BRIDGEPORT, CT – On Friday, a three-point game from Quinnipiac Bobcat Sam Lipkin and two goals from Jacob Quillan demonstrated why the team was the top-seed in the NCAA Regionals with a 5-0 dismantling of the Merrimack Warriors before a crowd of 4,462 at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
After scoring twice in the second period on goals from Joey Cipollone and Quillan, it was a dominant third period where Quinnipiac (31-4-3) scored three times that ultimately advanced the Bobcats to the Regional Final on Sunday in Bridgeport at 4 PM against Ohio State after the Buckeyes dismembered Harvard, 8-1 in the other semi-final game.
At 6:28 of the third period, a blocked shot by Zach Mesta sent the puck to Michael Lombardi, and he fired one past Merrimack (23-14-1) goaltender Zachary Borgiel up high to make it 3-0.
8:13 later, the Bobcats would bank their fourth goal as Sam Lipkin found Quillan for his second tally of the contest. Lipkin would be rewarded for his helper with an empty netter off a cross-ice feed from Ethan de Jong. The secondary helper going to Jake Johnson with 1:29 left to seal the deal.
What would prove to be the game-winner for the Bobcats came at 1:56 of the second period when Cipollone found the loose biscuit left by a whiffed-on shot by Jayden Lee. Cippollone benefited from some puck luck as his shot toward the net found the skate of Will Calverley and redirected past Borgiel to give the Bobcats the only goal they would need.
Just 1:33 later, the Bobcats produced a second tally when Quinlan scored his first of the two on the day from a Lipkin pass. The secondary assist going to Collin Graf.
We’re not the sexiest team on the planet,” Rand Pecknold, Quinnipiac’s head coach, said. “We’re not perfect. We just grind and grind and get rewarded for it.”
That grinding style was fully displayed in the first period as both teams grappled for control. Despite Quinnipiac outshooting Merrimack 14-7, they went to the intermission with no score.
Quinnipiac was playing lockdown defense the entire game. However, the best opportunities for Merrimack were denied by goaltender Yaniv Perets.
The shutout by the Quinnipiac Bobcats was their tenth of the season.
Sunday’s winner will compete in the NCAA D1 Frozen Four tournament.
(Photo: Jim Stankiewicz)
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