The Quinnipiac Chronicle Issue 22, Volume 83

special edition QUChronicle.com March 14, 2014 Volume 83 Issue 22 Proud recipient of the New England Society of Newspaper Editors' award for 2012 & 2013 College Newspaper of the Year

Rivalry returns

Matt Eisenberg/Chronicle

Quinnipiac goaltender Michael Garteig dives to make a save after Yale’s Jesse Root takes a shot in the second period of the Quinnipiac/Yale game on Nov. 9. The two teams meet this weekend in a best-of-three series in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals.

Whitney War resumes in league quarterfinals

By NICK SOLARI

Associate Sports Editor

Well, here we go again.

For the second time in as many years, Quinnipiac and Yale will meet in the ECAC Hockey tournament.

As if the rivalry needed another chapter, the Bobcats are set to host the Bulldogs this weekend in the quarterfinal round. The bestof-three series will begin Friday night at the TD Bank Sports Center, with puck drop slated for 7 p.m. Game 2 will take place Saturday and Game 3 Sunday, if necessary. The winner of this weekend’s series will move

Bulldogs down Quinnipiac 4-0 on to the semifinals in Lake on the biggest stage, the Placid, N.Y. national championship.

Still, there is more at “I don’t think I’ll stake than just that. forget that game as Quinnipiac and long as I live,” senior Yale met twice in the Zach Tolkinen said. regular season this year, “You get that close, 28 preceded by four total guys get that close, I matchups last year. The SERIES SCHEDULE don’t think there will Bobcats beat Yale in the ever be a day I don’t refirst three matchups, inGAME 1: Friday, 7 p.m. member that game.” cluding a 3-0 win in the GAME 2: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Senior assistant capconference consolation game, only to have the GAME 3 (if nec.): Sunday, 7 p.m. tain Connor Jones said

that the Bobcats are prepared for any team to come to town, and that the game plan wouldn’t change for Yale. However, he too admitted to being a bit excited when he learned that the opponent would be Yale.

“I think with the way last year ended, we wanted a chance at them,” Jones said.

Quinnipiac is 1-0-1 against Yale this year. The two teams tied 3-3 back on Nov. 9, in front of a sold-out, tumultuous crowd in Hamden.

“At 5 o’clock the kids are waiting outSee Yale Page 3

2|Sports

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

meet The Staff

March 14, 2014

Healthy Samuels-Thomas key for playoff run

Editor-in-chief Katherine Rojas SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR Matt Eisenberg SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR Katie O’Brien DESIGN EDITOR Hannah Schindler NEWS EDITOR Julia Perkins ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Amanda Hoskins ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Nicole Hanson ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Sarah Harris ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Sara Kozlowski SPORTS EDITOR Bryan Lipiner ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Nick Solari ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Ian McCracken PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Megan Maher CARTOONIST Kristen Riello ADVISER Lila Carney

The Quinnipiac Chronicle is the proud recipient of the New England Society of Newspaper Editors’ award for College Newspaper of the Year in New England for 2011-12 and 2012-13.

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Matt Eisenberg/Chronicle

Forward Jordan Samuels-Thomas has missed six of the Bobcats’ last seven games. Quinnipiac is 1-4-1 in games he has missed this year.

In 30 games this season, he has totaled 27 points on 12 goals and 15 assists. second-lowest rate in the country over the They’re gonna need him this weekend.

No, I’m not talking about Hobey Baker course of a full season.

Putting it into perspective, if Quinnipiac candidates Connor and Kellen Jones. Or ECAC Hockey goals against average leader goes a whole season without Samuels-Thomas at that rate, it would score 66 goals, 51 Michael Garteig. fewer scores than its total with the forI’m talking about Jordan Samuelsward.

Thomas, a senior who will be QuinYes, Quinnipiac did put up four nipiac’s x-factor when the Bobcats goals at Yale in February without host Yale this weekend in the ECAC Samuels-Thomas in the lineup, but Hockey quarterfinals, a best-ofthe offense has struggled without three set. him.

Aside from dressing on Feb. 28 In his two-year career as a Bobcat, at St. Lawrence, Quinnipiac has been Samuels-Thomas has combined without Samuels-Thomas for six for 56 points. Last season, games this season due to inhe led the team in goals jury, and the team went with 17. This year, he 1-4-1 in that span. JST, has scored 12 times, as he is referred to and would likely

by Quinnipiac fans, have more goals if he last appeared against wasn’t injured.

Clarkson at home on When SamuelsFeb. 7, recording an Bryan Lipiner Sports Editor Thomas scores in a assist. @Bryan_Lipiner game, the Bobcats are The nature of the injury is unknown. There have been rumblings 11-0-1. When he doesn’t even score a point? about a shoulder issue, and Samuels-Thomas 6-5-5.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” has been seen with his arm in a sling. The Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team, through Quinnipiac Coach Rand Pecknold said. “He’s a spokesperson, declined to comment on the a great player, makes us deeper. He’s really improved his defensive skills this year.” injury.

As Pecknold stated, Samuels-Thomas’ Regardless of the injury or its form, the Bobcats will need Samuels-Thomas to con- defensive ability cannot be underestimated.

Day in and day out, he will forecheck across tribute this weekend. And the stats prove it.

Through 36 games this season, Quinnipi- the offensive zone, outrace opponents and ac has tallied 128 goals, good for an average battle in the corners.

Without him, Quinnipiac loses a 6-foot-4 of 3.56 per game, fourth in the country. In 30 games with Samuels-Thomas in the lineup, two-way forward and a key goal scorer. His Quinnipiac has racked up 117 goals. Yet in spot on the second and third lines has also six games without the senior, the Bobcats been missed. Freshmen Tommy Schutt and have found the net just 11 times, an average Tim Clifton have shuffled into the senior’s of 1.83 goals per game, which would be the wing spot, yet the absence of Samuels-

Thomas has still been felt. The physical line of Bryce Van Brabant, Cory Hibbeler and Samuels-Thomas is a stark comparison to the former two with a freshman subbed in.

“When we have him, we’re a three-line team,” Pecknold said.

Last but not least, Samuels-Thomas has had the hot hand when it comes to late gamewinning goals.

Last season at Maine, he notched the goahead goal with 96 seconds left in regulation, leading Quinnipiac to a 2-1 win. Later on in the season, Samuels-Thomas scored an overtime winner against Dartmouth at home. Two months ago, he recorded another game-winning goal against Maine with 63 seconds left.

Against Yale in a best-of-three set at home, it would invaluable to have SamuelsThomas on the ice in those late-game moments.

When Samuels-Thomas scores in a game, the Bobcats are 11-0-1. When he doesn’t even record a point? 6-5-5.

That said, the Bobcats don’t play just one game this weekend. In potentially playing three games in as many days, team health and stamina will be key. On top of all that, the rival from 10 miles down the road comes to town. Given the current PairWise Rankings, a Quinnipiac series victory would likely eliminate the Bulldogs from tournament contention.

Will Quinnipiac need Samuels-Thomas for this weekend? Absolutely. But will he be dressing come Friday night?

Only one way to find out.

March 14, 2014

The Quinnipiac Chronicle

Sports|3

Rivalry by the numbers goals per game

All-time record vs. yale

QU

11-5-3

3.56

Yale

3.26 goals against average

QU Yale

last 10 meetings

1.92 2.29 Penalty killing

QU

91.4%

Yale

80.6% Power-play percentage

QU Yale

23.1% 18.5%

QU, Yale fight for spot in conference semis yale from cover side to get in, that’s what big time college athletics is all about,” Quinnipiac Head Coach Rand Pecknold said after that game.

“We’re thrilled that this has become more than a game, it’s an event.”

Yale scored three second-period goals in under four minutes to take a 3-2 lead, only to have Matthew Peca tie things up with 4:54 left in regulation.

“You don’t want to dwell too much on last year, but obviously we had a little chip on our shoulder,” Peca said. “We knew what they did to us. You just use that as extra motivation.”

Quinnipiac then downed Yale 4-0 at Ingalls Rink during the second meeting on Feb. 14. Michael Garteig had 33 saves, turning in his fifth of six shutouts on the year, and Quinnipiac captain Cory Hibbeler had three points in the win.

Hibbeler said the team wasn’t satisfied with the tie back in November, and what had happened in the national championship game was still very much on the minds of many.

“We felt like we owed them one tonight,” Hibbeler said in February.

But things have changed significantly.

The Bobcats lost their next three games, and are 1-3-1 since that night in New Haven.

Only four of Quinnipiac’s 13 goals in that five-game span came on even strength.

Freshman Sam Anas, who leads the team with 40 points, thinks the struggles are behind them.

“It’s much better to go through it then, than this next month,” Anas said. “We’ve learned a lot in these last couple of weeks, the teams feeling good right now.”

Yale has won three straight and is 5-1-1

since the loss to Quinnipiac. The Bulldogs swept Harvard in the first round last weekend, winning 4-0 Friday night and 2-1 on Saturday.

The Bobcats, coming off a first-round bye last week, are 12-4-2 on home ice thus far this season.

“We knew whatever team we play, we were going to make it hard on them,” Anas said. “We’ve got great fans, they make it a hard place to play and we feed off them.”

Quinnipiac enters play No. 4 in the country in team offense, scoring 3.56 goals per game, and No. 2 in team defense, giving up only 1.92 goals per game.

The Bulldogs aren’t far behind, checking in at No. 12 in the country in scoring, and No. 10 in team defense.

One area to watch might be penalty kill.

Quinnipiac leads with country in that category, killing off 91.4 percent of penalties all year long.

“In the end, we want to do what we do well, and that’s stay true to our identity, that’s why we win,” Pecknold said. “In the long run, it’s all about us playing Quinnipiac hockey.”

The Bobcats will be required to play their style against a rather familiar foe. Only this time, the stakes are as high as they’ve been all season long, with a chance to avenge last season’s loss by knocking the Bulldogs out of the NCAA playoff picture. Yale is ranked 18th in the PairWise Rankings and would likely need to win the conference to reach this year’s NCAA Tournament.

“We’re taking this weekend seriously,” Hibbeler said. “From here on out, we’re taking every game seriously, but because it’s Yale, because of what happened at the end of last year, we definitely have something to prove, and that’s the plan.”

Quinnipiac 4, Yale 0 Quinnipiac 3, Yale 3 Yale 4, Quinnipiac 0 Quinnipiac 3, Yale 0 Quinnipiac 4, Yale 1 Quinnipiac 6, Yale 2 Quinnipiac 2, Yale 2 Quinnipiac 2, Yale 1 Yale 6, Quinnipiac 1 Yale 5, Quinnipiac 1

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Feb. 14, 2014 Nov. 9, 2013 April 13, 2013 March 23, 2013 Feb. 22, 2013 Feb. 2, 2013 Feb. 25, 2012 Jan. 6, 2012 Feb. 18, 2011 Nov. 6, 2010

#beat yale