Moore Returns To UConn, Mentor Calhoun

Moore Returns To UConn, Mentor Calhoun
By Zach Smart

Tom Moore was angry. He was angry at his team for a sub-par practice. He was angry that the practice squads didn’t bear any resemblance to what he was expecting to see on the floor this season. He was angry at a certain freshman for making some off-the-court freshman mistakes that would prolong practice and culminate the three-hour workout with “suicide” sprints. He was angry at the fact that his team had no choice but to practice in the bandbox Burt Kahn basketball court, because of floor problems at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.

In the midst of a yelling session, the Burt Kahn door busted open, as a fiery Moore apparently had an uninvited guest.

Poor timing.

“Get out!” Moore barked at a reporter who had no business being in the gym during practice time. The reporter’s saunter abruptly changed into a hurried walk out the door, and Moore cleared his throat before dismissing his team.

In just his first week as the Quinnipiac coach who has enhanced the program’s profile, the Jim Calhoun inside Moore leaped out and made its presence felt.

After serving under the no-nonsense Calhoun for 13 years at the University of Connecticut—the last two as UConn’s associate head coach—Moore will be reunited with his mentor and former team on Sunday afternoon.

At the Hartford Civic Center, Moore’s old stomping grounds, the state’s longest existing blood-feud will be renewed.

The annual meeting between hasn’t played out like a rivalry the past eight years. UConn has pummeled the Bobcats in every meeting except last year’s, when a freshman-laden Huskies team gutted out an ugly 53-46 win. It was the first game of a frustrating 2006-2007 campaign for UConn.

“This is certainly unique,” said Moore during a recent teleconference, where he was peppered with questions.

“I have very strong feelings for the University of Connecticut and for Coach Calhoun in particular, and just what he did for my career and the opportunity he afforded me throughout my time there.  I’m also trying to balance what are the best interests with my number one priority right now, which is our program here at Quinnipiac.”

Moore payed homage. He said Calhoun essentially molded his coaching career by blessing him with the opportunity to coach such a top-tier program, front-loaded with top-flight talents. UConn, which won the NCAA championship in 1999 and 2004, has established itself as the NBA factory these past few years (no college team currently has more alumni in the NBA).

Despite the emotional sub-plot, however, Moore insists he will not prepare for UConn’s run-and-gun, go-go brand of basketball much differently. Moore did reveal, however, that he will employ a different defensive style and sit in a zone.

“We’ll try to prepare the same way we did in terms of pre-game stuff. And when we go out to do our stretching and net routine and all that stuff, we’ll keep it as much like that.”

In order to pull off a titanic, historic upset, however, the 4-4 Bobcats will have to jack up their energy level. To the naysayers, just playing neck-and-neck with the up-tempo Huskies—whose superior athleticism few teams can simulate—seems like a daunting task.

Moore explained that he’ll eschew the linkage of emotional ties and Xs and Os to game play.

But he admits that the Big East opponent Quinnipiac will meet about 35 minutes down I-95 Sunday is going to be colossally different than anyone they’ve seen in eight games this season.

“The size and the athleticism will be on another total scale from what we’ve faced,” said Moore.

“So we’re going to try to do a couple things differently, and I’ll be so wrapped up into survival mode during the game, where we’ll constantly be thinking about how do we handle a dunk in traffic by them, how do we handle a reach blocked shot?”

The season couldn’t have started more differently for the two teams and their coaches.

UConn brought back nearly its entire roster while adding freshman guard Donnell Beverly from California.

Quinnipiac, whom Moore left the Huskies bloodline for Quinnipiac following the firing of Joe DeSantis in March, had its roster thoroughly cleansed from last season and was beset by injuries.

Moore, like Calhoun, appears to have a short chain this season, yanking players for a single gaffe. Like Calhoun, Moore is a household name. And also like his predecessor, Moore has scorched the recruiting trail, bringing in arguably the best recruiting class in Quinnipiac’s history this season.

Though he appears to be coaching at a lower stratum this year, and in an entirely different situation, there’s still a bit of Calhoun visible in Tom Moore.

Headlines: You can already picture them in Monday’s sports pages. “Super DeMario,” or “The Price Is Right.” Both leaders for their respective teams, UConn’s A.J. Price and Quinnipiac’s DeMario Anderson have been told by their coaches that the team will only go as far as they can take them.

After a sophomore campaign where he failed to stamp his imprint, Price has lived up to the name he etched for himself at Amityville High in Long Island. The 6-foot-2 point guard has spearheaded the Huskies’ high-horsepower offense to the tune of 12.9 points and 5.6 assists per game. On his way to UConn, the praise lavished on Price was unmatched. But Price was sidelined his first few seasons due to health and legal issues. This year, he has emerged into the leader of a young torrent of talent. Price has been particularly strong in marquee games this season, averaging 22.5 points and 3.5 assists in the losses to Gonzaga and Memphis.

Anderson, he of  mid-range jumpers and hang-time, has been the leader of a Bobcat team that starts two freshmen and a sophomore. Anderson, who played under another former Calhoun assistant in Howie Dickenman at Central Connecticut, is an explosive scorer averaging just a thread under 20 points per game. The University is hoping for Moore to take the Bobcats on a rapid ascension through the Northeast Conference, behind senior stalwart Anderson.

Anderson knows plenty about rapid ascensions. He didn’t play organized basketball until his junior year at Oxon Hill High School (Chicago Bull Mike Sweetney’s alma mater in Oxon Hill, Md.) and was elevated from obscurity his senior year. After two seasons at Central and a year at Global Institute, Anderson transferred to Quinnipiac and skyrocketed to small-school stardom last season.

Geffen Leads Well-Balanced Bobcats

Geffen Leads Well-Balanced Bobcats
By Zach Smart

Entering their first Northeast Conference game of the season, the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team knew that a well-oiled offensive machine would be an aspect paramount to success. After dropping an ugly loss to Brown on Monday, the Bobcats found themselves in a must-win situation Thursday night at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.

So, how would the Bobcats react?

They decided to pull some of the immense weight off senior swingman DeMario Anderson’s shoulders.

Quinnipiac played a cohesive and mindful brand of basketball, en route to recording a 90-79 victory over St. Francis N.Y. before a virtually non-existent crowd in the 3,500-seat arena. The win gives the Bobcats a 1-0 start on the conference slate, lifting them to 3-4 on the season. The Terriers—who are yet to register a road win—drop to 3-5.

Anderson scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Bobcats, but it was the play of combo guard Bryan Geffen (16 points), an instant sparkplug off the bench and a presence in the perimeter game, that provided most of the firepower. The Queens product shot 6-for-8 from the floor, going 3-for-4 from three-point territory.

“Of our three wins, Bryan Geffen has had two very big games for us,” said Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore, referring to the Bobcats’ 85-79 double-overtime win over Hartford, when Geffen went off for 19 points and handed out six assists.

“He is capable of that every night. I know that there’s more to him – that’s why I push him the way I do – to try and get it out of him. He proved what he’s capable of and it’s exciting to see what he can do.”

Power forward Louis Brookins, a transfer by way of Maryland-Eastern Shore, was also exceptional. Brookins scored 17 points and connected on all six of his field goal attempts, floating freely around the cup and finishing, as the Bobcats didn’t hesitate to make the extra pass down low.

The game came with a bit of a billing, as anticipation for an intriguing matchup between DeMario Anderson and Robert Hines loomed. Anderson and Hines, both prolific scorers (with a penchant for scoring in traffic and clusters) are surefire first team All-NEC selections. But Hines (18.4 ppg) came out colder than Colorado, misfiring on his first seven attempts. Anderson started off just 2-for-10 before unleashing a pair of acrobatic layups that pumped life into the Bobcats as the first half came winding down.

The Bobcats came out of the gates looking like a new team. They jumped out to an 8-0 lead that caused an irate Brian Nash to signal a timeout.

The Bobcats’ bulge ballooned to 21-11, but St. Francis responded, reeling off an absurd 18-0 run that left the few fans in attendance shaking their heads. This would put the Terriers ahead, 29-21, with just a thread under five minutes remaining in the first half.

In the second half, the Terriers surged ahead, 49-46, before the Bobcats ripped off a 7-0 run. This gave them a 53-49 cushion that they wouldn’t relinquish. Geffen keyed the run with a trey, before pick-pocketing Bass Yessoufou and converting a layup. The lead would swell to as many as 10 after a long-range three by point guard Casey Cosgrove.

Cosgrove, who drew Moore’s ire early with a pair of back-to-back turnovers, was relegated to the bench and replaced with seldom-used sophomore Steve Robinson.

Cosgrove would return in the second half, nailing a pair of titanic three-pointers.  

Jamaal Womack, a quick-strike shooter who was planted behind the arc throughout the night, led St. Francis with 18 points. Hines chipped in with 14 in an irregular performance from the forward.

Anderson copped his second double-double of the season and the Bobcats shot a blistering 55 percent from the field.

So, Moore will likely get to sleep much easier tonight, as the Bobcats bounced back from a 20-turnover disaster against Brown.

For Geffen, who scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half, such a significant role was inconceivable prior to the season.

With the return of an established point guard in Cosgrove, and the arrival of a highly-touted junior college transfer in Jeremy Baker coming in, Geffen was unsure of where he would fall into the picture. He figured he’d have to wrestle for some tick this season.

But Baker will sit out this season, as the NCAA has not cleared him to play. Geffen, a transfer via Boston University who sat out last year due to transfer rules, is making some waves in his first season with the Bobcats.

And they just might ripple throughout the Northeast Conference.

Anderson, Brookins lead Bobcats to conference-opener win

Anderson, Brookins lead Bobcats to conference-opener win

By Michael T. Lyle, Jr.
WQAQ.com Sports
December 6, 2007

HAMDEN - Quinnipiac didn’t need an extra 10 minutes to get back on the winning side of things.

Despite playing in another close contest, the Bobcats broke free with a big second-half en route to their first Northeast Conference victory of this young season.

DeMario Anderson had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds, but got key performances out of Louis Brookins and Bryan Geffen in the Bobcats’ 90-79 triumph against St. Francis of NY at TD Banknorth Sports Center.

“It seems like every game this year has been pivotal,” said Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore. “I thought we did a good job managing the valley. We looked like a more determined team in the second half.”

Quinnipiac (3-4, 1-0 NEC) picked up their first two victories in the “Tom Moore era” in double-overtime. But with DeMario playing his usual game, Brookins and Geffen helped the Bobcats put together perhaps their most productive second-half effort this season.

A three-point play by Brookins opened up a 46-42 lead for the hosts with 17:45 left. The game would stay close for most of the period, with each team not holding a lead bigger than three points.

It all changed once Geffen got the Bobcats’ offense going. He knocked down a three-pointer to extend Quinnipiac’s lead to 58-53 with under 11 minutes left. Evann Baker followed that up with a bucket to give the Bobcats some breathing room and a seven-point advantage.

A steal and layup by Geffen made it 68-61 at the 8:45 mark before DeMario converted on back-to-back buckets to put Quinnipiac up for good, 82-76, with 1:16 left.

“A big win and it felt good to get it,” said DeMario. “We tried to establish that we’re going to be a team to be reckoned with in the conference.”

It was a near flawless performance from the Bobcats. Despite being out rebounded 40-35, they shot 56 percent from the field, went 5-of-13 from beyond the arc and converted 17-of-21 attempts from the free throw line — stats good enough to satisfy Moore.

“We just have to trust what we do as a team on both ends of the court”, he said. “We have heart and shown that through our first seven games. When you win, you believe more.”

Brookins finished with 17 points and Geffen chipped in 16. Jamaal Womack led the Terriers (3-5, 0-1) with 18 points and Robert Hines contributed 14 more.

Quinnipiac jumped out to a 13-6 first half lead on consecutive buckets by Baker and Justin Rutty. A jumper by Geffen, followed by a three-point play by Brookins made it 21-11 with 10:47 remaining.

However, St. Francis fought back. Sami Pekkola keyed a big 19-0 run to help the Terriers erase the deficit and go ahead 29-21 with under four minutes to go. Robert Hines and Lateef Willis also connected on consecutive buckets for the visitors during that six-minute stretch.

The Bobcats responded on baskets by Brookins and DeMario to draw Quinnipiac even with the Terriers at the half, tied at 38.

Sloppy Guard Play Results in Overtime Loss for Bobcats against Brown

Sloppy Guard Play Results in Overtime Loss for Bobcats against Brown
By Peter D’Alauro

HAMDEN– In what was the final tune-up before conference play begins, the Quinnipiac Men’s Basketball team fell to the Brown Bears, 86-79, in overtime. The Bobcats had won there two previous overtime affairs, the season opener against Hartford, and their last game against Lehigh. However, both of those victories came in double overtime fashion. “They’ve had so much success in double overtime, if we would have went there, we would have lost right?,” joked Brown head coach Craig Robinson.

Senior guard Mark McAndrew led Brown’s attack with 21 points and eight rebounds, and Damon Huffman added 18 points in the Brown victory. A total of five players were in double figures for Brown. DeMario Anderson led the Bobcats with 22 points and seven assists, but was held scoreless in the overtime session. Three other Bobcats were in double figures, as Evann Baker, Justin Rutty and James Feldeine all finished with 10 points.

Brown came into Monday’s contest versus the Bobcats with a 3-3 record, recording victories over Eastern Michigan, Northwestern, and UC Davis. Led by a senior guard tandem of Mark McAndrew and Damon Huffman, the Bears presented Quinnipiac with a formidable offensive attack based upon success from behind the three point arc, as they came into Monday night’s match up shooting 38 percent from three.

From the game’s outset, the Bobcats struggled with Brown’s trapping 2-3 zone. That and the later implemented 1-3-1 zone gave the Bobcat’s fits all night, and it had a lot to do with the Bears’ scoring 25 points off Quinnipiac’s 20 turnovers in the contest. The Bobcat’s freshman guard, Evann Baker was the major culprit, with eight giveaways in the game to go along with 10 points and three assists.

Despite the turnover difficulties and the inability of the Bobcats to defend the three point shot, allowing Brown to shoot 7-10 from behind the arc in the first half, Quinnipiac found itself trailing by only two, 38-36 at halftime. Head coach Tom Moore addressed the poor defense by his team. “It’s hard for these guys, making the transition from an offensive program to a more defense minded program.”

Brown came out strong in the second half, charging out to a 10 point lead, 51-41, with 16:56 remaining in the game. However, the Bobcats showed their toughness and resiliency and retook the lead 57-55 with 11:27 remaining in the game, thanks to a three point field goal from junior guard Brian Geffen. However, Brown fought back, going on a 17-9 run to tie the score at 72-72 at the end of regulation.

The overtime session was a bad one for Quinnipiac, as they were held to just five points. Their last chance for victory slipped away when Karl Anderson, who pulled down many tough offensive rebounds during the game, missed two free throws in the final thirty seconds, then managed to grab the rebound off the second miss, but couldn’t convert an easy lay-up which would have cut the lead to three points. This was only Anderson’s second game back, so his failures at the end of the game could easily be attributed to tired legs, as he recorded 24 minutes of playing time.

Despite winning the rebound battle 40 to 31, the Bobcats gave up 34 points in the paint, while scoring only 24 themselves. It seemed that the guard’s for Brown got into the paint rather effortlessly all game long, and their big guys, including Scott Friske and Mark MacDonald, were having their way offensively down low. “They stayed true to what they do, they’re a very hard team to guard” said a dejected Tom Moore, regarding the Brown Bears.

Quinnipiac showed some guts in this game, but guts wasn’t enough, as their terrible guard play and lack of defensive intensity in the second half and overtime led to their overall demise.

Quinnipiac hopes to fair better in their next contest, as they open up their NEC conference schedule this Thursday, December 6^th, against St. Francis, (N.Y.) at 7 p.m. at the T.D. Banknorth Sports Center.

Basketball aims for .500 against Brown

Basketball aims for .500 against Brown
By Zach Smart

NOTES: In both victories this season, late-game resiliency has been the headline for the Bobcats. Quinnipiac outlasted Lehigh, 92-88, in biting-cold Bethlehem, Pa last week.

After finally stamping his imprint on a game—as he turned in a dragon-slayer, 25-point performance in a 78-70 loss to New Hampshire—Evann Baker showed he was every ounce of the heavily-pursued recruit QU will groom him as at Lehigh.

Baker scored 16 points, but the real story was another freshman, forward Ed Zajac. Zajac’s coming-out party featured a 17-point, 15-board night that saw him assert himself in the paint and connect on many putbacks. Guards Casey Cosgrove and Bryan Geffen both hit timely three-pointers and freshman forward/center Justin Rutty scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting while snaring six caroms. Six of the Bobcats’ nine players reached double-figures in the Lehigh game, and it was the most coach Tom Moore could have asked of his young guns—especially with stalwart senior DeMario Anderson being swarmed by defenders.

Brown enters tonight’s contest having won two of their last three. Though they were defeated by Wagner, the Bears scored a signature victory over Northwestern, 73-67. It was their first win against a top-notch opponent since the Glen Miller-era. The Bears are led by All-Ivy selection Mark McAndrew, a senior guard and homegrown product (Barrington, R.I., right up the road from Brown’s campus) who’s averaging 16.3 points per game. The Bobcats must place strong emphasis on sealing the perimeter, something they failed to due in a home loss to Maine. McAndrew is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc this season (15-for-30), and blistered Eastern Michigan and Northwestern with his hot hand.

Brown swingman Chris Skrelja has come into his own this season. After a see-saw sophomore year off the bench, Skrelja became an instant lynchpin in the starting lineup while emerging as a sublime all-around player. He can shoot. He can get to the cup and the free-throw line. He can create offense (eight assists in the Bears’ win at Eastern Michigan). The 6-5 junior is averaging 18 points over the last two games, posting a 15-point, six-rebound showing in Saturday’s win over UC-Davis.

When We Last Left Off: The two teams last met at the Burt Kahn Court in January of 2006, a snooze-show 64-60 loss that saw five of then-senior Craig Benson’s threes rim in-and-out in the first half. Benson led the Bobcats with 21 points. Scott Friske, then a freshman, blitzed Quinnipiac in the paint, scoring a career-high 26 points. The Bobcats shot an abysmal 8-of-31 from downtown as they relinquished an early lead.

Bobcats ride freshman to win

Bobcats ride freshman to win
by Seth Rothman
December 1, 2007

HAMDEN — Maybe all they needed was a new month.

As the calender changed from November to December, the Bobcats men’s ice hockey team put in a solid effort while defeating Rennselaer 3-2 in an ECAC Hockey contest at the TD Banknorth Sports Center on Saturday night.

“All twelve forwards played well, six defensemen played well, Vetri was good in net, penalty kill was good, but our power play struggled a little bit,” Bobcats coach Rand Pecknold said. “It was a good team win, and most importantly, our team was ready to play. If we can find a way to do that game in and game out, we’ll be in good shape.”

“Quinnipiac’s a pretty good hockey team with a lot of skill,” RPI coach Seth Appert said. “I have a lot of respect for how Rand’s built that program. They’re one of the most skilled teams in our league, especially with their forwards.”

One of those forwards who returned to the lineup today was Jamie Bates. The senior from Toronto, Ontario missed Friday’s game due to an undisclosed injury. On Saturday, his inclusion in the lineup proved immediate dividends for Quinnipiac (6-5-2, 3-3-2 ECAC).

After Rensselaer’s Jeff Foss took an interference call, Bates took a pass from sophomore Brandon Wong in the far side circle and ripped it past RPI goalie Jordan Alford for a 1-0 lead 18:57 into the first stanza.

“No question we missed him last night, and he was a presence tonight,” Pecknold said. “Not only did he play well, but he’s got a presence about him and that’s why he’s our captain. He showed the leadership tonight.”

“Their first goal was a lucky bounce,” Appert remarked. “They threw it to the middle of the net, it hit a shinguard and ricocheted in.”

“I thought our competitiveness was much better,” Pecknold said. “When you compete as hard as we did today, you can make up for a lot of mistakes. We made some mistakes tonight, but from a competitive standpoint, it was excellent.”

Appert’s club has been good all season in the transition game, and it hurt the Bobcats twice in the second period. 4:56 into the second, Jake Morissette came into the zone on a 2-on-1 with Andrei Uryadov. Morissette found Uryadov streaking towards the net who deflected it home for the freshman’s sixth goal of the season.

Then, with 90 seconds remaining in the second, Rensselaer (7-5-3, 2-2-2 ECAC) struck again when Jon Ornelas found Seth Klerer right in front for the junior’s first goal of the year.

“We still made a couple of mistakes,” Pecknold said. “Both goals were transition type goals, which is what RPI is very good at; we were trying to do a better job shutting that down. “

Despite those miscues, the Quinnipiac defense played exceptionally well, earning praise from the coach and goaltender.

“They [defense] played a solid game,” Pecknold said. “We’ve got three freshman D, and they’re playing a ton right now with all the injuries we have. I was very happy with how they played, and those three guys are only going to get better. They all played very well tonight.”

“This is by far the best team I’ve ever played on,” junior transfer goaltender Peter Vetri said. “It’s really great every day I get to play with these guys. They’re unbelievable. They block shots, get rid of rebounds; it’s just something I’m not really used to. It’s pretty fun for me to get out there with those guys.”

The most praise, however, was saved for the freshmen on the defensive line. Jake Bauer, Zach Hansen, and Brett Dickinson all played a game that earned them even more praise.

“I thought all three [freshmen] D tonight that played, Hansen, Bauer, and Dickinson, have all been very good and very solid for us,” Pecknold said. “It’s been a good impactful freshman class.”

“They’re big time players who know how to play in big time situations,” Vetri said. “You can see they’ve fit in right away even though they’re so young. It’s calming having them back there. I don’t refer to them as freshmen at all. It’s a pleasure playing with them, they’re great players.”  

Meanwhile, Vetri continues to split time in net with junior Bud Fisher. With both putting up solid numbers (Vetri has a 2.24 GAA, Fisher a 2.39 GAA), the situation seems to be working for the Bobcats.

“Bud and I were actually talking about this the other day,” Vetri recollected. “Neither of us have really ever split time with another guy, or competed for a starting job. I’m used to playing all the time, it’s a nice reality check for me to have Bud here. He’s such a good goalie, he pushes me every day, and I have to battle every single day for every minute that I play.”

“[Vetri] played very well,” Pecknold said. ”Early on, he wasn’t getting a ton of shots. That’s part of goaltending; you have to be ready. Give credit to RPI – they’re a very good hockey team, a top 20 team for a reason. They were down in the third, and they got a lot of shots. Vetri was very good for us.”

“I felt pretty good out there today, I did some extra work with Coach Pecknold this week on coming out, cutting down the angles, and playing big,” Vetri said. “I was confident going into the game, and I knew the team was going to be playing well tonight because we played so poorly the night before.”

The story of this one, however, was the defense. Quinnipiac’s defensemen played a strong game, and were exceedingly pleased with the effort the group put out.

Case in point: Dan Henningson walked into the press room at the TD Banknorth Sports Center with a bike, and imitated the Ottawa Senators’ gig — conducting an interview while riding a bike.

“For the first half of the season, at least, we haven’t been that good at [blocking shots],” Henningson said. “Today we were a lot better at it. Today we wanted to do the little things — block shots, get the puck deep, we did a lot better. At least, we attempted to do a lot better.”

“It’s a little different than where I was before,” Vetri said. ”I saw a lot of shots when I was in Hockey East. Now, I have a very strong defensive team in front of me, so I don’t see as many shots,” the UMass-Lowell transfer said. 

For Hansen, having a leader like Henningson makes playing much easier.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Hansen said. “Especially with the guys that are leading us: Dan Henningson and Andy Meyer, they’re doing a great job. They make it easy for us.”

It was Hansen who scored the game-winning goal when he took a feed from Henningson and ripped a drive along the ice and into the net for his first collegiate goal.

“We were on the power play, and Henny (Henningson) made a great pass over,” Hansen said. “You have to give credit to the guys in front screening [Alford]. I don’t think it was a great shot, but I guess the goalie didn’t see it, and it went in.”

“Their winning goal was one that Jordan would like back,” Appert said. “It was a floater from the point that was on the ice. We’ve got used to great goaltending from Jordan and Mathias, and no question that’s one he’d like to have back.”

It was a game the Bobcats desperately wanted — losing two games at home to end the home 2007 schedule was just not an option for Pecknold’s crew.

“The enthusiasm was high tonight,” Hansen said. “Last thing we want to do is lose two straight in our own building. We really wanted to get two points out of the weekend after we dropped two last night. It was a big win for us standings-wise, too.”

Bobcats fall to Union 4-3

Bobcats fall to Union 4-3
by Seth Rothman
November 30, 2007

HAMDEN — The Bobcats played very much like their fans on Friday night at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.

They were late arriving.

After a listless first period that left coach Rand Pecknold perplexed, frustrated, angry, and annoyed, Quinnipiac (5-5-2, 2-3-2 ECAC) dropped their ECAC Hockey contest to Union (3-5-2, 1-2-2 ECAC) by a final of 4-3 in front of a late-arriving fan-base of 3,108.

“I thought the effort, for the most part, was disappointing,” Bobcats coach Rand Pecknold said. “I give us credit, being down 2-0 and 3-1 battling back into the game, but we just did not play well tonight. We really struggled with our intensity level. It was a pretty mediocre effort from our forwards, defense, and even the goaltender.”

The carnage started early for Quinnipiac. 65 seconds into the contest, Union’s Stephan Boileau found Mike Schreiber in the near circle for a wrister through the five-hole of Bobcats goalie Bud Fisher for the game’s first goal.

For the Dutchmen, getting that first goal was a welcome relief. In their previous three games, Union had given up the first goal of the contest, and getting the early goal relaxed the visitors from Schenectady.

“The last [three] games we got scored on in the first five or ten minutes, so tonight we really wanted to get out and put them back on their heels,” Union freshman forward Andrew Buote said. “It started on the fore-check, and once we put pressure on, we got the first goal and didn’t look back from there.”

“We’ve been playing good hockey, and we just didn’t have a lot to show for it,” Union coach Nate Leaman said. “Tonight, the puck went in for us, and we got something to show for it. Most importantly, it was good for the guys in the locker room to prove that they can face adversity, they can come back on their own, and they can stick to a game-plan.”

“You have to give Union credit,” Bobcats coach Rand Pecknold said. “We were 5-0 against them last year, which is hard to do. They wanted it more. They had a lot more energy, and they were the better team tonight. They deserved to win.”

“We had a slow start, and they caught us,” Bobcats sophomore Brandon Wong said. “We just have to be prepared at the first drop of the puck.”

After Union’s Torren Delforte added a power play goal 11 minutes later, the Bobcats went into the first intermission down 2-0, and hearing rare boos from the fans at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. According to Pecknold, the vitriol was deserved.

“I think last year we overachieved because we played hungry,” Pecknold said. “For lack of a better term, the kids wanted it. They wanted to prove something. We have so many returning players this year, they just don’t want it as badly.”

There was one bright spot for the Bobcats tonight. That was the line of Wong, Jean-Marc Beaudoin, and Mike Atkinson. Wong and Beaudoin combined to score all three goals the home team sent into the twine.

“Our line came out tonight pretty well, but not good enough,” a frustrated Wong said. “Personally, I probably picked it up a little bit. We’re just trying to work on it, every day.”

“They played well. Brandon’s getting it going a little bit, Jean-Marc’s been real good all year, and Mike Atkinson certainly provides a lot of energy,” Pecknold said. “They were good at times tonight. They were probably our best line.”

“Wong was on tonight, and when he’s on, he’s as good a player as there is in the league,” Leaman added.

It was Beaudoin who electrified the crowd with two goals within 1:47 of the second period, tying the game at 3 when his second goal entered the twine with 18.5 seconds remaining in the middle stanza.

It was his first goal, however — a shorthanded tally at 17:55 of the second — that brought the score to 3-2, and amazed the faithful at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.

Beaudoin took the puck near the goal-line, and shot it at a near impossible angle towards the net. After ping-ponging around the pads of Union goalie Corey Milan, the rubber finally found its way into the net.

“I think it hit the defenseman in front and went in,” Beaudoin said. “You just have to shoot and shoot some more. Get those lucky bounces.”

His second goal — the tying goal that came with 18.5 seconds showing on the clock — tied the game and sent the Quinnipiac student section into short-lived delirium when Wong won the offensive faceoff and sent it to Beaudoin in the slot. He wristed it through the pads of Milan to tie the game and energize the Bobcats as they went off the ice for the second intermission.

“I think it got the guys a little fired up,” Beaudoin said. “Our intensity wasn’t there tonight, unfortunately. We wanted to win, we just couldn’t get the bounces.”

After controlling the first few minutes of the third period, the Bobcats gave up the back-breaker. Nearly 11 minutes into the frame, Greg Holt took the puck and tried gently lifting it out of the zone.

Bad idea.

Union’s Lane Caffaro kept the puck in, and took a shot that was deflected in by Andrew Buote for his first goal of the season — and the game winning goal to fell the home team.

“That fourth goal was just… it was bad,” Pecknold lamented. “We didn’t get the puck out; that kid just needs to take it and rip it off the glass to get it out. Then he follows it up with not blocking a shot. When you make a mistake like that, you need to drop, sprawl out and eat the puck.”

“I think they tried to rip it around, Lane shot it from the blue line, and I happened to get a stick on it, and send it through [Fisher's] five hole,” Buote said.

“I was real proud of the guys; I thought they faced a lot of adversity,” Leaman said. “They regrouped in the third period and gutted it out.”

“One of the things that made us good last year was we did a great job blocking shots,” Pecknold said. We’re not doing a good job of that right now. That’s not our only problem, but that’s certainly a problem.”

After two saves by Corey Milan in the final minutes on breakaway attempts by David Marshall, and a flurry by the Bobcats thanks to a Union penalty with 3:02 left, Union had their first ECAC Hockey win of the season.

For Pecknold, he’s been singing the same tune all year.

Quinnipiac’s lack of hunger.

“We’re struggling with our competitiveness right now,” Pecknold said. “The guys all know. I could march them in here right now and they’d say the same thing I’m saying. It’s just a little frustrating.”

Meanwhile, the Bobcats were playing without two of their captains, Jamie Bates and Matt Sorteberg. Multiple members of Quinnipiac Sports Information Office refused comment when asked about the nature of their injuries.

“Bates is our best forward, or certainly one of our best forwards. I think he would have been a factor tonight. That’s a tough loss,” Pecknold said. “That’s not the reason we lost tonight. Maybe it contributed a little bit, but our competitiveness was just very hit and miss.”

For Wong, the loss of one of the team’s top players added some extra pressure to shoulders that didn’t need the extra heat.

“There’s always pressure. You can’t point fingers at one guy. You have to play as a team, and that’s been lacking all year,” Wong said.

So now, the Bobcats look ahead to tomorrow’s contest against #18 ranked Rensselaer.

“RPI does different things, so you always adjust to the team you’re going to play,” Pecknold said. “We have our set things that we do, we’re not going to change that. We just need to execute better and play harder. We’ll certainly have to make some adjustments, because RPI is a good team.”

“We’re getting ready for tomorrow,” Beaudoin said. “We have to look forward instead of backwards.”