Quinnipiac took the lead and never gave it up in taking third-place in the inaugural Governor’s Cup at the Pepsi Arena, downing Union 8-5.
The Dutchmen got the game tied at 5-5 in the third period, but then the Bobcats scored the next three to win the game.
The Bobcats got on the board first with a power-play goal. Dan Travis broke into the zone and went through two defenders before putting a backhand between the legs of Rich Sillery.
Union tied the score on a power-play goal of its own. After a failed Quinnipiac short-handed rush, the Dutchmen took the puck up ice with a three-on-two. Augie DiMarzo found Josh Coyle. Coyle made one move inside the blue line and then took it to the right where he snapped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Bud Fisher.
It didn’t take long for the Bobcats to get the lead back with a power-play goal. With Sillery screened in front, a soft wrist shot from John Doherty eluded Sillery for the goal.
The Bobcats quickly added another one right after it. A failed clearing attempt along the boards gave Greg Holt a free curl to the faceoff circle where he wrested one past Sillery.
The Bobcats could have put Union away with 1:57 of five-on-three power play, but could not capitalize and then the Dutchmen came back within one. Matt Cook came down the left wing and put a shot on Fisher. Fisher could not close his pads in time and Cook had drawn the Dutchmen within one at 3-2.
But more power plays gave the Bobcats back a two-goal lead. Quick passing from Bryan Leitch to Jamie Bates gave Bates a quick one-timer over the shoulder of Sillery.
But the Dutchmen came right back with some nice passing of their own. Rushing up the ice, DiMarzo faked a shot and then made a quick pass to Mario Valery-Trabucco. All Valery-Trabucco had to do was tap it past Fisher to make it 4-3.
The beginning of the third period saw the Bobcats get back the two-goal lead once again. Dan Henningson’s shot was misplayed by Sillery, going right off of his glove. When the puck landed in the crease off the miscue, David Marshall was there to poke it into the net.
The Dutchmen once again closed the gap to one goal when a rush up ice put the puck in front of the net. Valery-Trabucco jumped on it and put it up high over Fisher to make it 5-4.
This time though the Dutchmen would get the next goal and tie the game. A quick shot by the Dutchmen left the rebound out front of Fisher where Matt Sorteberg tried to clear. Instead he was pickpocketed by Coyle and Coyle’s quick turnaround shot surprised Fisher to tie the game.
But Quinnipiac retook the lead with a nice passing play and a late power play. Leitch found Eric Lampe all alone in front for a one-timer past Sillery to make it 6-5. Then Mark Nelson made a nice move on the rush to come down Sillery’s left and roof it over his shoulder to make it 7-5. Michael Bordieri added an empty-netter to make it 8-5.
The two teams meet again on Friday night at Achilles Center to begin ECACHL play.
