Quinnipiac University
Cornell
Travis St. Denis Nets Overtime Game-Winner, Michael Garteig Breaks Program Shutout Record As No. 16 Bobcats Top Cornell, 1-0
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
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ITHACA, New York – Quinnipiac men's ice hockey junior Travis St. Denis (Trail, British Columbia) scored the game-winner less than two minutes into overtime to give the No. 16 Bobcats a 1-0 win against Cornell at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, New York. With the win, Quinnipiac improves to 17-8-2 overall and 12-2-1 in ECAC Hockey while Cornell drops to 9-10-3 overall and 7-7-1 in league play.
In addition to St. Denis' heroics, Michael Garteig's (Prince George, British Columbia) 20-save performance broke Quinnipiac's career shutout record with his 11th clean sheet of his career. Garteig's 11th career shutout came at the site of his first career shutout, as the Bobcats' goalie blanked the Big Red at Lynah Rink, 3-0, on Nov. 2, 2013. Garteig improves to 16-6-1 on the season while also picking up his 40th career victory. The win in extra time puts Quinnipiac at 3-0-1 in overtime this season, while they also improve to 2-1-1 in overtime on Cornell's home ice.
The first period saw a ton of back-and-forth action, ultimately ending in a scoreless tie through the first frame. Cornell held the advantage in shots, 8-6, but were blanked Michael Garteig who denied a one-timer from Cole Bardreau at the end of a two-on-one breakaway after snagging a wrist shot from Reece Willcox. On the other end of the ice, Travis St. Denis (Trail, British Columbia) almost drew first blood on a back-hand shot from the slot while Tim Clifton (Matawan, New Jersey) was denied on a one-timer from just above the crease. The Bobcats also killed off all three penalties they were whistled for in the first twenty minutes. Most notable of the Bobcats' shorthanded efforts were Justin Agosta's (East Meadow, New York) blocked shot on a Bardreau breakaway and two defensive stops by Derek Smith (Apple Valley, Minnesota) on consecutive shots from between the face-off dots.
With 13:11 left in the second period, John McCarron cleaned up a loose puck off a rebound and appeared to score the game's first goal. It came at the end of a four-on-two rush with Cornell's Christian Hillbrich planting himself in the goal mouth and keeping Garteig from recovering to make a play on McCarron's shot. After a lengthy review, the goal was waved off after it was determined Hillbrich interfered with Garteig. Penalties mounted for both teams, while Quinnipiac outshot Cornell, 8-4 in the period, to take a 16-12 edge through two stanzas.
The third period saw more defensive play, with Cornell outshot Quinnipiac. 8-7, down the stretch while also killing the only penalty called in the final frame. Seven different Bobcats squeezed off a shot on goal, with Grade-A opportunities coming from St. Denis and Anas from close range. Smith also blocked two more shots to give him a game-high four for the game.
Less than two minutes into overtime, Bo Pieper (Roseville, Minnesota) pressured a Cornell player and tipped the puck, re-directing it off the boards behind the Big Red goal. As it bounced off the boards, it resulted in a turnover in the Cornell defensive zone which led to the puck landing on Sam Anas' (Potomac, Maryland) stick. Anas flipped the puck out in front of the Cornell goal where St. Denis was waiting in the slot. His back-hand shot beat Gillam over his left shoulder and rang home to give the Bobcats the win.
No. 16 Quinnipiac is back in action on Saturday night it takes on No. 20 Colgate at Starr Rink in Hamilton, New York at 7 p.m.
