Quinnipiac Men’s Hockey: A Look at the 2017-2018 Season

The Quinnipiac Men’s Hockey Team is gearing up for another exciting season! Here’s a look at what we can expect from the Bobcats this year.

Introduction

It’s hard to believe, but it’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing color, the weather is cooling down and hockey season is just around the corner. The Quinnipiac Bobcats are coming off a successful 2016-2017 campaign in which they finished 21-14-5 and made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013. They will look to build on that success this season with a talented group of returners and some key newcomers.

2017-2018 season Outlook

The Quinnipiac men’s Hockey Team is coming off a successful 2016-2017 season in which they won the ECAC tournament and made it to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. They will look to build on that success this season with a mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers.

The Bobcats lost some Key Players from last year’s team, including leading scorer Sam Anas and goaltender Michael Garteig. However, they return a number of key players such as captain Soren Jonzzon and leading defenseman Chase Priskie. They also have a number of highly touted recruits, including forwards Wyatt Bongiovanni and Odeen Tufto.

With a mix of experience and talent, the Quinnipiac men’s Hockey team looks poised for another successful season

Key Returning Players

With the 2017-2018 season rapidly approaching, Quinnipiac Men’s Hockey appears to be in good hands. The team will look to build on last year’s success, led by a strong core of key returning players.

In net, the Bobcats will once again be relying on freshman sensation Andrew Shortridge. Shortridge was a major factor in Quinnipiac’s run to the National Championship game last season, and will look to carry that momentum into his sophomore campaign.

On defense, the team will be led by senior captain Chase Priskie. Priskie was second on the team in scoring last season with 25 points, and his leadership will be invaluable to a relatively young defensive corps. Along with Priskie, junior Luke Shiplo and sophomore Brogan Rafferty will look to anchor the defense in front of Shortridge.

Up front, the Bobcats will be led by senior captain Soren Jonzzon. Jonzzon led the team in scoring last season with 46 points, and will look to build on that success this year. Junior Kevin Duane and sophomore Bo Brauer will also play key roles on offense for Quinnipiac this season.

With a strong group of returning players leading the way, Quinnipiac Men’s Hockey looks poised for another Successful Season

Key Departing Players

The Quinnipiac men’s hockey team will have some big shoes to fill this season, as they lose several Key Players from last year’s squad.

Forwards Landon Smith and Travis St. Denis were both seniors last season, and they were two of the team’s leading scorers. Smith tallied 15 goals and 18 assists, while St. Denis racked up 12 goals and 19 assists.

The Bobcats will also be without junior forward Sam Anas, who decided to sign with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild after tallying 21 goals and 19 assists last season. Anas was Quinnipiac’s leading scorer and was named a First Team All-American.

Junior goaltender Michael Garteig also decided to forego his senior year, signing with the Vancouver Canucks Garteig was one of the best goaltenders in the country last season, posting a .926 save percentage and leading Quinnipiac to the National Championship game.

Newcomers to Watch

This season, the Quinnipiac Men’s hockey team will have a few new faces on the ice. Here are a couple of newcomers to keep an eye on:

Forward Logan Vick ’21 comes to Quinnipiac from the nobility league where he captained his team in 2016-17. In 41 games, Vick racked up 24 goals and 27 assists. He was awarded the U19Forward of the Year and led his team to the National Championship game.

Defenseman Connor Clifton ’20 is a transfer from Boston University He is a dynamic player who is excellent at both ends of the ice. In his two seasons with BU, Clifton totaled 5 goals and 14 assists in 70 games.

Schedule Highlights

The Quinnipiac Bobcats finished last season 26-9-2, good for second in the ECAC and a #6 ranking in the PairWise. They lost key contributors from that team to graduation, but return a strong core led by senior captain Soren Jonzzon. Here are some of the highlights from their 2017-2018 schedule:

-The Bobcats open the season at home against Mercyhurst on October 6th.
-They travel to Hanover, New Hampshire to take on Dartmouth on October 27th.
-They host Cornell on November 17th and 18th in what should be two very tough games.
-They travel to Ithaca to take on Cornell again on February 2nd and 3rd.
-They finish the regular season at home against Princeton on March 3rd and 4th.

Potential Roadblocks

The Quinnipiac men’s Hockey Team is coming off a season in which they made it to the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in program history. The team will look to make it back to the tournament this season, but there are a few potential roadblocks that could prevent them from doing so.

One potential roadblock is the loss of key players from last year’s team. The Bobcats lose leading scorer Sam Anas, who signed with the Minnesota Wild and defenseman Soren Jonzzon, who graduated. They also lose goaltender Michael Garteig, who was a senior last season.

Another potential roadblock is that several of the Bobcats’ Top Players are entering their senior year. This includes leading scorer Travis St. Denis, defenseman Luke Ripley, and goaltender Chase Priskie. If any of these players have an off year or get injured, it could be tough for the Bobcats to make it back to the NCAA tournament

The Bobcats also have a new Head Coach this season in Rand Pecknold. Pecknold has been with the program for over 20 years and has been successful at every level, but it remains to be seen how he will do in his first year as head coach of the Bobcats.

If the Bobcats can overcome these potential roadblocks, they should have another successful season and make it back to the NCAA tournament

Bottom Line

The 2017-2018 Quinnipiac Men’s Hockey Team had a successful season, finishing with a record of 20-13-2. The team finished in 5th place in the ECAC standings and made it to the conference semifinals, where they lost to eventual conference champion Clarkson.

Despite falling short of their ultimate goal of winning a conference championship the Bobcats had a number of individual successes this season. Sophomore defenseman Chase Priskie was named to the All-ECAC First Team, while junior forward Landon Smith was named to the All-ECAC Second Team. In addition, Head Coach Rand Pecknold was named ECAC Coach of the Year.

Looking ahead to next season, the Bobcats will lose senior forwards Sam Anas and Soren Jonzzon to graduation, but will return a strong core of players that should put them in contention for another Conference Championship

Conclusion

It was another great season for the Quinnipiac men’s Hockey Team They finished with a record of 30-3-7, won the regular season conference title and made it to the NCAA Tournament The Bobcats were ultimately defeated by Notre Dame in the quarterfinals, but it was still a very successful season.

Looking ahead to next season, there are a few things to keep an eye on. First of all, star player Connor Clifton will be graduating, so the team will need to find a way to replace his production. Additionally, leading scorer Scott Davidson will also be gone, so the Bobcats will need someone else to step up and score goals With that said, Quinnipiac still has a lot of talent returning next season and should be in contention for another conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance.

Thank You

Thank you for your interest in Quinnipiac Men’s Hockey. We are excited for the upcoming season and hope you enjoy this preview.

The 2017-2018 season was a successful one for the Quinnipiac Bobcats culminating in a trip to the NCAA National Championship game. This year’s team looks to build on that success, returning many key players from last season. Led by captain and leading scorer Landon Smith, the Bobcats look to take home their first National Championship in program history.

Quinnipiac will face stiff competition this season from some of the nation’s top teams conference rivals such as Yale and Harvard are always tough opponents, and teams like Clarkson and St. Lawrence cannot be overlooked. But with a strong core of returning players, the Bobcats are confident they can make another deep run in the NCAA tournament and win it all this time.

Thank you again for your support of Quinnipiac Men’s Hockey. We hope you enjoy following us this season!