de Jong's Goal Finishes Comeback to Win ECAC Opener

Friday, November 4

Hamden, Conn.

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

4-1-2, 1-0-0

Colgate

2-6-1, 0-1-0

Colgate

Quinnipiac

de Jong's Goal Finishes Comeback to Win ECAC Opener

11/4/2022 10:07:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Bobcats score three unanswered to erase 2-0 deficit

HAMDEN, Conn. — Playing in his 150th collegiate hockey game, graduate student Ethan de Jong made it one to remember, scoring the third-period winner 9:45 into the frame, finishing off a run of three unanswered to lead the No. 6/7 Quinnipiac men's ice hockey team to a 3-2 victory over Colgate in its ECAC Hockey opener on Friday night at M&T Bank Arena.

Comeback: 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄#BobcatNation | #ECACHockey | #NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/0bAcEkTXsZ
— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) November 5, 2022

After a scoreless opening frame, Colgate started the scoring with a pair of tallies 75 seconds apart, with Matt Verboon and Alex Young scoring at the 6:49 and 8:04 marks, respectively.

Zach Metsa, who recorded a point on all three goals tonight, would start the trend in the other direction, scoring the first of three power play marks at 14:42 in the second to cut the deficit in half.

Metsa finds the back of the net for the second time this year🎯#BobcatNation | #ECACHockey pic.twitter.com/G0852DYpO0
— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) November 5, 2022

Collin Graf would tie it off a beautiful passing combination from de Jong and Metsa, knotting the proceedings and opening the door for de Jong's winner.

Metsa, De Jong and Graf go tic-tac-toe to tie it up!#BobcatNation | #ECACHockey pic.twitter.com/FJuqg6BaT6
— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) November 5, 2022

STATS AND NOTES

The last time the Bobcats had three or more goals on the man advantage was also against Colgate, in a Feb. 13, 2021 matchup that saw them record four in a 9-0 victory.
Quinnipiac erased a two-goal deficit for the first time this season. They last won a game from two goals down in the ECAC Quarterfinals, erasing a 3-1 disadvantage to come back and win 4-3.
Metsa's three points are the most in a game this season by a Bobcat skater and the fourth time a player has recorded multiple assists. On his own stat line, it is his 18th career multi-point game and 12th multi-assist contest. Both are firsts in the 2022-23 campaign.
Jake Johnson recorded his first points in a Bobcat uniform, assisting on the Metsa tally. He has 31 for his career, with 28 helpers.
de Jong recorded his fourth tally, which is tops on the Bobcats. He stands atop the team leaderboard with eight points on the season.
He is one of three active players with 150 career games played, joining Bowling Green's Alex Barber and Taylor Schneider.
Quinnipiac is unbeaten in 19 of its last 20 home contests, standing at 17-2-1 at M&T Bank Arena since Oct. 23, 2021.

UP NEXT
The Bobcats have a quick turnaround tomorrow, facing Cornell at 7 p.m., in Hamden. The Big Red are coming off a 3-1 win at Princeton to open its ECAC slate.

For an inside look at the Quinnipiac men's ice hockey program, be sure to follow it on social media @QU_MIH.