The hockey gods have given MAAC fans exactly what they wanted. Thanks to a 4-1 victory by No. 2 seed Quinnipiac over No. 3 Iona on Thursday night, the top two seeds will square off in the MAAC championship game on Saturday afternoon.
Top-seeded Mercyhurst defeated No. 4 Canisius, 4-3, in the opening game of the MAAC final four at UConn Ice Arena on Thursday afternoon.
As much as those hockey gods have given the MAAC fans, Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold and his team have plenty to thanks them for as well.
Leading 2-1 midway through the third period, as Braves defenseman Ben Blais attempted to clear the puck into the Iona zone, the puck hit a stanchion and deflected right into the Iona net. Iona goaltender Ben Brady (18 saves) had left the goal anticipating playing the puck behind the Iona net, where it was originally headed. Regardless, the Braves suddenly enjoyed a two-goal lead with just 14 minutes to survive.
“I think that anyone who watched this game knew that the first team to take a two-goal lead would probably win,” said Iona coach Frank Bretti. “As disappointing as it was [to give up a fluke goal], it was more disappointing to give [Quinnipiac] a two-goal lead.”
“Iona was forechecking us really hard and they were taking it to us quite a bit,” said Quinnipiac senior Chris Cerrella. “We got a lucky bounce and the puck went in the net. It just kind of slowed [Iona] down a bit and pushed us over the edge.”
The goal became one of only three shots that Quinnipiac had in the third period. The Braves scored on all three.
The Braves’ win avenged last year’s 6-4 loss to Iona in the MAAC semifinals. In that game Quinnipiac was the top seed, with Iona pulling off the upset from the sixth seed. It was the second straight year that Quinnipiac fell in the semifinals as the tournament’s top seed.
“The first year we lost was hard to stomach, but the second year was even harder,” said Cerrella. “We’ve had some good matchups with Iona. But yesterday’s practice was a really good practice and we felt really confident coming into this game.”
A major factor in the game was special teams. Quinnipiac scored the game-winning tally on the power play, going 1-for-5 on the night. At the same time, the Braves shut down the Iona power play until, keeping them scoreless in five chances, including a five-minute major early in the game.
“I think our power play is the reason we’re not sitting here as victors,” Bretti said. “On the penalty kill [Quinnipiac] was very aggressive and quick.”
Cerrella noted that killing the five-minute major in the first was a turning point in the game.
“When you get a five-minute power play [against you], I guess you can get down,” said Cerrella. “But when you kill it, that’s a big booster for your team. The penalty kill won the game for us killing that power play and a lot more.”
Between the pipes for Quinnipiac, rookie goaltender Justin Eddy made 20 saves, including eight in the third period. He became the first Quinnipiac goaltender to win a game in the MAAC final four.
The opening period began with domination by Quinnipiac, but the Braves were unable to put a shot past Brady early. One of the best bids was senior Dennis Palaia’s deflection about ten feet in front of the net that Brady somehow gloved to keep the game scoreless.
As is often the case, the Gaels weathered the early storm, and then capitalized on their first chance of the game. Iona fourth-liners Andrew Segal and Michael LoCicero connected, with LoCicero scoring after the Quinnipiac defense failed to clear the puck. The goal at 13:41 gave Iona a 1-0 lead.
Forty-five seconds later Quinnipiac’s Todd Bennett made a mistake that could have proved very costly. In front of the Iona bench, Bennett checked Iona’s Mark Hallam with a vicious hit from behind. Bennett was issued a five-minute major and game misconduct penalty.
Quinnipiac’s defense, though, buckled down, killing the Iona power play to send the Gaels into intermission with only a 1-0 lead.
“After the first period, I kept telling the guys to be patient and it will come,” said Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold. “But the big difference for us tonight was that we played as a team — something we’ve struggled with in the past.”
That penalty kill gave Quinnipiac a bit of momentum as well, which paid dividends early in the second. Defenseman Bill Cass scored on the rebound of his own shot after Brady had made a miraculous save to stop the first bid. The goal was only the second of the rookie’s season and tied the game at 2:55 of the second.
The flow of the play evened as the period progressed, but thanks to a late penalty to Iona’s Kris Swenney, Quinnipiac went to the man-advantage, controlling the Iona zone with ease.
At 16:50, though, a strange turn of event gave the Braves fans brief jubilation, quickly erased by referee Jackie Dunn. Quinnipiac’s Brian Herbert’s shot from in close looked like it may have hit just under the crossbar. But Dunn immediately waved his arms signaling a shot off the crossbar.
“I thought the puck went in,” said Pecknold. “About 50 percent of the people here thought it was in, 50 percent thought it wasn’t.
“But I think the call, either way, our guys were really focused tonight.”
Pretty much every player on the ice stopped, thinking a goal had been scored, which allowed Quinnipiac’s Wade Winkler to get a second shot on goal from a bad angle. Brady, who was recovering from Herbert’s bid, waved his right arm and blocker, somehow deflecting the shot over the crossbar to keep the game tied at one.
A penalty, though, with five seconds left to Iona’s Jed Holtzman for hooking once again put Quinnipiac on the power play to start the third. And it didn’t take long for the league’s top power play to connect. At 1:04, Shawn Mansoff finished off a Herbert feed from behind the net, stuffing the puck between Brady’s legs to give the Braves their first lead of the game.
Quinnipiac looked like it might return the favor, giving Iona a power play at 2:48 when Ryan Morton was sent off for hooking. But the Iona defense struggled to handle the puck and thus keep pressure on or generate good chances.
And then the hockey gods shone on the Braves. It was at 5:58 when Blais was the recipient of the lucky bounce off the glass, giving Quinnipiac the 3-1 lead.
The Braves built on the lead at 10:32, but not before Eddy had stopped Iona’s John Gilbert with the save of the game. Less than two minutes later, it was Quinnipiac fourth-liner Terry Harris blasting a shot over the shoulder of Brady for his eighth goal of the season, giving the Braves the 4-1 final.
Quinnipiac (22-10-4) will face Mercyhurst in the MAAC championship game on Saturday afternoon at noon ET. The game will be televised live on Empire Sports and MSG, and tape-delayed on NESN at 3:00 P.M. ET.
“Mercyhurst is a great opponent with a great team,” said Pecknold of his championship matchup. “They’ve got that high-powered offense with five or six guys who can really score. I think what it will come down to is goaltending and special teams.”
