The Quinnipiac Bobcats defeated the Sacred Heart Pioneers 3-2 in overtime in the second 2022 Connecticut Ice semifinal matchup.
Here are the key takeaways …
- Quinnipiac struck first roughly seven minutes in the game. TJ Friedmann fired one from the point, and while it was blocked in front, it bounced right to Joey Cipollone, who beat Pioneers netminder Justin Robbins for his fifth goal of the season, putting the Bobcats up 1-0.
Sacred Heart sent 10 shots on net in the first, but Quinnipiac goalie Dylan St. Cyr stopped everything that came his way, and the Bobcats held a 1-0 lead after one.
- Quinnipiac was on the attack early in the second period, but Robbins stood tall in net to keep it a one-goal game. Midway through the period, a loose puck in front of the Sacred Heart net resulted in a couple of great scoring chances, but Robbins made a couple of sliding saves to keep the puck out of the net, followed by some pushing back and forth by both teams.
The chippy play later resulted in dual minors, and an Oliver Chau interference penalty gave the Pioneers a 4-on-3 chance for just over a minute, but they were not able to capitalize. Neither team scored in the second, though Quinnipiac fired 10 shots on Robbins. Through two, Quinnipiac held an 18-17 shot advantage and a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard.
- Sacred Heart had a couple of strong scoring chances early in the third period, as a centering pass in transition whistled through the crease harmlessly. Finally, though, Sacred Heart was able to tie things up with just over 13 minutes left in the third. After some strong play on the forecheck behind the net, Neil Shea came away with a steal and quickly deposited the puck in the back of the net.
- With momentum on their side, the Pioneers then powered ahead. After a tremendous save by Robbins, the Pioneers broke out on a three-on-one the other way. A centering pass bounced around in front of the net momentarily, and Dakota Raabe was there to clean things up and put Sacred Heart up 2-1.
- With St. Cyr pulled late in the third for Quinnipiac, Austin Magera had a chance to ice the game, but his shot on the empty net missed just wide. That gave the Bobcats new life, and Cipollone took advantage with his second goal of the game, tying things up 2-2 with 1:19 left. The final seconds ticked off the clock sending the game to overtime.
- In the five-minute extra period, with both teams skating three-on-three, it was the Bobcats finding a way to win. With a minute and a half left and Quinnipiac controlling in the Pioneers' zone, Chau made a great move to the net before sliding the puck across the crease to Zach Metsa, who got just enough of the puck to score the game-winning goal.
