No. 1 QU Women's Ice Hockey Hosts No. 6 St. Lawrence in ECAC Hockey Semifinals on ESPN3 on Saturday

Saturday, March 5

Hamden, Conn.

1:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

St. Lawrence University

Tickets

No. 1 QU Women's Ice Hockey Hosts No. 6 St. Lawrence in ECAC Hockey Semifinals on ESPN3 on Saturday

3/2/2016 5:01:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

By: QU Sports Information

No. 1 Quinnipiac University Bobcats (28-2-5, 16-2-4 ECAC Hockey) vs.
No. 6 St. Lawrence University Saints (17-14-6, 9-8-5 ECAC Hockey)
Dates: March 5, 2016
Time: 1:00 P.M.
Location: High Point Solutions Arena - Hamden, Conn.
All-Time Series vs. St. Lawrence: 10-13-4
Last Meeting: W, 3-0 (Feb. 12, 2016 in Hamden, Conn.)

Follow the Bobcats:
Live Video vs. St. Lawrence (U.S.): ESPN3
Live Video vs. St. Lawrence (Canada): ECACHockey.com
Live Stats vs. St. Lawrence: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
Purchase Tickets: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
Twitter: @QU_WIH

Game Notes
Quinnipiac | St. Lawrence

Survive and Advance
The No. 1 seeded Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team is back in action this weekend for their fourth straight appearance in the ECAC Hockey Semifinals where they will face the No. 6 seed St. Lawrence Saints on Saturday, March 5 at 1 P.M. followed by the second semifinal game between No. 2 Clarkson and No. 4 Colgate at 4 P.M. Both semifinals and the championship game will be broadcast on ESPN3 in the United States as well as either TSN Go or BoxCast in Canada.

All-Time Against St. Lawrence
Quinnipiac and St. Lawrence have been known to provide quite the theatrics in their season series, with the Bobcats going 10-13-4 in 27 career games between the two teams. In recent history, the Bobcats are 4-1-1 in the last six games including a pair of postseason meetings. During this regular season, the Bobcats recorded back-to-back shutouts against the Saints with 5-0 and 3-0 wins. It was the first time that either team record back-to-back shutouts of the other in their history. Emma Woods and Melissa Samoskevich each posted two-point games the last time these two faced off on Feb. 12.

Scouting the Saints
St. Lawrence continues to one of the more dangerous teams in ECAC Hockey after upsetting No. 3 Princeton in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals, coming into the weekend with a 17-14-6 overall record and an 9-8-5 record in ECAC Hockey play. Brooke Webster leads the Saints with 12 goals, 24 assists and 36 points this season. Kennedy Marchment is second on the team with 11 goals while her 17 assists and 28 points are third on the team. Justine Reyes has come on strong in the second half, tying Webster for the team lead with 12 goals. Amanda Boulier is the leading defenseman for the Saints with 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points followed by Kirsten Padalis at two goals and nine assists. Grace Harrison has taken over as the Saints starting goaltender, starting the last 15 games. Over the season, Harrison is 7-6-6 with a 2.14 GAA and a .915 save percentage, leading the team in both categories. St. Lawrence comes in with a 17.9 percent power play, scoring 19 goals in 106 chances while the penalty kill is 84.3 percent, killing off 86 of its 102 penalties.

Multimedia
This weekend's ECAC Hockey semifinals will be streamed live in the U.S. on ESPN3, free of charge for all fans. For fans wishing to watch in Canada, the games will be streamed on TSN GO or through BoxCast to watch free of charge. Free live stats of all three games this weekend will also be available by going to QuinnipiacBobcats.com and clicking on the live stats link in the schedule. Fans can also follow the action on Twitter all season long by following the team's Twitter account, @QU_WIH.

Bobcats in the Polls
For the 21st consecutive week this season, the Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team was ranked in the top 10 of the USCHO.com Division I Women's Poll and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll, ranking fourth for a program record 12th consecutive week. The Bobcats have been ranked in the top 10 of the USCHO.com Poll for 66 consecutive weeks. Once again, Quinnipiac is one of two schools in the country to have both its men's and women's ice hockey teams ranked in the top five of both polls, joined by Boston College who's men's team is ranked No. 3 and the women's team is No. 1.

Bobcats in the PairWise
Quinnipiac has continued to retain its solid position at the No. 4 spot in the PairWise rankings for the past two months, nestled between Minnesota at No. 3 and Clarkson at No. 5. With an .871 winning percentage, the Bobcats have the fourth highest winning percentage while its RPI of .6282 is higher than Clarkson's, giving the Bobcats some breathing room. In strong playoff position from ECAC Hockey is Quinnipiac (No. 4), Clarkson (No. 5), Princeton (No. 7) and Colgate (No. 8).

Playoff History
In program history, Quinnipiac is 12-10 overall in the playoffs. They are 11-5 in the quarterfinals, 0-4 in the semifinals and 0-1 in the NCAA Tournament. Last weekend, the Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team swept a thrilling quarterfinals series against No. 8 Rensselaer, 2-0, with a pair of overtime games. The Bobcats played just over two minutes into the first overtime on Feb. 26 before Emma Woods knocked home the game-winner, following by a two-overtime game ended by Nicole Brown's heroics with 6:36 to go in the second overtime.

Playoffs Against St. Lawrence
Quinnipiac and St. Lawrence have quite the playoff history, having met in back-to-back seasons in the 2013 and 2014 ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals. The Saints took the first series between the two teams, 2-1, after the two teams played one of the best games in Quinnipiac postseason history. In the opening game, St. Lawrence won 1-0 in overtime. The two teams played 70:56 of scoreless hockey before Kayla Raniwsky ended it with her game-winner. The following night, the two teams played a thrilling three overtime game. With the Bobcats up 2-0, St. Lawrence scored extra-attacker goals with 32 seconds and one second left in regulation to force overtime. Amanda Colin ended the game 8:55 into the third overtime, 3-2. St. Lawrence took game three, 2-0, after two first period goals gave them momentum and some cushion over the Bobcats.

Regular Season Champs
For the first time in program history, the Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team has been crowned the regular season champions of ECAC Hockey. The Bobcats controlled the No. 1 spot in the standings for much of the 2015-16 season, recording their most conference wins (16) and fewest conference losses (2) in program history. The Bobcats 36 points were the most since the 2013-14 season when Clarkson won the regular season title with 36 points.

Not in my Zone
Quinnipiac is among the best in the country in numerous statistics, but are currently allowing the fewest shots on goal in the country with 616 allowed in 35 games. The Bobcats are also allowing the fewest shots on goal allowed per game at just 17.6, one of just four schools in the country to allow fewer than 20 shots per game (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Quinnipiac, Clarkson).

Other National Stats
Nationally, the Bobcats rank in the top five of numerous categories. From a defensive standpoint, the Bobcats are second in the country in goals against average at 0.92, only trailing Wisconsin who has a 0.72 GAA. With just 33 goals allowed, the Bobcats have allowed the second fewest behind Wisconsin's 26. Special teams have also been a strength this season, with the Bobcats power play ranked third in the country at 27.1 percent and the penalty kill ranked second at 92.9 percent. Quinnipiac's 26 power-play goals are tied for fifth in the country.

Improved Power Play
The power play this season has become a big strength for the Bobcats as they are third in the country and first in ECAC Hockey at 27.1 percent. Since Christmas break, the power play has been even better, clicking at a rate of 35.7 percent which is second behind Minnesota. The Bobcats have scored a power-play goal in 12 of their last 14 games since Jan. 9, including a stretch from Jan. 9 to Feb. 12 where they scored a power-play goal in eight straight games.

Breakin' Recs and Cashin' Checks
This year's Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team is contention, or already has, broken several program records. The Bobcats 115 goals are the most they have scored in a single season, breaking the 2010-11 team's record of 105 goals. With 182 assists, the Bobcats have shattered the old mark of 157 from 2012-13. The Bobcats have also won the most home games (16) and tied for the most road wins (11) in a single season. Quinnipiac's 28 wins this season ties last year's team record. Even more impressive, the Bobcats are currently on pace to break the program records for highest power play percentage, highest penalty kill percentage, most goals scored per game, fewest goals allowed and lowest goals against average.

Home Cookin'
The Bobcats have some of the best home numbers in ECAC Hockey, led by their .900 winning percentage and are the only team in the conference to not have a loss with a 16-0-4 record. Quinnipiac is one of four schools in the country that have yet to record a loss at home. Over the past three seasons, the Bobcats have compiled a 43-4-10 record for an .842 winning percentage.

Cassie's Club
Head coach Cassandra Turner became the winningest first year NCAA Women's Ice Hockey coach this past weekend with two more wins to record her 28^th win of the season. Turner broke the old record of 27 wins, which was held by three different coaches. At the Division I level, Brian McCloskey brought New Hampshire to a 27-7-2 record in 2003 while Brad Frost went 27-7-4 in his first season at the helm of Minnesota in 2008. Manhattanville's Nicole Hall also won 27 games at the Division III level in 2003.

ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Month
Quinnipiac goaltender Sydney Rossman won her third ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Month Award, and second consecutive, after another dazzling performance in the month of February. Rossman led the league with six wins, three shutouts, a 1.04 GAA and was third with a .938 save percentage. Within the month, Rossman recorded her fourth two-shutout weekend as well as breaking the program record for wins in a single season, which now stands at 28.

Weekend Comeback
The Quinnipiac women's hockey team had a weekend to remember as they overcame two early deficits against No. 8 Rensselaer to sweep the series. In game one, the Bobcats trailed by as many as two goals before winning the game, 3-2, for their first comeback against a two-goal deficit since Nov. 30, 2013against the Yale Bulldogs. In game two of the series, the Bobcats trailed by one goal 25 seconds into the game before Nicole Brown's game-winning goal in double overtime completed another comeback win.

Century Mark
Nicole Connery became the fourth player in program history to join the 100-point club with a two-point game in the first quarterfinal game against Rensselaer. Connery record a beautifully placed goal for point number 99 before assisting Emma Woods' game-winning goal in overtime. Connery joins Nicole Kosta as the two active 100-point scorers, while Kelly Babstock reached it during the 2012-13 season and Shiann Darkangelo in the 2014-15 season. Connery's one goal this weekend gives her 13, tying her single-season career-high goal total set last season. She also has 23 assists to give her 36 points, the second most on the team.

Disco C-Inferno
Taylar Cianfarano picked up one goal and two assists for three points this weekend, becoming an even bigger part of program history. Cianfarano's goal was her 28^th of the season, tied for the second most in program history while her two assists gives her 51 points which are good for the third most in a single season in program history. Cianfarano joins Kelly Babstock as the only other player to reach the same marks. Cianfarano also has a +47 plus/minus rating, by far the best in program history.

Woody Wagon
Leading the Bobcats in goals this weekend, Emma Woods potted two goals for the Bobcats for her 10^th and 11^th goals of the season. Woods scored the game-winning goal 2:04 into overtime against the No. 8 Rensselaer Engineers to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead in the series. The game-winner was Woods' third of the season. This season, Woods is fourth on the team with 11 goals and tied for the team lead with 23 assists. Woods' career-high 34 points are third on the team. In her career, Woods has already netted 35 goals and 48 assists for 83 points.

Seventeen Again
Nicole Brown propelled the Bobcats into the semifinals this weekend with her game-winning goal with just 6:36 remaining in the Bobcats game against the Engineers. Brown's goal was her sixth of the season, tying her career-high. Her double overtime goal was the first goal in a multiple overtime game for the Bobcats since Amanda Colin sent the Bobcats into the ECAC Hockey semifinals during the 2012-13 season with her game-winner in triple overtime against the St. Lawrence Saints.

The Tambergular
Kristen Tamberg continues to inch closer and closer to becoming the fifth defenseman in program to reach the 50-point mark. Tamberg picked up an assist in the quarterfinals against Rensselaer to give her 47 points in her career. This season, Tamberg has four goals and 17 assists for 21 points, already one of the best seasons by a defenseman in Quinnipiac women's ice hockey history. Not only has Tamberg been getting it done offensively, but she has also blocked 50 shots, two shy of tying her career high from last season.

Greco Points
After scoring just one point in the first 24 games of the season, Emma Greco has turned up the heat in the second half of the season. The Bobcats defenseman has recorded points in back-to-back games for the second time in her career after an assist in game one against Rensselaer, just one out from scoring her first career goal. Greco has one goal and three assists in her last eight games, and five assists overall this season.

The Ross Report
Sydney Rossman continues to be one of the statistical leaders not only in ECAC Hockey but in the entire country as well in her first season as the starting goaltender. Rossman is first in the league with 28 wins, a .871 winning percentage, 15 shutouts, a 0.92 GAA and .946 save percentage. Those stack up well nationally, as she is second in shutouts and GAA, third in save percentage, third in wins and fourth in winning percentage.

"Samo" Wrestling
Despite being held of the scoresheet against Rensselaer, Melissa Samoskevich has put together one of the finest freshman seasons in program history, as her 16 goals and 32 points among freshman since the program's inception in the 2001-02 season. Samoskevich is currently second on the team with her 16 goals and fourth with 32 points. Among league freshman, Samoskevich ranks second in both categories as she has been an offensive leader for the Bobcats.

7th Heaven
Another Bobcat who is having yet another great season is Nicole Kosta, who put together her fourth 25-plus point season of her career. With 10 goals and 15 assists, Kosta's has been one of the more dominant forces on the ice. Kosta had an impressive seven-point weekend to wrap up the regular season against Union and Rensselaer with back-to-back three-point games.