Monday, April 23, 2018

In the Pipeline: 4/23/2018

With the junior season winding down and most if not all the Quinnipiac commits done playing, the In the Pipeline feature will not be every other week for likely not much longer. Quinnipiac had its banquet over the weekend and Chase Priskie was the awarded the MVP of the team. Odeen Tufto was the rookie of the year while Kevin Duane won the coaches award and Alex Whelan was the 7th player. John Furgele and Bo Pieper also received the Academic Award. Congrats to these players on a great achievement. Let's take a look at how some of the Quinnipiac commits did over the past couple of weeks.



Nick Kent, left with the BCHL Championship trophy

BCHL commits

Nick Kent is a BCHL champion with the Wenatchee Wild. While he has yet to record a point for the Wild, he has given the team solid blue line minutes in 16 playoff games along with a total of 40 combined games in the regular and postseason. Wenatchee will now face the Spruce Grove Saints of the AJHL for the Doyle Cup which returns for the first time since the 2012 season.

Ethan De Jong concluded his junior career in the BCHL championship series as his Prince George Spruce King team fell in five games to the Wenatchee Wild. De Jong had 3 goals and 1 assist in the series and finished a strong BCHL season in the playoffs with 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 24 playoff games to finish third in scoring. He finished the season with 90 points (30 goals, 60 assists) which includes the playoffs. He will be expected to become a key contributor as a freshman in 2018-2019 for the Bobcats.

USHL commits

With the majority of the U-18 USA team playing at the world championships, Dom Fensore is getting the opportunity to play in the USHL playoffs. He has not registered a point yet in two games against the Chicago Steel as the teams have split the first two games.

William Fallstrom has two assists in his first four USHL playoffs for the Fargo Force as they are tied at one game apiece against Omaha in their best-of-five playoff series.

Wyatt Bongiovanni finished his junior career with a strong three playoff games in which he had two goals and one assist.  In 39 total games between the regular season playoffs, Bongiovanni had 38 points (19 goals, 19 assists). He missed time this season twice with two different injuries. He is expected to become a key contributor for the Bobcats next season.

Other notes

Three players officially signed National Letters of Intent with Quinnipiac within the last two weeks. Desi Burgart, T.J. Friedmann and Marcus Chorney all put pen to paper and officially became Bobcats for the 2018-2019 season.


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Monday, April 9, 2018

In the Pipeline: 4/9/2018

The NCAA season is indeed over as Minnesota-Duluth, the last team in the NCAA tournament edged out Notre Dame 2-1 for the program's second National Championship since 2011. However the game was overshadowed by the events that happened in Saskatchewan, Canada with the bus accident of the Homboldt Broncos of the SJHL as they were on there way to a playoff game. 15 people were killed in the tragedy. A Go Fund Me page has been set up and has raised over five million dollars in two days. Here is the link if you wish to donate. A bunch of Quinnipiac commits were in action over the past week so let's take a look at how some of them did.

Dom Fensore (photo by USA Hockey)

USHL commits

Dom Fensore potted two assists in two games played for the US U-17 team in USHL play over the week. The Thornwood, NY native has had a very respectable season in the USHL with 17 points (1 goal, 16 assists) in 33 games played. In 88 total games between tournaments, the USHL and other games he has 50 points (3 goals, 47 assists).

William Fallstrom picked up a lone assist in two games played for the Fargo Force. On the season in 56 games played, he has 44 points (14 goals, 30assists) with a plus 14 rating.

Justin Robbins went 1-1 with 4.07 goals against average and an .895 save percentage for the Chicago Steel. On the season, Robbins is 8-9 with a 4.05 goals against average and an .874 save percentage in 24 games played with one shutout.

BCHL commits

Ethan De Jong had four assists in three games played as Prince George eliminated Powell River in five games to move to the BCHL championship series against the Wenatchee Wild. De Jong is tied for second in postseason scoring with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 19 games played. Prince George begins the best-of-7 series at Wenatchee on Friday where De Jong will face fellow Quinnipiac commit Nick Kent who plays for the Wild.

Marcus Chorney (photo by Rebekah Bing)

NAHL commits

Marcus Chorney's junior career ended with a bang. He finished his last two games with two goals and one assist. He potted the two goals in the final game of the season for Amarillo. He ended the season on a five game point streak and finished the year with 29 points (7 goals, 22 assists) in 60 games played.

AJHL commits

The season is over for Matt Cassidy of the Brooks Bandits. His team fell in six games in the semifinal series. Over the past week Cassidy had just a single assist in four games played and had 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) in 13 playoff games. Its unknown at this time if Cassidy will be heading to Hamden for this season or the 2019-2020 season. 

Midget Commits

Jack Silich saw his season come to an end at USA Nationals for the Chicago Mission in the Tier-I 14U tournament. The Mission went 1-2 in pool play while Silich had two goals in three games played. He finished a strong season with 97 points (37 goals, 60 assists) in 76 games played. He averaged 1.27 points per game on the season.

Victor Czerneckianair season for the South Kent School U-15 team ended with an overtime loss in the quarterfinals of the 15U only tournament at USA Nationals to the Chicago Mission. He had a goal and an assist in four tournament games and finished the season with 76 points (34 goals, 42 assists) in 55 games played.

Quinnipiac's two commits on the South Kents U-16 team also saw their season come to an end in the quarterfinals at USA Nationals in a 6-1 loss to Team Wisconsin. Ethan Phillips had a quiet tournament with only one goal but it was of the highlight reel variety. Here is the link to video of the goal. He finished the season with 69 points (32 goals, 37 assists) in 49 games played. His teammate P.J. Fletcher finished tournament with two assists in four games played. On the season he had 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists) in 41 games played.

Corey Clifton had two assists for the North Jersey Avalanche as they fell in the 18U USA Hockey Nationals quarterfinals in overtime to the Cape Cod Whalers. Clifton is expected to head to juniors for the next season or two before heading to Quinnipiac. He also played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks at one point this season.

Peter Diliberatore had a strong tournament at USA Nationals for the Yale Bulldogs National 18U team. In four games played he had 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists). While it has yet to be confirmed officially, two sources have told me that Diliberatore will in fact be a true freshman at Quinnipiac next season.

You can follow the BobcatsHockeyBlog on Twitter @QHockeyBlog.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Rand Pecknold named assistant coach for Team USA at U-18 World Championships

Rand Pecknold in a game against Union this season (photo copyright BobcatsHockeyBlog)

Quinnipiac University men's ice hockey coach Rand Pecknold has been named as one of the assistant coaches for the United States U-18 National Team that will compete at the 2018 IIHF U-18 World Championships. The tournament runs from April 19 to 29 in Chelyabinsk & Magnitogorsk, Russia. Team USA opens play in the event on Thursday, April 19 against Canada at the Metallurg Ice Rink in Magnitogorsk. Pecknold will serve under National Development Program head coach Seth Appert who was named the head coach of the U-18 team. Appert, previously was the head coach of ECAC rival RPI from 2006-2017.

This is the second stint for Rand Pecknold with USA Hockey as he served as an assistant coach at  the 2017 IIHF Men’s World Championships under head coach Jeff Blashill for the U.S. team that placed 5th in the tournament.

In 24 seasons at Qunnipiac, Pecknold has won 485 games which ranks 5th among active coaches and is also a school record. He has won three ECAC regular season championships (2013, 2014, 2016) and one ECAC tournament championship (2016) and taken the Bobcats to the five NCAA tournament appearances (2002, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), two Frozen Fours (2013, 2016) and two national runner-ups (2013, 2016). He was named the 2016 Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year after leading Quinnipiac to a 32-4-7 record.

Congratulations to coach Pecknold along with his family on this great achievement in his coaching career and best of luck working to try to bring home the gold medal for Team USA.

You can follow the BobcatsHockeyBlog on Twitter @QHockeyBlog.

Monday, April 2, 2018

In the Pipeline: 4/2/2018

Its the final week of the college hockey season with the Frozen Four set to commence in Saint Paul on Thursday and Saturday. Michigan, Minnesota-Duluth, Notre Dame and Ohio State will battle it out for the right to be crowned the 2018 NCAA Champion. A lot of Quinnipiac commits seasons have to an end but there is still some playing for the next couple of weeks. Let's take a look at how some of them did over the past week.

T.J. Friedmann, now expected to be accelerated (photo by Darren Stone/Times Colonist)

BCHL commits

While he was held off the scoreboard in Game 1 of the BCHL semifinal series, Ethan De Jong potted a goal and an assist in Game 2 for the Prince George Spruce Kings to take a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Powell River Kings. In 16 playoff games he has 18 points (10 goals, 8 assists) putting third in the league for playoff scoring.

T.J. Friedmann has said goodbye to the Victoria Grizzlies and junior hockey in an Instagram post. The 1998 born forward was expected to be part of the 2019-2020 recruiting but is now expected to be accelerated for the 2018-2019 season. There is still a lot of roster management stuff for Quinnipiac to work out with regards to this recruiting class as the coaching staff looks to remake the roster in lieu of the programs first losing season in over 20 years along with missing the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons.

William Fallstrom, right (photo by David Samson/The Forum)

USHL commits

William Fallstrom had a goal and an assist in two games played for the Fargo Force. He has had at least a point in 11 of his last 12 games and over that time span has had three games that were of the multi point variety. On the season in 54 games played, he has 43 points (14 goals, 29 assists) with a plus 14 rating.

Justin Robbins went 1-1 with 3.81 goals against average and an .860 save percentage for the Chicago Steel. On the season, Robbins is 7-8 with a 4.05 goals against average and an .872 save percentage in 22 games played with one shutout.

NAHL commits

Marcus Chorney had two assists in his last two games played over the weekend and is now riding a three game point streak for the Amarillo Bulls. In 58 games played this season, Chorney has 26 points (5 goals, 21 assists). He will play his final two junior games of the season this coming weekend as Amarillo has been eliminated from the NAHL playoffs.

NCDC commits

The season is over for both Daniel Winslow and Connor Tait as the Jersey Hitmen fell in Game 3 of the championship series to the Islanders Hockey Club of the NCDC division. Neither Winslow or Tait recorded a point in the three games. Winslow will now head to Quinnipiac as part of this seasons recruiting class.

Jacob Qullian #21 (photo by the Chronicle Herald)

Midget Commits

Jacob Quillan of the Steele Subaru Major Midgets had a goal and six assists in five games played in the Midget Atlantic championship tournament. In the championship game his team fell in the 3-2 in double overtime against the Moncton Flyers. Quillan is now expected to come to the United States in the fall to play prep school hockey.

The following players are headed to USA Hockey Nationals that run from April 5-10 in various locations in the United States. Corey Clifton (NJ Avalanche U18), Ethan Phillips & PJ Fletcher (CCYHA U16), Victor Czerneckianair (CCYHA U15) & Jack Silich (Chicago Mission U14).

You can follow the BobcatsHockeyBlog on Twitter @QHockeyBlog.