Women's Ice Hockey Ranked 10th In USCHO.com National Poll
3/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Quinnipiac skated to its first playoff victory in program history to kick off the ECAC Quarterfinals on Friday evening at the TD Bank Sports Center. The Bobcats defeated Rensselaer, 2-1, in triple overtime in the first game of the best-of-three series. Sophomore Chelsea Illchuk (Lockport, Manitoba) scored the game winner 11:14 into the third overtime period when she carried the puck down the left side and fired a shot between the pads of the Engineers' goaltender for her third goal of the season. Freshman goaltender Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario) recorded 40 saves in the contest, including 12 saves each in the third and first overtime period.
After RPI evened the series at one win apiece with a 1-0 victory on Saturday, the Bobcats and the Engineers played in the deciding game on Sunday afternoon. With the game tied at 1-1, the two teams played to the second longest women's collegiate ice hockey game in NCAA Division I history. The game lasted 144:32 minutes and into the fifth overtime before RPI scored the game winner just over five minutes into the eighth period to advance to the ECAC Semifinals. Vigilanti played every minute of the Sunday's thriller, recording a season high of 57 saves in net.
The ECAC Quarterfinal appearance was the first time the program ever hosted a playoff game, and they also picked up the program's first-ever postseason victory when they defeated RPI on Friday. The Bobcats finish the year with the program's best overall record (19-10-8) and best conference mark (11-4-7).
USCHO.com Division I Women's
Poll
1. Mercyhurst
2. Minnesota-Duluth
3. Minnesota
4. Harvard
5. New Hampshire
6. Clarkson
7. Connecticut
8. Cornell
9. Northeastern
10. Quinnipiac
Others receiving votes: Providence 13, Ohio State 5, Boston
University 4, Wisconsin 1
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College
Hockey Poll
1. Mercyhurst
2. Minnesota-Duluth
3. Minnesota
4. Harvard
5. New Hampshire
6. Clarkson
7. Connecticut
8. Cornell
9. Northeastern
10. Providence
Others receiving votes: Quinnipiac 7, Boston University 6, Syracuse
2, Ohio State 2, Wisconsin 2
