HAMDEN, Conn. — Nothing was solved Friday night as Yale and Quinnipiac skated to a 2-2 tie at High Point Solutions Arena.
Rob O’Gara scored a goal and recorded an assist for the No. 13 Bulldogs. Frank DiChiara added Yale’s other goal.
“We didn’t come here expecting to tie, so we’re disappointed with the final outcome of the game,” said Yale coach Keith Allain. “But that’s just what it was.”
Alex Lyon is now 14-7-2 on the season after making 23 saves.
Danny Federico and Tanner MacMaster scored for the No. 11 Bobcats. Michael Garteig made 23 saves, moving his record to 19-6-2 on the season.
“Our biggest problem tonight was that we got outside our identity,” said Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold. “And that’s what makes good, so we need to play to our identity.”
Federico opened the scoring four minutes in with his first goal of the season. The Bobcats held offensive zone pressure for back-to-back shifts before Federico put his team ahead. With Tim Clifton positioned in front of Lyon, Federico put a shot on goal that deflected off the near post and into the net.
“I thought we played pretty well in the first,” said Federico. “But we lacked some poise later on in the game, which isn’t how we should play and isn’t how we have been playing.”
DiChiara tied the game 1-1 just under nine minutes later. Cody Learned forced a turnover and moved the puck to O’Gara at the blue line. O’Gara then quickly hit DiChiara with a pass in front of the net. Moving from right to left, DiChiara patiently out waited Garteig and slipped the puck under the goaltender’s paddle for his fifth goal of the season.
MacMaster put Quinnipiac back on top just over a minute later. Yale attempted to break the puck out of its defensive zone and lost control of the puck at the blue line. Andrew Taverner quickly backhanded the loose puck towards space where MacMaster reached it first and skated towards the Yale goal. MacMaster snapped a shot past the blocker side of Lyon for his fourth of the season.
O’Gara tied the game 2-2 halfway through the second period. O’Gara and Matt Killian broke into the Quinnipiac zone on a two-on-one rush. After gaining the blue line, Killian moved the puck over to O’Gara, who fired a shot past the blocker side of Garteig for his fifth goal of the year.
“We were in complete panic mode the entire second and third period,” said Pecknold. “That whole second period was just a poor effort. We’re a better team than that, so it’s disappointing, but we’ll reload.”
The teams skated to a scoreless third and overtime period with the Bulldogs outshooting the Bobcats 13-12.
