Quinnipiac University
Minnesota Duluth
No. 8/8 Men's Ice Hockey Meets No. 2/2 Minnesota Duluth in Midwest Regional Final
3/31/2019 12:11:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Bobcats Seek Third Trip to Frozen Four in Last Seven Seasons
#8/8 Quinnipiac Bobcats (26-9-2, 14-6-2 ECAC Hockey) vs.
#2/2 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (26-11-2, 14-9-1 NCHC)
March 31, 2019 | NCAA Tournament First Round | Midwest Regional
PPL Center | Allentown, Pa.
All-Time vs. Minnesota Duluth: First Meeting
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ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The No. 8/8 Quinnipiac men's ice hockey team has reached the Midwest Regional Final Sunday for the third time in program history as the Bobcats are set to meet the defending national champion No. 2/2 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at the PPL Center in Allentown at 6:30 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Bobcats bounced back from an ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal sweep to pick up a 2-1 victory against No. 14/14 Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Joe O'Connor and William Fällström scored for the Bobcats, who won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2016.
Scouting Minnesota Duluth
The defending national champion No. 2/2 Bulldogs are once again one of the top teams in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional and No. 2 overall seed. The Bulldogs defeated Bowling Green in overtime, 2-1, to reach the Midwest Regional Final as they look to reach teh Frozen Four for a third straight season. Minnesota Duluth has averaged 3.15 goals per game this season, led by Nick Swaney's 15 goals while Parker Mackay (14) and Justin Richards (10) have been solid offensive weapons after Mackay's two-goal game against the Falcons. Richards and Mackay lead the team with 29 points while defenseman Scott Perunovich is second on the team with 28 points as Perunovich has racked up 25 assists. Hunter Shepard has been a rock as he started all 39 games between the pipes, posting a 1.84 GAA and .919 save percentage on the way to an NCHC Championship, which they won last week, and are winners of five straight games heading into Sunday. The Bulldogs are 0-1 this season against ECAC Hockey opponents, after falling to Clarkson in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 29.
All-Time vs. Minnesota Duluth
Quinnipiac and Minnesota Duluth have never met.
Dancin' Shoes
The Bobcats are back in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the past seven seasons, and first time since 2015-16 as the No. 7 overall seed in the tournament. With Saturday's win over Arizona State, the Bobcats picked up their first NCAA Tournament victory since the 2016 and improve to 7-5 all-time in 12 NCAA Tournament games spanning their six appearances. Quinnipiac is looking for its third trip to the Frozen Four in the past seven seasons after reaching in 2013 and 2016.
The OC
Joe O'Connor scored his first career NCAA Tournament goal for the Bobcats in Saturday's first round game. His tally was his third of the season, good for a career-high, and his first since scoring at Maine on Nov. 23 in a 7-2 win. The Bobcats are now 3-0-0 when O'Connor scores a goal.
Feeling Fällström
William Fällström also scored his first career NCAA Tournament goal as the freshman put home the game-winning goal with his second period tally. Fällström now has eight goals and 21points on the season with his first goal since Feb. 22.
A Whale of a Season
Alex Whelan continued his impressive junior campaign with the primary assist on Fällström's goal to give him 25 points this season, one of six Bobcats to record 25 points. One season after record 16 goals and 19 points, Whelan has rounded out his game with 13 goals, 12 assists and 25 points
Marty's Party
Craig Martin also picked up an assist on Fällström's goal as he tallied his 19th helper and 29th point this season. Martin is one point away from recording 30 points in his career and becoming the third player on the team with 30 points, which would be the first time since the Bobcats 2015-16 team that had five 30-point scorers.
Friedmann's Fire
TJ Friedmann has been heating up as of late after recording his fifth assist of the season in the win over the Sun Devils on Saturday. He now has points in three of the past five games, and is one of seven freshmen on the team with at least eight points.
