vigilanti(Woodbridge, Ontario) made 18
saves in goal for the Bobcats.
All-Time Against Yale
If Quinnipiac and Yale were to square off on Saturday, it
would be the 24th time the two sides face each
other. The Bobcats have dominated in recent years, going 5-1 in the
team's previous six games dating back to the 2009 season. In their
last meeting earlier this season on Friday, Nov. 4, 2011,
Quinnipiac skated to a 3-0 shutout victory. Senior
defender Jordan Elkins (Wasilla, Alaska) netted a goal
for her third straight game and junior goaltender Victoria
Vigilanti turned in her third shutout of the season, as the Bobcats
improved to a perfect 3-0-0 in ECAC Hockey action. Junior
defender Regan Boulton (Brandon, Manitoba) and sophomore
forwardAmanda Colin (Burnsville, Minn.) each scored insurance
goals for Quinnipiac in the second period of play.
All-Time Against Robert Morris
If the Bobcats and the Colonials were to face each other,
it would be the sixth time the two sides match up. Quinnipiac is a
perfect 5-0 in the all-time series, with the team's last meeting
coming on January 4, 2008, in which the Bobcats skated to a 3-1
victory. Quinnipiac scored a goal in each period, receiving goals
from sophomores Kallie Flor, Janine Duffy and Erika
Bolognino.
Last Time Out
In one of the most exciting games of the season,
Quinnipiac defeated No. 4 Boston College in overtime, 2-1, on
Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the High Point Solutions Arena in Hamden, Conn.
After nearly 58 minutes of scoreless hockey, the Eagles netted the
game's first goal with 2:09 remaining in the third period to take a
1-0 lead. The Eagles were whistled for a high sticking penalty with
two minutes remaining, which resulted in Quinnipiac pulling its
freshman goalie Chelsea Laden with 38 seconds to go to
gain a 6-on-4 advantage. Sophomore forward Kelly
Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario) and freshman
forward Nicole Kosta (Mississauga, Ontario) then worked a
perfectly executed one-two passing game following a faceoff with 16
seconds to go, which resulted in Babstock netting the game-tying
tally at the 19:50 mark into the third period.
Sophomore forward Amanda Colin wasted no time in securing Quinnipiac's comeback, scoring the game-winning goal just 35 seconds into the extra frame to give the Bobcats the 2-1 win and its first-ever victory over a Top-5 Nationally ranked opponent. Freshman goaltender Chelsea Laden (Lakeville, Minn.) earned her first career victory in net, turning away 33 of 34 shots on the evening.
Quality Over Quantity
Tuesday's win over Boston College marked the first time
all season in which the Bobcats defeated an opponent when they were
outshot. Boston College held a 34-to-18 shot advantage
overall.
OT Winner
The Bobcat's won their first overtime game of the season
on Tuesday against Boston College. The team's last overtime victory
came on January 8, 2011, when the Bobcats defeated the Golden
Knights, 4-3, on Babstock's third goal of the evening.
Final Minute Magic
Babstock's goal with 10 seconds remaining in regulation
was the latest goal scored for the Bobcats in a single period this
season. The last time a Quinnipiac skater tied the score in the
final minute of regulation came on November 21, 2009, when Janine
Duffy tied the score, 3-3, with 21 seconds lefts to play against
Cornell.
Not-So-Quiet Contributors
Junior Breann Frykas and senior Melissa
Perry, both of whom were credited with an assist on the
game-winning score against Boston College, have put together
terrific starts for the Bobcats this season. Perry leads all
Quinnipiac defenders with five points on the season (five assists),
while Frykas is currently ranked fifth on the team in overall
points, with six (three goals, three assists).
New All-Time Points Leader
Sophomore forward Kelly Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario)
became the Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team's all-time
points leader with four points (two goals, two assists) in the
team's 6-2 win on Friday, Nov. 18 against Colgate. Babstock's
game-winning goal in the second period of play doubled as her
74th career point, passing Quinnipiac's previous
all-time points leader, Vicki Graham, who finished her career in
2007 with 73 career points. Babstock, who surpassed Graham in just
her 50th career game played, leads the team with 18
points (nine goals, nine assists) on the season.
Helping Hand
Freshman Nicole Kosta (Mississauga, Ontario) added to her
team-high total of 10 assists on the season with her most important
helper of the year coming on the game-tying tally against Boston
College on Tuesday. Kosta has registered at least one point in
eight of the team's 15 games played.
Top-10
Babstock and Kosta are currently fourth and tied for
eighth, respectively, among all ECAC Hockey skaters in league
points per game. Babstock has a 1.50 average, while Kosta
holds a 0.88 mark.
Two Is Better Than One
Babstock's two goals against Colgate marked the first
time this season in which a Quinnipiac skater scored multiple goals
in a game. The last time a Bobcats skater netted two or more goals
came on February 2, 2011, when Babstock scored two goals against
Union.
Quick Strike
Junior Brittany Lyons' (Canton, Mass.) goal just 52
seconds into the third period of play on Friday against Colgate
marked the fasted goal scored for the Bobcats since Regan Boulton's
goal 44 seconds into the second period of play on Friday, Nov. 4,
2011.
Contact: Ross Bennett, rsbennett@quinnipiac.edu
