No. 2/2 QU Men's Ice Hockey Wins Whitelaw Cup with 4-1 Victory Over No. 9/9 Harvard

Saturday, March 19

Herb Brooks Arena // Lake Placid, N.Y.

7:36 PM

Quinnipiac University

29-3-7

Harvard University

19-10-4

Harvard

Quinnipiac

No. 2/2 QU Men's Ice Hockey Wins Whitelaw Cup with 4-1 Victory Over No. 9/9 Harvard

3/19/2016 10:00:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

Box Score
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LAKE PLACID, New York – The Quinnipiac University men's ice hockey team clinched the Whitelaw Cup with a 4-1 win against Harvard in the 2016 ECAC Hockey Championship game at the 1980 Rink at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York.

The Bobcats take home the Whitelaw Cup for the first time in program history after having won three of the last four, including two-straight, Cleary Cups. Both of Quinnipiac University's national-ranked men's and women's ice hockey teams have now won both the regular season and tournament championship in the same season.

The Bobcats saw four different players score to clinch the Whitelaw Cup, as Tim Clifton (Matawan, New Jersey), Bo Pieper (Roseville, Minnesota), K.J. Tiefenwerth (Bellmore, New York) and Scott Davidson (Trail, British Columbia) all scored for the Bobcats. Landon Smith (Greenwood Village, Colorado) had two assists in the game while Connor Clifton (Matawan, New Jersey) picked up his league leading eighth assist and ninth point of the tournament with two assists in the win and earned the 2016 ECAC Hockey Championship Most Outstanding Player Award.

Both teams played through a scoreless first period as Quinnipiac goalie Michael Garteig (Prince George, British Columbia) came to play, stopping all 10 of Harvard's shots through the first frame. Late in the period, Harvard's Luke Esposito was called for a five-minute major with eight seconds remaining, giving the Bobcats a five-minute power play to start the second period. Quinnipiac took advantage as Tim Clifton and Landon Smith both scored to give Quinnipiac a 2-0 lead.

Clifton's goal came after a Harvard shot bounced off the post and was picked by Smith. Michael Garteig (Prince George, British Columbia) steered the puck to Smith, who carried the puck the length of the ice, stepped between the face-off circles and dished the puck to his right for Clifton. Clifton then wristed a shot on goal that found daylight after Smith stepped in front of Harvard goalie Merrick Madsen as the Bobcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead. The goal was Clifton's 18^th of the season while Smith picked up his 24^th assist of the year.

Pieper's goal came off a tip in front of Harvard goalie Merrick Madson, and was the Bobcats' second on the same power play. Pieper fed the puck to Connor Clifton who skated deep into the Harvard zone, below the goal line and turned to rip a pass back to Smith. Smith walked to the face-off dot and wristed a shot on goal that Pieper re-directed past Madsen to give Quinnipiac a 2-0 lead.

Late in the period, Tiefenwerth made it 3-0 after picking up a rebound on a shot by Andrew Taverner (Calgary, Alberta) for his eighth goal of the season. Derek Smith (Apple Valley, Minnesota) started the play after he fed Taverner at the point for the one-timer. Madsen stopped Taverner's bid, but Tiefenwerth – who was crashing the net – cleaned up the loose puck when he scored glove-side on the Crimson's goalie.

Harvard responded twelve seconds later when Ryan Donato picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, danced through a pair of defenders and roofed a shot over Garteig to cut Quinnipiac's lead to two goals to start the third period. Late in the period, it was Garteig again coming up big as he denied ECAC Hockey Player of the Year Jimmy Vesey on a breakaway to secure the Bobcats win. Garteig then slammed the door on the Crimson down the stretch, denying Harvard repeatedly over the final 20 minutes to hang on for the win.

Davidson slammed home the empty net goal with 1:09 left in the regulation to secure the championship victory.

Quinnipiac entered the game in the top spot of the PairWise Rankings and will learn its opponent in the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament on Sunday, Mar. 20 at 12 PM on ESPNU.