#12/13 Bobcats Host #10/10 Clarkson in Three-Game Series

Friday, January 8

Hamden, Conn.

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Clarkson

Nick Bochen Celebrates Goal with Teammates

Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com

#12/13 Bobcats Host #10/10 Clarkson in Three-Game Series

1/8/2021 9:27:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

Men's Ice Hockey Set for First Regular Season Three-Game Series in ECAC Hockey History

By: QU Athletic Communications

#12/13 Quinnipiac Bobcats (6-3-1, 0-1-1 ECAC Hockey) vs.
#10/10 Clarkson Golden Knights (6-3-1, 0-1-1 ECAC Hockey)
Friday, Jan. 8 | 7 PM
Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena at the People's United Center | Hamden, Conn.
All-Time Series vs. Clarkson: 16-14-3 (Lost last meeting, 3-2, on Feb. 14, 2020)

WATCH (ESPN+) | WATCH (INTERNATIONAL) | LISTEN | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES | @QU_MIH

#12/13 Quinnipiac Bobcats (6-3-1, 0-1-1 ECAC Hockey) vs.
#10/10 Clarkson Golden Knights (6-3-1, 0-1-1 ECAC Hockey)
Saturday, Jan. 9 | 7 PM
Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena at the People's United Center | Hamden, Conn.
All-Time Series vs. Clarkson: 16-14-3 (Lost last meeting, 3-2, on Feb. 14, 2020)

WATCH (ESPN+) | WATCH (INTERNATIONAL) | LISTEN | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES | @QU_MIH

#12/13 Quinnipiac Bobcats (6-3-1, 0-1-1 ECAC Hockey) vs.
#10/10 Clarkson Golden Knights (6-3-1, 0-1-1 ECAC Hockey)
Sunday, Jan. 10 | 4 PM
Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena at the People's United Center | Hamden, Conn.
All-Time Series vs. Clarkson: 16-14-3 (Lost last meeting, 3-2, on Feb. 14, 2020)

WATCH (ESPN+) | WATCH (INTERNATIONAL) | LISTEN | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES | @QU_MIH

HAMDEN, Conn. – The No. 12/13 Quinnipiac men's ice hockey team is set for its first regular season three-game series as the Bobcats host the No. 10/10 Clarkson Golden Knights beginning Friday night at 7 p.m.

Last Time Out
The Bobcats went 0-1-1 in the opening weekend of ECAC Hockey, picking up two points with a shootout win at St. Lawrence on Dec. 31 before falling to the Saints in Hamden on Sunday, 4-2. Odeen Tufto had a goal and an assist in each game while the Bobcats scored three extra-attacker goals

Scouting Clarkson
Clarkson enters the weekend with an identical 6-3-1 overall record and own a 1-0-1 mark after one weekend of ECAC Hockey play. The Golden Knights take a three-game unbeaten streak into the weekend series and are 4-1-1 in the last six games. Last time out, the Golden Knights won 4-1 at Colgate to open league play before dropping a shootout at home to the Raiders on Sunday, Jan. 3. First year Alex Campbell leads the Golden Knights with 10 assists and 14 points through the first 10 games while senior Grant Cooper leads the team with six goals and Anthony Callin has five goals and five assists. The Golden Knights have split time in net between Kris Oldham and Ethan Haider with Oldham going 4-1-0, 2.65 GAA and .902 save percentage while Haider is 2-2-1 with a 2.77 GAA and .887 save percentage.

All-Time vs. Clarkson
The Bobcats are 16-14-3 all-time against the Saints in 33 meetings dating back to their first meeting in 2000. Clarkson has won three straight meetings and four of the last five matchups, including last season's sweep of the Bobcats. Quinnipiac is looking for its first win against Clarkson since a 4-2 win at Clarkson on Feb. 1, 2019, and first win in Hamden against Clarkson since a 4-1 win on Feb. 2, 2018.

National Player of the Month
The awards continued to roll in for Odeen Tufto as he was recognized as the Hockey Commissioners Association National Men's Player of the Month for December on Tuesday. He is the first men's ice hockey player to earn National Player of the Month in program history, and sixth overall to be recognized after several goaltender and rookies of the month. Tufto is the first Bobcat to receive recognition since Andrew Shortridge '20 was the HCA's National Goaltender of the Month in December 2018. Tufto led the nation with 14 assists and 17 points, recorded a .668 faceoff percentage and recorded his 100^th career assist in the month.

National Rankings
Despite a difficult weekend to open ECAC Hockey play, the Bobcats did not see much movement in the nation rankings as they moved up one spot to No. 12 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll and fell one spot to No. 13 in the USCHO Poll. This weekend marks the first Top 10 team to come to Hamden this weekend and the Bobcats will face a ranked opponent for the third time.

Save Face
The Bobcats once again are the top faceoff team in the nation as they continue to show prowess at the dot. Quinnipiac has a healthy lead with a .588 faceoff percentage, followed by Massachusetts at .577. The Bobcats have won the faceoff battle in every game but one this season. Quinnipiac has two of the best centers in the nation as Tufto leads all centers with a .680 faceoff percentage and Skyler Brind'Amour is 27^th in the country at .594.

Lighting the Lamp
The Bobcats have been among the most impressive offensive teams in 2020-21 to date, tied for fifth in the nation with Clarkson and RIT averaging 3.80 goals per game while their 38 total goals is tied for sixth with the same two teams. The Bobcats have scored eight or more goals in a game twice this season, the first time they've done that since the 2013-14 season when they had eight goals twice in wins at Dartmouth on Jan. 31, 2014 (8-0) and St. Lawrence on Feb. 28, 2014 (8-0).

Extra, Extra
Quinnipiac scored three extra-attacker goals against St. Lawrence over the weekend, forcing overtime on Thursday before coming up short on Sunday. Ty Smilanic buried the first of the weekend before Tufto and Metsa each did so in Sunday's game. Sunday was the first game with at least two extra-attacker goals for the Bobcats since March 13, 2015 when Sam Anas '16 scored two in less than a minute to tie Union and force overtime before downing the Dutchmen, 4-3, in triple overtime.

Point Machine
Odeen Tufto continues to be one of the most impressive players in the country as he recorded another four points in the ECAC Hockey opening weekend to extend his point streak to seven games, and now has points in nine of 10 games this season. He also has multi-point efforts in his last four games.

Tufto leads the nation with 15 assists and 19 points, as well as eight power-play assists and 10 power-play points. He is averaging nearly two points per game this season.

Climbing the Charts
Tufto is also climbing the Quinnipiac record book at an impressive pace as he enters the weekend with 140 points and 105 assists in his career. He ranks 11^th in program history in points, and seventh in Division I program history. He is three points away from moving into the Top 10 and tying Brandon Wong '10 and Matthew Peca' 15 for ninth in program history and fifth in Division I program history with 143 points.

Metsa Magic
Zach Metsa has been among the best offensive defenseman in the nation in 2020-21 as he is currently tied for second in the nation among defensemen with nine assists and third in the nation with 12 points. He recorded a goal and an assist in the Bobcats' last game vs. St. Lawrence for his third multi-point game of the season and is already approaching his career-highs from last season with five goals and nine assists for 17 points.

Lending a Helping Hand
Peter DiLiberatore has been an assist machine for the Bobcats in 2020-21, taking his game to a whole new level as he leads the nation's defensemen with 10 assists and is tied for fifth with 11 points. DiLiberatore has recorded five games with two assists and at least two points this season. He has recorded his third straight season with double-digit assists and points, while his 51 career points makes him the 17^th defenseman in Division I program history to record 50 career points.

Petro Piles Them Up
Keith Petruzzelli is having among the best season's in program history so far this season as he has post a 1.86 GAA and .931 save percentage, both of which would rank in the top four. Both figures rank in the Top 13 nationally and second in ECAC Hockey. Petruzzelli has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of the Bobcats' 10 games this season on his way to a 6-3-1 record. He leads the league with six wins and is the only goaltender with a shutout.

Grinning Ear to Ear
First year Ty Smilanic continues to do big things in his first season with the program as he ranks fifth in the nation among first years with six goals. Smilanic is averaging just over half a goal per game and has buried two power-play goals this season. He has added two assists, both on the power-play, for eight points. He is well on his way to becoming the first first year since Ethan de Jong and Wyatt Bongiovanni to record 10-plus goals in their first season and just the 14^th in Division I program history.

de Jong Guns
Ethan de Jong had an assist at St. Lawrence for his 10^th point of the season and is one of four Bobcats with double-digit points so far this season, and one of five to average at least a point per game. de Jong had his career-best six-game point streak snapped on Sunday but the Bobcats' junior has already reached his third straight 10-plus point season. He remains tied for first in the nation with five power-play goals.

Lee Brand
Jayden Lee has made his mark felt in his return to the lineup as he recorded another assist at St. Lawrence to give him two helpers in his first four games this season. Lee had the initial pass in leading to Smilanic's extra-attacker goal to force overtime.

Leyhser Focused
Ethan Leyh has picked up an assist at St. Lawrence as he recorded his first points since a three-point game to open the season. The sophomore now has 14 points in 44 career games and looks to add to his total this weekend.