QU Sports Page

Author: schoolofcommunications

  • Why each team will or won’t win the women’s ECAC Hockey Tournament

    Why each team will or won’t win the women’s ECAC Hockey Tournament

    By Tyler Platz and Jake Baskin

    The ECAC women’s hockey quarterfinals kick off on Feb. 28, with eight teams playing in a best-of-three series for a spot in the championship round next weekend. The matchups are as follows:

    No. 1 Cornell vs. No. 9 Union

    No. 2 Colgate vs. No. 7 Princeton

    No. 3 St. Lawrence vs. No. 6 Yale

    No. 4 Clarkson vs. No. 5 Quinnipiac

    Every team in the tournament has advantages as well as challenges. Here’s why each quarterfinalist can win and what might prevent them:

    No. 1 Cornell

    Why Cornell will win: Special teams can be a difference-maker, but most of the game is played at even strength—and no team dictates play better in those situations than Cornell. The Big Red recorded a 72.6% goals-for percentage at five-on-five, a key factor in securing the ECAC’s top seed. Facing ninth-seeded Union in the quarterfinals could be a favorable matchup for Cornell, as Union allowed 67 even-strength goals this season, the second-most in the conference.

    Why Cornell will lose: Only one team can win. Colgate has won four consecutive ECAC Tournament championships, while the Big Red haven’t won it since 2014, having lost in the semifinals to Colgate last year. In a postseason that comes down to single-elimination games, anything can happen, but Cornell does not have the recent playoff track record that the Raiders do, and none of the current players have played in an ECAC championship game.

    No. 2 Colgate

    Why Colgate will win: The ability to put pucks in the net and shut down opponents is a sign of a well-rounded team, and Colgate may be one of the more complete teams in the tournament. The combination of its high-powered offense — which led the conference with 126 goals —  and the steady goaltending of senior Hannah Murphy — who ranked second in the ECAC with a .941 save percentage —  makes the Raiders a handful for any opponent in the playoffs.

    Why Colgate will lose: Playoff hockey is typically more defensive-minded than that of the regular season, and Colgate’s goals against per-game average of 1.82 ranks behind Cornell’s 1.48. The final will also likely be held in Ithaca, and home-ice advantage could be a factor when it comes to one single game. The result of this will likely decide which of Cornell or Colgate will host a regional in the NCAA Tournament.

    No. 3 St. Lawrence

    Why St. Lawrence will win: Junior goaltender Emma-Sofie Nordström gives the Saints a chance in any game. She finished the regular season tied for third in the ECAC with a .939 save percentage and ranked fourth with a 1.62 goals against average. Consistency between the pipes is crucial in the playoffs, and Nordström has proven she can keep St. Lawrence in tight scoring games.

    Why St. Lawrence will lose: St. Lawrence has allowed 795 shots this season, only behind Union and the already-eliminated RPI for the most in the ECAC. As you get into the later rounds and face teams such as Clarkson, who peppers other teams with offensive chances, and Colgate, who converts a high percentage of their shots, the Saints’ defense is going to have to take those teams off of their games in order to take home their first conference title since 2012.

    No. 4 Clarkson 

    Why Clarkson will win: Clarkson boasts the ECAC’s top power-play unit, converting at a 34% rate. Senior Haley Winn and graduate Nicole Gosling, the conference’s top two-scoring defensemen, have been a large part of that formula. Winn is tied for second among ECAC defensemen with four power-play goals, while Gosling has added three. In a best-of-three series, emotions can run high and penalties often follow. Carrying special teams success into the postseason can bode well for the fourth-seeded Golden Knights.

    Why Clarkson will lose: After 2024 National Goalie of the Year Michelle Pasiechnyk graduated, Clarkson has platooned senior Holly Gruber and junior Julia Minotti in the net. Gruber has seemed to secure the starting job with a strong performance in February, but will be playing the first postseason games of her collegiate career this weekend. In a conference with so many talented netminders, including conference save percentage leader Kaley Doyle on the other end in this round, the Golden Knights’ resolve will certainly be tested.

    No. 5 Quinnipiac

    Why Quinnipiac will win: In 76 penalty-kill situations, the Quinnipiac Bobcats allowed just eight goals, good for an 89.5% success rate throughout the regular season. Ideally, the Bobcats avoid taking any trips to the box, but in a tense best-of-three series before the championship round, having a reliable penalty kill could erase the threat of giving up a goal while down a skater. 

    Why Quinnipiac will lose: Despite the second-highest shots per game total in the conference, the Bobcats have shot just 7.2% percent this year, the lowest of the eight teams remaining. Clarkson, as well as Colgate and Cornell, averages over three goals per game, so if Quinnipiac is to win the conference, it will either have to consistently match that offensive output or play near-perfect defense.

    No. 6 Yale

    Why Yale will win: During the regular season, senior goaltender Pia Dukaric had stretches of great play for the Yale Bulldogs. In back-to-back games against Brown on Nov. 16-17, and again against UConn and Quinnipiac on Nov. 29-30, she posted a shutout and allowed just one goal in the other three games, earning ECAC Goaltender of the Week honors both times. Facing St. Lawrence in the quarterfinals — another team with a standout goaltender in Nordström — Dukaric needs to find that groove in what could be a low-scoring series to advance.

    Why Yale will lose: If the Bulldogs were to win, their offense does not give them very much room for error. Only four Yale players have cracked the 20-point threshold this season, with leading scorer Carina DiAntonio tied for twelfth in the conference with 33 points. St. Lawrence in particular has shut Yale down this season, holding them to one combined goal in the two games they have played against each other. The Bulldogs need to find the net against a tough goaltender in Nordström if they are to advance.

    No. 7 Princeton

    Why Princeton will win: The Princeton Tigers’ top forwards — junior Issy Wunder, freshman Mackenzie Alexander and junior Sarah Paul — can generate offense every shift. Wunder leads the ECAC in points with 49, while Alexander isn’t far behind, tied for third with 45. Paul, the Tigers’ top goal-scorer, has found the back of the net 28 times this season. As a team, Princeton’s 3.77 goals per game lead the conference. With proven chemistry and firepower on offense, Princeton is a hard out in a playoff scenario.

    Why Princeton will lose: Princeton has had trouble defending this season, allowing 2.4 goals per game, more than half a goal per game more than anyone left in this tournament, Union excepted. They have also struggled with taking and killing penalties, averaging the second-most penalties per game in the conference and only killing off 79.1% of them, which ranks last among the remaining teams. Against the top four seeds, the Tigers are just 1-6-1 on the year, and they will need to take two of three from Colgate just to make it to championship weekend.

    No. 9 Union

    Why Union will win: After securing the program’s first postseason win with a 2-0 upset over eighth-seeded Brown, the Garnet Chargers head into a quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Cornell playing with house money. It’s a short tournament; the quarterfinal series wraps up on March 2, with championship weekend set for March 7-8. It may be cliche, but anything can happen. Union has already made history, but it can continue by capitalizing on any opportunities—even the ones that come from being counted out.
    Why Union will lose: At -18, Union is the only team remaining in the ECAC Tournament with a negative goal differential on the season. They also have the toughest theoretical road to a conference title; they have to win two of three from Cornell in Ithaca, then will need to win two more games against higher-ranked opponents to advance to the national tournament. The lowest-seeded team to win the ECAC this century was fourth-seeded Dartmouth in 2009.

  • MAAC Championship takeaways: Quinnipiac shines, but comes up just short in indoor track and field finale

    MAAC Championship takeaways: Quinnipiac shines, but comes up just short in indoor track and field finale

    By: Cameron Levasseur and Zachary Carter

    Quinnipiac women’s track and field rounded out the indoor season with a second place finish at the MAAC Championships at The Armory Track in New York City Sunday, its 135-point performance seven shy of Rider’s 142. 

    Playing second fiddle

    Sunday’s runner-up performance was a familiar scene for the Bobcats. In fact, it was their fifth-consecutive second-place finish at the MAAC Indoor Championships. In four of the last five championships, they’ve come up just short to the now back-to-back-to-back champion Broncs, falling by 26.5 points in 2024, by 14 in 2023 and by 0.5 in 2020. 

    “I really don’t enjoy second place,” head coach Carolyn Martin said. “But I think this year probably opened the eyes of our athletes a little bit more, because we’re very close. And being in the hunt is something that I think is really exciting every year. That’s what makes it fun, that’s what makes it worth competing and makes it a championship.”

    Sprinting ahead

    Senior Rylie Smith continued her run of dominance in MAAC sprints by running an indoor conference record 54.32 in the 400m Sunday to win the event for the third-consecutive season. She beat Rider’s Hailey Palmer, the second-place finisher, by more than two full seconds. 

    “Riley is incredible,” Martin said. “She is kind of that rock that doesn’t really get flustered. She’s a kid that you can pretty much always count on performing very consistently, and she’s always been that way.”

    Smith capped off her weekend with a second MAAC record, serving as the second leg of a 4x400m relay team with juniors Sydney Lavelle and Isabella Anzaldo and senior Alyssa Romagnoli. The group crossed the finish line in 3:45.62, seven seconds ahead of Rider. 

    In the short sprints, junior Nyasia Dailey set a program record Sunday with her first -place finish in the 60m. She ran a personal best 7.51 for the win, lowering the 7.53 mark the set in prelims the previous day. 

    Going the distance

    Quinnipiac’s distance running is a staple of its program, hence three consecutive MAAC cross country titles. That prowess was no less evident over the weekend. 

    Junior Rachel St. Germain, who’s fifth-place finish at the MAAC Cross Country Championships in the fall helped the Bobcats claim victory on grass, took home the 5000m title on Saturday and finished third in the mile, earning 16 points for Quinnipiac. 

    Her classmate Sierra Gray finished the 5000m right on St. Germain’s tail, finishing 16:44, a 14-second personal best and a podium finish. 

    “(Rachel) absolutely just went after it in the 5k,” Martin said. “And having her teammate stick right on her was huge. The two of them executed a really great 5k knowing that the unseeded section that went before them went actually quite fast … They knew they had to really put in a good race effort. And they really executed well.”

    In the 3000m, graduate student Alessandra Zaffina broke away from the field to win her first MAAC title in the event. An NCAA outdoor regional qualifier in the 3000m steeplechase in 2023, Zaffina stamped her mark on the event Sunday — minus the hurdles and water pits.

    Zaffina was also a part of the Bobcats distance medley relay team of senior Weronika Lewna, sophomore Madelyn Durkee and junior Sophia Jones that earned 10 points with a 12:13 effort, four seconds ahead of second place Canisius.

    ‘That’s what makes champions’

    Quinnipiac’s silver medal stings a bit more considering the disqualification of Anzaldo in the women’s 400m. In Anzaldo’s first four races this past weekend, she finished either first or second. She and Smith finished first and second respectively in the 200m prelims Saturday before capturing first and third place in the 200m Sunday for a 16-point addition to the team’s total. In the 400m prelims, they once again finished in the top two and had put themselves in prime position to capture another 18 points to draw closer to the Broncs. 

    “Izzy was on fire. She had a great, great day. We were very excited and proud of her,” Martin said. “She’s working very hard to jump into new levels.”

    Smith did her part, securing first place, 10 points and a sparkly new MAAC record — but Anzaldo was disqualified. If she ran a clean race, repeated her success and finished second, the swing would have bumped the eventual second place finisher, Rider’s Palmer, down to third. Eight additional points would be tacked onto the Bobcats’ total and their hypothetical 143 points would have taken home the MAAC championship. 

    And yet, the possibility of “what if” does not weigh heavily on Martin. It is outweighed by her overwhelming pride for her sprinter’s perseverance.

    “For her to come back after being DQ’d in the 400, (run) the 200 and win the 200, I think that’s what makes champions,” Martin said. “Being able to come back from a huge disappointment like that and come out on top, that’s what we talk about. It’s not always about the success that you have, it’s coming back from the failure.”

    Room for growth

    Martin remains undeterred, confident in her team’s skill, talent and mindset on their collective quest to capture an elusive MAAC championship. As the indoor season gives way for outdoor, there won’t be much alteration to the team’s daily life. If her athletes continue to do what they have been doing — putting each other first, holding each other accountable and embodying physical and mental wellbeing — Martin has no doubts the results will come. 

    “We really focus on trying to control all the variables that we can control as a team,” Martin said. “Making sure we’re staying focused and fueling properly and sleeping properly, taking care of each other and being good teammates, helping each other out in every way possible. We try to do that stuff all the time, so there’s not too much that we would fix in that…we need to continue to stay positive and continue to go after it.”

    In Martin’s eyes, the recipe for success won’t change. There is team-wide potential, apparent in their ability to always finish near the top of the MAAC, but there is also room for growth. 

    “There’s definitely things that we could do better. I think not having any throwers definitely hurts us,” she said. “As a program, we’ve decided to really focus on the events that we’re really good at and we’re good at coaching, and I think we need to keep doubling down on the events that we’re really good at and that we can really exceed it.”

    This Quinnipiac team has teetered on the precipice of first place countless times now. While it can’t change the past — the disqualifications, the injuries — it can only look ahead to the future.

    “It’s been tough being second the last few years,” Martin said. “But we have a young group right now, and I think they are opening their eyes to realizing it’s right there.”

    Back on the hunt

    Quinnipiac still has a chance at team glory on the track in 2025. The Bobcats kick off their outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays at NC State on March 27, hoping to avenge this weekend’s second place finish by winning their first MAAC Championship on the track in May. 

    The kicker? The Broncs enter the spring back-to-back MAAC champions on the outdoor oval as well. The team who finished second in each of those meets? Quinnipiac, which came up 57 and 18 points shy of a title in 2024 and 2023, respectively. And for the second year in a row, Rider will also host the championship meet. So as the Bobcats aim to make history, all roads lead to Lawrenceville. 

    “I want to always be in the hunt for the win,” Martin said. “We’ll have that same expectation. I expect my athletes to show tremendous sportsmanship, character is really important for our team. So I want our team to not only be the best team out there. I want our team to have the best culture. I want our team to be the best leaders. I want our team to just be the best people.”

    Quinnipiac produced four individual outdoor MAAC champions in 2024, each hoping to double down on their performances this spring.

    Smith, now a three-time indoor 400m champion, is seeking her third-straight outdoor title in the event this spring. She won the 400m in 55.35 in 2024. 

    St. Germain may have won her first MAAC indoor title Saturday’s 5000m performance, but she announced her prowess in the event last spring, topping the field at Rider with a 16:56 mark.

    And Lavelle, who podiumed in the 60m hurdles at The Armory, is the defending outdoor champion in the 400m hurdles, while the lethal 4x400m team of Smith, Anzaldo, Lavelle and Romagnoli will look for another relay crown. 

  • What will it take for Quinnipiac to win the ECAC Tournament? Ask its conference champions.

    What will it take for Quinnipiac to win the ECAC Tournament? Ask its conference champions.

    By Khalise Harris and Cameron Levasseur

    There’s a wall of white banners tucked high into the far left corner of the hockey side of M&T Bank Arena, each signifying a substantial moment in the two-decade plus rise of Quinnipiac women’s hockey. 

    One shows a collection of 100-point scorers, another a smattering of NCAA Tournament appearances, a third listing more Nutmeg Classic titles than you can count. It’s a constant reminder of the standard expected at a preeminent hockey school. 

    And then there’s a banner on the left side reading, “ECAC Hockey Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament Champions.” Below it, a single year stands alone – 2015-16. It’s a another kind of reminder: one of coming up just short.

    That was the first season with head coach Cass Turner at the helm. Quinnipiac won four ECAC Tournament games in 10 days to bring home the conference title. It’s won five in the nine years since. 

    To contend for the ECAC crown in 2025, the Bobcats (20-10-4, 13-9-0 ECAC) will have to fight an uphill battle. Entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed, every team above them (Cornell, Colgate, St. Lawrence and Clarkson) is ranked in the top-10 nationally. 

    So what is going to take for Quinnipiac to get back over the hump? Just ask the Bobcats who have already done it. Except when they did it, they were not wearing Quinnipiac’s blue and gold.  

    Junior forward Tessa Holk joined Quinnipiac last fall for her junior season. She already has two ECAC titles to her name as a freshman and sophomore with Colgate. The Raiders followed up the latter win with a Frozen Four appearance.

    “I’ve shared (that) everything we do matters,” Holk said. “Having that championship mentality through each game, knowing that in the back of your mind, that you’ve been there before.”

    Junior forward Tessa Holk has 10 points in 34 games in her first season with Quinnipiac. (Quinnipiac Athletics)

    Graduate forward Kathryn Stockdale made history with UConn in 2024. She helped lead the Huskies to their first Hockey East Championship, scoring the overtime winner in a semifinal bout against Boston College.

    “In the back of your head, you know it’s do or die,” Stockdale said. “It’s good nerves, translating nerves to more energy … Everything is just 110% and dedication is really high.”

    Quinnipiac starts its playoff journey by hosting Harvard in the ECAC Opening Round on Saturday. The Bobcats swept the Crimson (2-24-2, 1-20-1 ECAC) in the regular season, earning 1-0 and 2-1 victories and extending their dominance in the matchup to 9-1 over the last 10 meetings. That includes a 9-0 trouncing in the opening round of last year’s conference tournament.

    However, past success does not guarantee future results. It’s tough to beat a team twice, even tougher to do it three times. That’s why Quinnipiac is focused on a fresh mindset as the playoffs begin.

    “The term ‘new season’ has been thrown around a lot,” Stockdale said. “Just emphasizing this is a new season — it’s playoff season, and that’s an advanced season. It’s not like you can take it lightly or else you’re done.”

    “It’s also acknowledging that exact same thing is happening on the other end, with other teams,” Holk said. “No matter what your record is coming into playoffs, it’s completely wiped … it’s a whole new game.”

    Holk and Stockdale’s championship pedigrees bring a unique advantage to a Quinnipiac team eager to make its mark in the ECAC playoffs. Their experience on title-winning teams have given them a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed when the stakes are at their highest. Now, as leaders in the Bobcats’ locker room, they have the opportunity to instill that championship mindset in their teammates.

    “This is the best time of the year,” Holk said. “Playoffs are the best … (It’s about) embracing that and being present in the moment and enjoying every step because this is why we’re athletes at this level, because we love this pressure, we love this feeling of we can get something that’s huge. We can get a championship.”

    For Quinnipiac, that means embracing the details, staying disciplined in its systems, bringing energy to every shift, and trusting that the preparation put in throughout the season will pay off. 

    It also means ignoring all of that and embracing the moment. 

    “Just taking it step by step, game by game, not getting too far ahead,” Holk said. “It’s right there for us but it’s just about taking every game as it is.”

    Stockdale’s UConn team entered the Hockey East Tournament as the No. 1 seed last winter, Quinnipiac will not have that luxury. But in her eyes, these Bobcats are just as good, if not better. 

    “One thing I noticed with my team last year is we didn’t have one all-star that just went and could score and win a game,” Stockdale said. “We had a bunch of people that were dedicated and committed to the process … So looking at my team this year, it’s kind of like a step above that. It’s like everyone does that to a higher degree. Everyone is connected more, everyone is putting in more work. So when I see winning a championship last year and we already did that, it gives me faith and hope and I believe that we can do it this year.”

    As the Bobcats enter the ECAC Tournament, they believe they have the talent, depth, and leadership needed to make a run. And with Holk and Stockdale, they also have something just as valuable — championship experience. Now, it’s up to Quinnipiac to put that to use and chase a title of its own.

  • 15 players to watch in women’s ECAC Hockey Tournament 

    15 players to watch in women’s ECAC Hockey Tournament 

    By Jake Baskin and Carlos Calo Rodríguez

    The stage is set for another thrilling ECAC Hockey women’s tournament, set to begin on Friday.  It’s the second iteration of the tournament since the expansion to a 12-team bracket. Cornell enters the fray as the No. 1 seed, clinching its ninth ECAC regular season championship with a 16-2-4 conference record. The Big Red were No. 3 in the preseason poll in September behind No. 1 Clarkson at the and No. 2 Colgate.

    The first four teams: Cornell (54 points), Colgate (52 points), St. Lawrence (45.5 points) and Clarkson (40.5 points) clinched first round byes and will host quarterfinal series. No. 5 Quinnipiac, which finished just two points behind Clarkson, is among four teams that will host single-elimination opening round games for a spot in the quarterfinals. The Bobcats will face No. 12 Harvard. 

    The ECAC Tournament should be one of the best in the past years, with five teams ranked in the top-10 nationally by USCHO. 

    QU Sports Page’s Jake Baskin and Carlos Calo offer 15 players to watch as the tournament gets underway:

    Mackenzie Alexander | Fr. | F | Princeton

    Alexander, the leading freshman scorer in the country with 42 points, appears to be a lock for the Julie Chu Women’s National Rookie of the Year Award, and if won, she would be the first ECAC player to take home the honor since Sarah Fillier in 2019. The Toronto native will be a player to watch for years to come.

    Annelies Bergmann | So. | G | Cornell

    There are many quality goaltenders in the ECAC, but the 6-foot-1-inch Bergmann stands out as one of the best. Bergmann won the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team. Now, as a sophomore, she reached the 20-win mark for a second time and is tied for the national lead with eight shutouts. 

    Elyssa Biederman | Jr. | F | Colgate

    Biederman, a small but speedy winger, has been a tremendous playmaker during her three years at Colgate. She is a player that gets better every season, she has 45 points in 34 games, five games less than the 2023-2024 season. She has been setting up teammates such as Kristyna Kaltounkova and Emma Pais, along with scoring14 goals of her own this year. Her 31 assists are No. 5 in the country behind four Wisconsin Badgers.

    Anne Cherkowski | Gr. | F | Clarkson

    A graduate student, Cherkowski is a do-everything winger who has scored over 140 points in her NCAA career. She was named to the ECAC Women’s Preseason All-League Team Roster. After helping lead the Golden Knights to the Frozen Four last year, Cherkowski and the experienced Clarkson seniors will try to replicate that performance in 2025. 

    Kendall Cooper | Gr. | D | Quinnipiac

    Quinnipiac is a team that prides itself on defense and goaltending (only Cornell has allowed fewer goals this season among ECAC teams), and Cooper has been the Bobcats’ leader from the blueline all year. Already one of the conference’s best defensemen, she is approaching the 20-assist mark for the third time in her collegiate career.

    Kaley Doyle | Gr. | G | Quinnipiac

    A graduate transfer from Brown, Doyle leads ECAC starters with a .944 save percentage and has seven shutouts. The Bobcats have a recent history of excellent goaltending, including Corinne Schroeder and Logan Angers and Doyle’s one year in Hamden has been no exception.

    Nicole Gosling and Haley Winn | Gr. & Sr. | D | Clarkson

    These two defensive partners are listed together because it’s hard to think of one without the other. Winn is second in scoring among defensemen in the country with 42 points, and Gosling is third with 34. The two are strong on both ends of the ice, and have driven the Golden Knights’ offense this year. A First Team All American and the ECAC Defender of the Year in 2024, Gosling has assisted 10 of Winn’s 12 goals this season. Winn is also the only unanimous selection to make the ECAC Women’s Preseason All-League Team this season. Both are expected to be very high picks in this year’s PWHL Draft.

    Rory Guilday | Sr. | D | Cornell

    Though she’s not the flashiest offensive player, Guilday’s defensive play was essential to the Big Red finishing with the top seed in the ECAC. The senior from Minnesota is a favorite to make next year’s U.S. Olympic team after representing her country in the last three world championships. 

    Abby Hustler | Sr. | F | St. Lawrence

    Hustler finished top-10 in the country in scoring last year and was a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-10 finalist. This season, she is the driver of the offense for the Saints with 14 goals and 34 points in 34 games. Hustler’s emergence as one of the top forwards in the country coincided with St. Lawrence making the NCAA Tournament last year. If they are to do so again in 2025 she will be the reason why.

    Kristýna Kaltounková | Gr. | F | Colgate

    The Czech international is second in the conference in both goals and points, Kaltounková has been one of the most exciting players in collegiate women’s hockey for her entire five-year run in Hamilton. During this season she became the first player in program history to score 100 goals and reach the 200-point mark. The big center is almost impossible to keep away from the puck or the net and will be in contention for the No. 1 pick in this year’s PWHL Draft.

    Hannah Murphy | Sr. | G | Colgate

    Murphy split time with Kayle Osborne last year, but now has the starting position at Colgate to herself. She ranks among the top 10 in the country in games played (31), wins (23), and save percentage (.941), and her play in net has given her teammates the confidence to take chances offensively. She has been selected to the national Goalie of the Year Watchlist for three straight seasons. 

    Emma-Sofie Nordstrom | Jr. | G | St. Lawrence

    Nordstrom has posted a save percentage above .930 for the second year in a row, backstopping the Saints to the No. 3 seed in the ECAC Tournament. She was an ECAC Goaltender of the Year Finalist last season. Beyond her exploits in college, Nordstrom is also the starter for the Danish national team.

    Vita Poniatovskaia | So. | D | Yale

    The Bulldogs under coach Mark Bolding have been a strong defensive team. Yale has allowed the third-fewest goals in the conference, and Poniatovskaia has been a key component of their defensive strength. If Yale is to win the ECAC Tournament, it is going to need a standout performance from its back end, especially from Poniatovskaia.

    Issy Wunder | Jr. | F | Princeton

    Wunder had a breakout year this season as a junior, elevating her goal total from eight to 24 following Fillier’s graduation. She is the ECAC’s leading scorer with 47 points, and has made the Tigers’ top line one of the scariest in college hockey, one that the higher-ranked teams in the conference will need to contain in order to avoid an upset.

  • Beyond the miles: How Quinnipiac softball builds strength on the road

    Beyond the miles: How Quinnipiac softball builds strength on the road

    BY: Khalise Harris & Brandon Murdock

    Winters in Connecticut are no joke, whether it be freezing temperatures or a few inches of snow and unpredictable conditions. This forces the Quinnipiac softball team to begin the first half of its season on the road every year.

    While it can be tough to be on long roadtrips, the team has found success being far away from home to begin the year, having come back up north with winning records — a 9-8 mark in 2023 followed by a 9-5 record in 2024.

    The Bobcats play their first in-state game on March 22, despite starting their season Feb. 14. This means a lot of traveling each weekend for the team, whether it’s by bus or plane, heading south to find accessible fields. . This requires them to stay prepared both physically and mentally while balancing academics, training and competition on the road.

    “I think it’s actually just an adjustment for the younger ones, because this is different,” head coach Hillary Smith said. “You could play travel ball, but this is a different beast, because they’re also juggling school, and that’s not easy, especially at Quinnipiac. It’s such high standards, and they have high standards for themselves in this athletic department, and they really push themselves. So to be able to manage all of that, it is tough.”

    As a young player in a collegiate program, it can be hard to balance these things, in addition to the team’s lengthy travel schedule. 

    So how do the older players play a role in getting the new arrivals comfortable?

    “That’s where leaders come in,” Smith continued. “That’s where the upper class comes in, and the freshmen, know, the first years, that they can lean on them for help.”

    The team is full of experienced upperclassmen, who serve as role models for the freshman, providing guidance both on and off the field.

    “A big part of it is them watching us do it because we’re really good about it if we’re on the bus, when we put on our headphones we’re locked in,” said junior infielder Sofia Vega. “I think once everyone is quiet on the bus it really helps the freshman to be in their work.”

    To help maintain focus on academics during road trips, the team has a system called “study tables.” During this time, all players sit together with their laptops out. Whether they have assignments to complete or not, they must be engaged in something productive.

    “Some of us have the same classes as them, too, so it helps us stay on top of them,” junior infielder Natalia Apatiga said.

    While on the road, a typical weekend once the team arrives is usually a practice day, where the team can relax a bit after settling in, eat then prepare for the next day’s opponent. 

    Traveling to warmer places and competing alongside teammates creates an exciting experience for the team. These trips strengthen team chemistry and build camaraderie, as the players are together 24/7 on these trips both on and off the field.

    “We try to do as much as possible, get together and go to restaurants,” Vega shared. “Obviously the softball part is super nice to be somewhere else, play on different fields,and viewing different places.” 

    The players spend long hours traveling, passing the time with different activities like playing cards, talking about the Bachelor or even doing karaoke together, which builds team chemistry while not on the field. The strong connection and familiarity with each other could be a difference-maker as they battle through the heart of their schedule.

    So far, the team has competed in just one tournament – the Roar City Invitational, hosted by Tennessee State University. However, weather issues in Tennessee limited Quinnipiac to only two games. 

    This is a familiar challenge for the Bobcats, as last season they had games cancelled after a long bus ride from Texas to Arkansas.

    “We’re just grateful when we do get to play and we try to treat every rep and every inning that we do get with that much more intensity because we know it’s out of our control,” Smith said. 

    “Obviously you’re mentally prepared to play all these games, but once these games get cancelled it’s almost like ‘Next thing.. let’s flip the page, let’s start over,’” Vega said.

    Each team wants the same thing: to win. But how does the motivation stay strong within the team, especially with all the traveling?

    “The biggest part is them, ” Smith said. “When they have passion and when they want something, that’s something that fuels me as a coach. They push me everyday and they motivate me everyday to want to get them better. When I see them get the thing that they want it just pushes me to want a better coach.” 

    Long bus and plane rides can tire players out, so when they aren’t playing, they take recovery seriously. They stretch, do yoga two to three times each trip, and always have an athletic trainer with them at all tournaments. The team also supports each other, helping remind one another to stay hydrated throughout the journey.

    What are some of the challenges for the team? 

    “It’s just the amount of girls we have at the airport,” Apatiga said. “Having to wait for every single girl to go through security. It’s so long, and we get there super early and we wait two hours before we board.”

    But after the hard part at the airport, the team huddles together, keeping each other company or doing their own thing, listening to music or reading. They’re,“Keeping a level head through all the chaos,” Vega said. Grounded not by a home field, but by each other. 

  • From interim to head coach: Jordan Christopher leads women’s lacrosse’s resurgence

    From interim to head coach: Jordan Christopher leads women’s lacrosse’s resurgence

    By: Judaea Ingram and Kaitlyn Grady

    The Quinnipiac University athletic department removed Jordan Christopher’s interim title after one season in charge. Now as the women’s lacrosse head coach, Christopher plans to lead the team back from a lackluster 2024 season.

    “I am thankful to our administration for their support and belief in me to lead this program moving forward. This team is full of special people and I am excited to work with them as we continue to work towards a MAAC Championship,” Christopher said after receiving the news.

    Christopher took over last season as interim head coach in January in her eighth year with the Bobcats. She was promoted to this role after previous head coach Tanya Kotowicz was allegedly fired seven weeks before the 2024 opener for playing an injured athlete during a fall tournament — a situation faced with competing internal narratives, according to an investigation by The Quinnipiac Chronicle.

    As an assistant, Christoper helped the Bobcats accomplish a winning season in 2023, going 10-8. The team made the MAAC tournament and upset Canisius to make it to the conference semifinals. 

    She started her journey with the Bobcats as an assistant coach in 2017, a year in which the team made its first-ever MAAC tournament appearance.

    Before Quinnipiac, Christopher spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State. 

    The Bobcats are looking to improve from a 2-13 season last season, a record Christopher believes did not fully grasp the talent the team had. 

    “We weren’t a 2-13 team last season,” Christopher said. ”We were better than that, we just could not get on the other side of it and now we are finally learning how to get on the other side of those games.”

    Under Christopher’s lead, the team has worked on fine tuning the fundamental skills, whether that is conditioning, stick work, or just their understanding of the game. 

    Since transitioning into the head coach spot, the Bobcats are now 2-0. Their first game against Central Connecticut State was pure domination as they won 21-2. The Bobcats won their second game against Colgate, 13-9.

    “My teammates were making lanes for me. They were giving me great reads. I couldn’t have done it without them and the play calls were great,” junior attack Cate Bendowski said after having a career-high four goals against Colgate.

    First year goalie Shannon Alden had 15 saves against Colgate. 

    “My defense was giving me such great angles, and low angles, that I was able to just get hit with the ball. Our defense played out of their mind today” Alden said.

    In the first two of five straight home games to open the year, the Bobcats have protected home turf. 

    “It builds confidence when you get to defend your home turf, there is value in that,” Christopher said. “When you build that confidence here, you can take that on the road with you.”

    This strategic scheduling aims to provide a strong start to the season and prepare the team for the competitive MAAC play.

    The Bobcats have not trailed for one second this season and had the second-largest margin of victory in the program’s Division I history in their opener against CCSU.

    “We got to keep the lead the whole time, that’s kind of a skill you got to learn and I am really proud of them for figuring it out and keeping the win,” Christopher said. 

    A lot of games last year, Christopher expressed how they weren’t ready to go on the first whistle, so they always had to climb out way back. A goal for this season is to come out fast and score quickly. 

    So far, this mentality has worked, as the Bobcats’ offense has started off hot. Outscoring their opponents 17-3 in the first quarter through two games.

    “Some of the shots were lasers, to see it go across the line is huge for the confidence and it carries through the game,” Christopher said. 

    The urgency the team possessed these first two games is already an improvement from last season. 

    “A lot of those games last year we weren’t ready to go on the first whistle and we always had to climb our way back, so the goal is to try and be on the other side of that,” Christopher said. 

    Out of the 15 games the Bobcats played last season, they trailed after the first quarter in nine of them. Each of those games ended in a loss. 

    In the preseason, Quinnipiac was predicted to finish No. 10 in a 12-team conference. Jordan and the players used this low ranking as fuel and they are ready to show everyone what they have been working for. 

    “They had a fire under them after last season,” Christopher said. 

    This 2-0 start is a good sign for the Bobcats, but their next game will be the ultimate test. They will face No. 8 Yale on Tuesday at 2 p.m. 

  • Billy Mecca’s ‘genuine’ personality brings together generations of Quinnipiac basketball

    Billy Mecca’s ‘genuine’ personality brings together generations of Quinnipiac basketball

    By: Ethan Hurwitz, Toni Wetmore & Connor Wilson

    When former Quinnipiac men’s basketball head coach Billy Mecca took the floor at the program’s alumni event at Haven Beer Company last Saturday, he was met with raucous applause – even though he kept saying that he didn’t want it.

    “I never want this day to be about me, and it never was about me,” said Mecca, now the university’s senior associate athletic director. “It’s about the alumni to start with, whether you were an alumni that played for me or you were here when I was just doing Billy … Y’all don’t just realize the incredible impact you’ve had on my life.”

    The annual alumni event, held this year after the Bobcats hosted the Niagara Purple Eagles (which just so happens to be Mecca’s alma mater), welcomed back dozens of former basketball players to honor the now-broadcaster. Some played under Mecca when he was an assistant coach, and a few were on the first team that Mecca led as the head man. Others just had smaller interactions with Mecca that still stick.

    “He just keeps it real, he doesn’t sugarcoat anything,” Quinnipiac Athletics Hall of Famer Joyce Furman (WBB ‘85) said. “If you don’t like it, too bad. You better take it or leave it, (and) he cares.”

    So what does Billy Mecca mean to those around the program? For many, the same stories reappear.

    Nobody spends as much time with Mecca on-campus nowadays than his broadcasting partners Steve Lenox and Dianne Nolan. This trio calls every Quinnipiac basketball home game — both men’s and women’s — and have been doing so for years. Lenox specifically has been the lead play-by-play announcer since 2017 and has had Mecca as his literal “right hand man” for every game since then.

    “You know, at some point on the drive, getting up the hill, a smile comes to your face,” Lenox said. “You know he’s coming in and we’re gonna have a good time. We get to talk about basketball for two hours.”

    “Talking basketball” and Billy Mecca go hand in hand. It almost has to, seeing that he’s been around Quinnipiac since his first season as an assistant coach in 1978-79. He’s seen it all from the program’s lone NCAA Tournament Division II victory in 1980 over Bryant to last year’s MAAC regular season championship and historic 24 win season, and everything in between.

    “He’s worked with different administrators, coaches, he’s done a lot of different things,” Lenox said. “He’s got great stories. He’s a podcast on Quinnipiac history with athletics.”

    For Mecca, his relationship with the university and its athletic programs stretches much further than wins and losses on the court. He strives to build a sense of trust with each and every athlete that walks through the doors.

    “The student athletes really connect with him, because they know he cares,” Nolan said. “You always connect with people who care. He doesn’t have an ulterior motive. He just wants the best for the student athlete, and I think they sense that.”

    Nolan, like Lenox, has worked on broadcasts with Mecca since 2017, but their relationship stems much further back. Nolan was the head coach of the women’s basketball team at Fairfield for 26 years where she also coached current Quinnipiac women’s basketball coach Tricia Fabbri. Once Fabbri took the job in Hamden in 1998, it introduced Nolan to Mecca for the first time.

    “We talk about so many different things, but when you talk about a good heart, that’s what he has,” Nolan said. “He bleeds blue. I mean, he loves Quinnipiac, and he is just such a kind person, very much, a God loving person, a wonderful husband and family member.”

    What makes Mecca’s bond with the university so special and unique is that it stretches much farther than the arena up on York Hill. Edward C. “Ned” Burt Jr. was among those in attendance on Saturday. Burt wasn’t a former player of Mecca’s or a former teammate, rather an adjunct professor in the legal studies department at Quinnipiac. 

    “I’ve been friends with Billy since I started teaching as an adjunct at Quinnipiac University — Quinnipiac College back then,” Burt said. “I just wrapped up almost 40 years of [teaching] undergrad in the Legal Studies Department, and Billy and I go back from the moment I hit campus. He welcomed me there. He’s a basketball coach then, and just a great guy from the start.”

    It’s rare to see a basketball coach interact much with any professor, albeit an adjunct, but to build up a relationship that lasts over 40 years, that just goes to show the type of person Mecca is.

    “Y’all have left your handprint on my heart and my soul,” said Mecca, holding a team-signed basketball. “Y’all matter to me, Quinnipiac matters to me. I don’t know why I feel like this is my school, I don’t know why I do. … For y’all who played for me, and for those who came back, thank you.”

  • Q&A with Quinnipiac women’s golf captain Sandhya Vaikuntam

    Q&A with Quinnipiac women’s golf captain Sandhya Vaikuntam

    By: Kaitlyn Grady and Judaea Ingram

    Sandhya Vaikuntam always had dreams of playing Division I golf. She now leads the Quinnipiac Women’s golf team as the only captain. She became captain of the team as a junior, which for her was a goal and it meant filling the shoes of the team captains who came before her.

    When Vaikuntam started at Quinnipiac, she was the only freshman in her class. Her leadership, performance on the course and work ethic all won her the support of her teammates and coaches enough to be elected captain over other seniors on the team.

    Vaikuntam and the Bobcats are just starting their spring season and are looking to regain control of the MAAC. She knows that she can help lead the young team and help them balance their duties on the fairways and in the classroom while still remembering to enjoy what they are doing. Vaikuntam sat down with QUSportsPage to discuss her journey with golf, how the golf team is building chemistry, and their goals for the spring season. 

    Q: How did you get into golf? 

    Vaikuntam: I started playing golf when I was about ten years old. My dad played, but I got into it mostly because one of our really close family friends, she had a golf lesson one day and I went with her. I thought it was really cool and her coach ended up being my first coach. He was really nice and he really kind of sparked that first point of love for me and for the game. Just through getting to know him and seeing her do it, I wanted to give it a try as well.

    Q: Was golf the only sport you played? 

    Vaikuntam: I played basketball pretty heavily, that was my main sport before golf. So it was very, very different going from a team sport to an individual sport. I liked that golf was individual, and I stuck with it from there. 

    Q: When did you realize your play could translate to Division I?

    Vaikuntam: There was always a hope for me to do play Division I, just internally with me. I knew of when a lot of people were talking about how many women’s golf scholarships in the division one space were going to waste and right when my year came around is when recruiting really got tough. It was right after COVID. A lot of coaches were keeping a lot of their rosters full from years previous and not really recruiting very much. So it was a leap of faith for me. The recruiting process was tough. I didn’t know if I was gonna land a spot or where I would land the spot. But it was always just a big goal of mine to strive to be a division one student athlete and throughout high school I really put in the work to get there and ended up here. 

    Q: You’re in your junior year and you’re a team captain, what was that like when you heard the news? 

    Vaikuntam: I was really happy. It was another goal of mine. I had come in as the only freshman, so I’m the only one in my class on the team. I became really close with the seniors my freshman year, they took me under their wing, especially Leanne, who was my team captain the past two years. She helped me develop my leadership skills and my own way. I really was forced to  find my own voice on the team because I didn’t have anybody else to lean on. It gave me an outlet to showcase my leadership skills, even as a freshman. A really big goal of mine was to take a leadership position on the team, even if it wasn’t with the title of captain. So, I was over the moon that Coach trusted me with the position and I hope I’m doing him proud so far.

    Q: What are the duties of team captain? 

    Vaikuntam: Golf is not traditionally a team sport, so a lot of my responsibilities rely on team chemistry and making sure that the girls really do understand that we are a team. So in the lift room, uplifting everybody, organizing team dinners and making sure that the girls’ voices are heard. I’m kind of the bridge between coach and our team. I hear what coach has to say and I hear what the girls have to say, and I try to relay it to both as much as possible so that everybody’s on the same page.

    Because we are a smaller team, news travel is very fast around us, so we wanna make everybody is on the same page and that everybody’s being heard. Also all the stuff that comes with that is organizing, so handling all the schedules for the teams for our practice schedules, making sure that everybody is accommodated for, so its kind of the traditional stuff, but also a lot heavily on relation building. 

    Q: How have you built team chemistry on the team? 

    Vaikuntam: We do a lot of team dinners as much as possible, we try to. It’s hard because everybody schedule doesn’t really line up very well, but we’ve been able to have a couple of fun team dinners. 

    We went to the Haunted Trail in October for Halloween. fun. We took Coach Meg who was our strength coach with us and, you know, coach refused to come in, but he was in the van. So that was a really fun thing that we did. 

    We try to do small activities like that that really give us a chance to get to know each other outside of the sport. I think it is incredibly important. We do spend a lot of time together just in our everyday life. After lift, we usually have team breakfast. We see each other throughout the day passing through. We try to do as much fun activities as possible. 

    Q: What did you guys take away from the fall portion of the season? 

    Vaikuntam: The fall season was great for us because we have five freshmen on the teams, so it was really an opportunity for us to see what everybody can do. This year, I’d say more than the past two years that I’ve been here, the team is extremely close in our abilities. So on any given day, any given person can be having the best day, so it really pushes our team to put in the work and fight for our spots on the roster when we do go to tournaments because only some of us travel. So it gave us a really good opportunity to kind of see the layout of the team and how everything is going to go for the spring. It also developed that competitive mentality we had in the fall and bringing it into the spring. The fall really gave us a good showing of the potential that we have there. 

    Q: What are some of your routines for a tournament?

    Vaikuntam: When I go to an away tournament, I’m an extreme overpacker. We have outfits lined out for each day so that we’re all matching together, but I overpack. But on the golf course, I’m very methodical in my shot process, so I have a whole routine for each shot, but I’ve learned over the years that golf is a very mental game. I believe it’s 80% mental and 20% ability most times. So, I try to keep it as light as possible in between shots, so sometimes I am striking up conversation with the people in my group or singing a song in my head and not thinking about my score for the entire round, and really take it one shot at a time. 

    Q: How are you carrying the loss from the conference championship last season into this season?

    Vaikuntam: Last year would have been a four-peat for us, so that loss renewed the energy, the competitiveness, and the fight in us that everybody’s willing to really put in the work to get there. We had a lot of seniors that left last year and they had a lot of success in their time here. We’ve won three conference championships in the recent years, so the girls, especially the freshmen, know how much this team can do and the ability of the team and they’re just as eager as we are to get back into that position and carry that championship again for our program. 

    Q: You just finished the Columbia Classic, what can you take away from your first event for the rest of the season? 

    Vaikuntam: We don’t have another tournament until spring break, so it is a little less than a month out from our next tournament. We broke off the rust a little bit at our past tournament and learning what mistakes we made on the course that we can do better in the future. Maybe somebody wasn’t feeling good at that tournament, so preparations for the week upcoming to the next tournament are gonna be changed a little bit, so just as minor changes. As a team, it went smoothly from a whole operation standpoint, but since it’s an individual sport, everybody kind of knows what they need to work on. Our team mindset going into all of our tournaments is that we want to be at our best and compete at our highest level. 

    Q: As a Division I golfer, what is it like for you to mini golf?

    Vaikuntam: I always say that golfers make the worst mini golfers, but maybe that’s just me. In my past experience, every time I go, my friends who have never picked up a golf club before, always beat me. I think it’s because I’m thinking about it a little too much from my habits, so I make a pretty bad mini golfer, but I still enjoy it. And they tease me about it all the time. 

    Q: What do you do outside of golf? 

    Vaikuntam: I spend a lot of time with my friends. I try to do as many small adventures as possible. After last year, I  have tried to find that balance between doing stuff outside and doing stuff in here as much as I can. I’m just trying to keep it as fun as possible, and I always take my teammates with me if I can. The freshmen don’t have cars, so I try to like, you know, get them out a little bit because I know for me as a freshman, I was just stuck in my dorm.

    This past weekend a few of us went to the Yale Peabody Museum and then we went to lunch and just had a fun little weekend.

    Q: How have you seen yourself improve from freshman to junior year? 

    Vaikuntam I just learned how to kind of function here. It was a big change. A lot of us are far from home and I’m across the country, so it really forced me to be a lot more independent. I’ve really just grown into this team a little bit. Being captain has really given me the ability to know all of my teammates on a deeper personal level and  find ways to bring us all together. It’s been a very enriching experience. I’ve grown a lot since freshman year, especially under the guidance of Leanne the past two years. She has really helped me out and put me in a position where I can lead and be a captain of this team. 




  • Quinnipiac baseball schedule breakdown: Six series to watch out for in 2025

    Quinnipiac baseball schedule breakdown: Six series to watch out for in 2025

    Last year, optimism spilled from the locker room of the 2024 Quinnipiac baseball team, which had been voted to finish No. 2 in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll. All foretold a promising season. Instead, the team subsequently went 20-30, finished eighth in the MAAC and missed the postseason tournament entirely. 

    Now, a clean slate presents itself. The Bobcats will play 53 games in 2025, giving them 53 opportunities to find the magic that could bring the program its first MAAC championship since 2019. They were selected to finish No. 4 this season, naming one player, outfielder CJ Willis, to the preseason All-MAAC Team. 

    With the season looming, we will break down six key matchups inside Quinnipiac’s 2025 schedule, analyzing the implications each one could have on the Bobcats’ season. 

    No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs 

    Feb. 14 (12 p.m.) and Feb. 15 (12 p.m.) – Wilmington, North Carolina

    Quinnipiac will play four games in three days to start its season, traveling to Wilmington to play No. 8 Georgia and UNC Wilmington twice each. The Bulldogs specifically will be quite a difficult matchup for the Bobcats, who have not beaten a nationally-ranked opponent since their 2019 season that ended in a MAAC championship. Quinnipiac scored eight runs Feb. 23 to hand then-No. 20 ranked Wake Forest a loss.

    Georgia finished 2024 with a 43-17 record, making a run all the way to an NCAA Tournament’s Super Regional, the equivalent of a quarterfinal round. The Bobcats may be outmatched against a high-profile opponent, but it will be a good opportunity nonetheless to see how the team competes against notable competition. It is also a good opportunity to see how the team will line up on the diamond. Quinnipiac had some serious roster turnover from 2024 to 2025, losing 21 players from last year including a handful of top starters like catcher Keegan O’Connor, center fielder Jared Zimbardo and designated hitter/first baseman Sean Swenson. 

    The stakes for these two games are low, but a commendable performance from Quinnipiac could wash away the bad taste of last season’s underperformance and set the tone for 2025. Georgia will be one of the best teams — if not the best — the Bobcats play this year and it will be fun to watch the Bobcats match up against a Power 5 roster If Quinnipiac can show some signs of life against one of the SEC’s best, it could be a positive sign of things to come later in the season. 

    – Zachary Carter

    Iona Gaels 

    March 7 (3 p.m.), March 8 (2 p.m.), March 9 (1 p.m.) – Hamden

    Jumping ahead to the weekend of March 7, the Bobcats return to Hamden, squaring off against the Iona Gaels in a three-game clash, their first series in MAAC play in the 2025 season. Iona finished with an underwhelming 12-38 record last spring, giving the Bobcats a chance to take an early advantage in conference standings.

    In 2024, Quinnipiac won all three games against Iona, scoring 27 runs in as many innings. Throughout 50 contests, the Gaels had the third-highest earned run average in the MAAC, allowing close to eight earned runs per nine innings. Additionally, they ranked No. 4 total earned runs allowed and No. 2 in walks. To take advantage of this, veteran players like graduate first baseman Sebastian Mueller need to keep the offense hot. Although he only appeared in 11 games, Mueller is coming off his best season at the plate, hitting .357 in 2024 and is poised to improve again as he steadily has in his four years in Hamden. 

    When they met Iona in 2024,, the Bobcats had a 6-18 record.  Their sweep of the Gaels allowed them to finish the season on a good note, going 14-12 to end the campaign. If the Bobcats can get out on the right foot against a conference opponent, history could repeat itself for Quinnipiac, allowing it to go on another positive run as they approach other MAAC foes like Rider and Marist to wrap up March.

    – Michael King

    UConn Huskies 

    April 1(3 p.m.) – Storrs

    April 1 marks the first meeting between these two in-state rivals since 2017. The all-time series between Quinnipiac and UConn is a bit lopsided, with the Huskies taking 12 of 17 games and winning the last seven. But, much like Georgia, UConn will be a good gauge for Quinnipiac to assess where the team is at around the halfway mark of the season. 

    The Huskies are typically one of the nation’s best teams. They’re the favorites to win the Big East this year and are a staple in NCAA postseason play, having appeared in the NCAA tournament every year since 2018 (minus the canceled COVID season in 2020). With this game being played midweek, the Bobcats won’t have to face one of UConn’s top starters. Stealing a win in Storrs could ignite a strong push in the back half of MAAC play and give the Bobcats the confidence they might need to make a late-season push.

    – Zachary Carter 

    Niagara Purple Eagles 

    April 4 (3 p.m.), April 5 (2 p.m.), April 6 (12 p.m.) – Lewiston, New York

    Three days after Quinnipiac challenges UConn, the Bobcats will travel to western New York for a three game weekend series with Niagara. If the Bobcats can pull off an upset win in Storrs, they could ride into this series with some serious momentum against a formidable conference opponent.

    The Purple Eagles, 2024’s MAAC champions, come in at sixth place in the preseason coaches poll. They saw two of their best players from the previous season leave for the MLB draft, with junior first baseman Eric Rataczak and sophomore pitcher Ryan Minckler being drafted by the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals, respectively. Rataczak had one of the best seasons in Niagara history last season, leading the MAAC in batting average (.396), OPS (1.183), RBI (71) and OBP (.485).

    Without these players for the spring season, Quinnipiac matches up much more favorably this time around. 

    Last time around, Rataczak had three hits, two RBI and drew five walks in a three-game sweep of Quinnipiac at home. A series win in the early stages of the second half of the season could provide some crucial fuel to the fire if the Bobcats want to go on a hot run down the stretch in MAAC play.

    – Michael King

    Merrimack Warriors

    April 11 (3 p.m.), April 12 (1 p.m.), April 13 (1 p.m.) – Hamden

    2025 is the inaugural season for Merrimack in the MAAC. They’re not projected to have a stellar year — voted to finish just ninth in the preseason coaches poll — but they’ll play the Bobcats in a mid-April series that could spell trouble if Quinnipiac does not approach the three games with caution. 

    Quinnipiac is a team that has not played well on the road in recent years. Dating back to 2020, the Bobcats are 32-91 in the past five seasons when playing games away from Hamden. Coming into this Merrimack series, they will have played five straight games on the road against two state schools in UConn and URI, bracketed by a three-game series against the defending MAAC champion Niagara Purple Eagles.

    If the Bobcats might hit a skid at any point in the season, here makes the most sense.

    Head coach John Delaney and his team will have to take advantage of what should be a struggling Warriors squad and take care of business when Quinnipiac might need a series win the most. The Bobcats and Warriors have met three times in the two programs’ histories, all of which came last year. Quinnipiac beat Merrimack both at home and on the road, including an impressive 21-3 win in early March. 

    – Zachary Carter

    Sacred Heart Pioneers  

    May 15 (3 p.m.), May 16 (1 p.m.), May 17 (1 p.m.) – Fairfield

    The Bobcats finish their regular season with a three three-game  MAAC series. The final opponent of that stretch is Sacred Heart, a newcomer to the MAAC. With a respectable 35-23 record in 2024, the Pioneers are looking to make some noise in a brand new setting. The Bobcats and Pioneers have a 51-game history, with Sacred Heart narrowly in front in the all-time matchup at 27-24. 

    Once again, the inability to consistently win on the road over the past five years could be a major hill to climb, so Quinnipiac will need to be extra focused if it wants to extend its season. A repeat of last spring, which saw the Bobcats finish 3-7 in their final ten contests, would be detrimental with teams like Canisius and Mount St. Mary’s looming for a playoff berth.

    Depending on how the Bobcats handle earlier opponents this season, this final series could be a make-or-break for them if they want to be a disruptor in the postseason. 

    – Michael King

  • Women’s ice hockey battles for playoff positioning

    Women’s ice hockey battles for playoff positioning

    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.