By Khalise Harris and Jake Baskin
Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey enters the final weekend of the regular season with two crucial home games against RPI Friday Feb. 14 and Union Saturday Feb. 15.
Before these matchups, the Bobcats sat at No. 5 in the conference standings, which makes every remaining game critical in their pursuit of a home playoff game. This past weekend, they traveled to the North Country for key conference battles against St. Lawrence and Clarkson.
Ice Insights
Quinnipiac’s trip up north was filled with intense moments, as the Bobcats battled St. Lawrence and Clarkson in two pivotal matchups. With playoff positioning at stake, every play and goal mattered. The team encountered both challenges and opportunities throughout the weekend.
Here’s a closer look at what stood out from the team’s performances against the Saints and Golden Knights.
St. Lawrence (L, 1-2)
In a tightly contested, low-scoring game in Canton, N.Y., St. Lawrence’s Abby Hehl netted the game’s decisive goal in the first period. Quinnipiac goalie Kaley Doyle had another strong performance with 24 saves, while the Bobcats’ penalty kill was a flawless 4-for-4. However, Quinnipiac struggled and couldn’t break through until the final minute of the game, after the Saints had already sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.
Clarkson (L, 1-3)
Quinnipiac came up short once again in a tightly contested defensive battle, as Clarkson’s victory pushed them ahead of the Bobcats in the race for fourth place. Sophomore forward Kahlen Lamarche provided an early answer for Quinnipiac, tying the game at one with a first-period goal, but the Golden Knights regained the lead in the second period on a goal from graduate defenseman Nicole Gosling.
An empty-netter in the final seconds sealed the win for Clarkson, leaving the Bobcats still searching for crucial points in the standings.
Playoff Picture
Quinnipiac exited its North Country weekend trip tied for No. 5 in the ECAC standings, holding the tiebreaker with Yale and sitting just two points behind Clarkson for the coveted No. 4 seed and a first-round bye. As the final weekend approaches, Yale visits Colgate and Cornell this weekend, while Clarkson takes on Dartmouth and Harvard. If the Bobcats don’t secure a top-four finish, they are guaranteed to host a first-round playoff game on February 21st or 22nd.
On the national stage, Quinnipiac enters its last two regular-season games ranked No. 9 in the PairWise rankings. With only 11 teams making the NCAA tournament — and the automatic bids for the Hockey East and NEWHA likely going to teams outside the top 11 — the Bobcats currently hold the final at-large spot. As they aim for their third NCAA tournament appearance in the previous four seasons, every game down the stretch carries significant weight.
Award Watch
Last week, graduate student Kaley Doyle was named one of nine semifinalists for the NCAA Goalie of the Year award. The Livonia, Michigan, native has been a standout in the net this season, posting a 12-8-3 record while ranking in the top five nationally in save percentage at an impressive .944%. The list will be narrowed to three during the conference tournament, with the winner to be announced during the Frozen Four.