Looking at the history books, the upcoming title match up seems like a David v. Goliath situation.
Quinnipiac’s first NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2002, and the team reached national relevance in 2013 when they made the Frozen Four for the first time. Minnesota is the gold standard in collegiate hockey, having the most NCAA Tournament victories out of any program, with 61 wins.
The Gophers beat the Bobcats 11-2 in their lone meet-up during the 2000 season, Quinnipiac’s third year as a Division I squad.
“[Minnesota] paid us to come out there — they were looking for wins,” 29-year Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold said. “I don’t think they gave me enough money either … I should have asked for more — I wasn’t smart enough.”
The Bobcats defeated Michigan 5-2 Thursday night in the national semifinals. They don’t lose often, four on the year from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). Their style of play is similar to stifling defensive groups like Mankato, St. Cloud or Notre Dame.
Eliciting a 1-1-3 zone, the Bobcats defenders trap their prey in the neutral zone. Against a faster and stronger Michigan team, the Wolverines’ transition attack had troubles breaking through into the opposing zone.
“That’s really what helped Quinnipiac win,” said Quinnipiac Chronicle sports editor Cameron Levassaur. “Michigan wasn’t used to having to defend like that in transition, so the Bobcats caught them off guard.”
One of the ways to evade this trap is to dump and chase. Michigan didn’t do that enough to win the game and relied on their speed to break the three-man neutral zone wall.
“I’ve known Rand a long time,” Gophers head coach Bob Motzko, who lost to Pecknold in the 2013 Frozen Four, said. “He’s got that program dialed in. They play a north-south game as fast as you can play it. They’re stingy defensively, and he keeps doing it cycle after cycle after cycle.”
Jimmy Snuggerud, who was part of the U.S. National 2023 World Junior Team, added: “Being coached by Rand, at the World Juniors — he’s the type of coach to really shut things down.It’s going to be hard to get by them.”
The Bobcats lead the country in fewest goals allowed per game (1.55) and penalty minutes per game (6.9). Gophers goalie Justen Close said it’ll be important for the Gophers to get on the forecheck and get some zone time going.
M&T Bank Arena, in Quinnipiac’s home of Hamden, Connecticut, can hold up to 3,386 attendees, and the school had a fall 2022 enrollment of 8,788 students.
Both numbers are lower than the number of seats at Mariucci Arena, which is currently 10,000. Minnesota’s fall 2022 enrollment was 54,955. Discounting the climate, you can’t find two more different hockey programs and schools to face off for the 2023 NCAA Hockey Championship Trophy.
The title game will be televised at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time on ESPN2 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Players to watch:
- So. G Yaniv Perets (GAA: 1.48, .932 save percentage, 10 shutouts, 33 wins): A Mike Richter Award finalist, Yaniv Perets is widely heralded as one of the best goalies in the country. He is ranked at the top of nearly every goalie statistic, being .001 behind Northeastern’s netminder and Mike Richter Award winner Devon Levi for the top save percentage. He’s ECAC Goalie of the Year and is unanimous all-conference first team.
- So. F Collin Graf (58 points: 20 goals, 38 assists): Third in the nation in scoring, Graf is a transfer from Union College who exploded offensively in his second collegiate go-around. He’s the only Bobcat to score a hat trick this season playing against neighboring rival Yale and is unanimous all-conference first team.
- Fr. F Sam Lipkin (41 points: 14 goals, 27 assists): Lipkin is a deadly shooter of the puck, who rifled the game-winning goal to begin the final period versus Michigan. He became the first Quinnipiac freshman to notch 3 points in an NCAA tournament game with a goal and two assists against Merrimack in the first round of the Bridgeport regional. He’s ECAC Rookie of the year.
- Gr. F Ethan de Jong (40 points: 19 goals, 21 assists): De Jong is the most experienced player ever in the NCAA, playing 183 total games through five years. He passed Larry Olimb last night for the most times lacing up the skates for a single team in NCAA history.
- So. F Jacob Quillan (37 points: 18 goals, 19 assists): Quillian scored the first two goals for the Bobcats against Michigan. This was his second multi-goal game of the tournament with a pair of lamp lighters against Merrimack in the first round of the Bridgeport regional.
- Gr. D Zach Metsa (34 points: 9 goals, 25 assists): The team captain is the second most experienced skater actively playing in the NCAA, with 176 total games played through five years. He scored against Michigan with seven minutes remaining to go up 4-2 yesterday. Afterward, he performed “the Griddy” on the way to the bench.
