Quinnipiac University
Yale
13th Annual Heroes Hat Ends In Draw: No. 11 Bobcats Tie No. 13 Yale, 2-2
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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HAMDEN, Conn. - The nationally-ranked No. 11 Quinnipiac men's ice hockey team retained the coveted Heroes Hat after a 2-2 tie against No. 13 Yale in front of sold-out crowd of 3,696 at High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, Conn.
Quinnipiac moves to 20-8-3 overall and 15-2-2 in ECAC Hockey while running its unbeaten streak in league play to 11 games at 9-0-2. Yale goes to 15-7-4 overall and 10-6-3 in league action. The Bobcats, in first place in the league standings, can clinch its second Cleary Cup - for the ECAC Hockey regular season championship - with a tie or a win on Saturday, Feb. 21 against Brown.
Senior captain Danny Federico (Acton, Massachusetts) and Tanner MacMaster (Calgary, Alberta) scored Quinnipiac's goals, with Tim Clifton (Matawan, New Jersey), Tommy Schutt (Chanhassan, Minnesota) and Andrew Taverner (Edmonton, Alberta) picking up assists in the tie. In goal, Michael Garteig (Prince George, British Columbia) stopped 23 of Yale's 25 shots-on-goal to go to 19-6-2-.
Federico put Quinnipiac on the board with his first goal of the season and second of his career. Schutt started the play when he played the puck along the boards before cycling it behind the Bulldogs' goal. Clifton picked the puck up behind the net and attempted to step out from around the post before he sent it to the wing to Federico at the point. With Clifton screening Yale goalie Alex Lyon, Federico's shot found space under Lyon's arm to give Quinnipiac a 1-0 lead four minutes into the game.
Yale's Frank DiChiara tied the game in the 13th minute with his fifth goal of the season. Cody Learned handled the puck in front of the Bobcats bench before handing it to Rob O'Gara. O'Gara fed DiChiara as he slid between two Quinnipiac defenders, leaving DiChiara with just Garteig to beat. DiChiara made a move across the crease and beat Garteig with a back-handed shot to tie the game at 1-1.
Less than two minutes later, it was MacMaster with a hard wrister over the shoulder of Lyon to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period. Yale turned the puck over in the neutral zone where it was picked up by Taverner. Taverner stepped over the blue line and drew two defenders before he dropped a pass back to MacMaster who was left all-alone as he took off on Lyon. MacMaster stepped between the face-off circle and blasted a shot past Lyon, stick-side, to give Quinnipiac a one-goal lead.
Midway through the second period, it was O'Gara scoring to tie the game on an odd-man rush. John Baiocco knocked the puck loose along the boards by the Quinnipiac bench, sending it across the ice for Matt Killian at center ice. Killian walked over the blue line and delivered a pass to O'Gara's stick on the two-on-one breakaway. O'Gara's shot found daylight and knotted the score at two apiece.
Solid play from both goalies down the stretch completed the tie in the 13th annual Heroes Hat Game. The Bobcats outshot Yale, 13-12, through the first two periods while Yale outshot Quinnipiac by the same accord over the final 20 minutes and overtime. The Bobcats killed both Yale power plays in the game, while going 0-for-4 with a man-advantage in the game.
Quinnipiac will host Brown in its final home game of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 at 7 p.m. at High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center. Prior to the start of the Bobcats' ECAC Hockey tilt against the Bears, Quinnipiac will honor Justin Agosta, Alex Barron, Danny Federico and Matthew Peca as part of Senior Night festivities.
