Quinnipiac makes statement, downs Harvard 5-3

Brogan Rafferty had 3 assists in Quinnipiac's 5-3 win

The Quinnipiac Bobcats kicked off ECAC play on Friday night with a 5-3 statement victory on road against the Harvard Crimson to move to 6-0-0 (1-0-0 ECAC) on the season. For a team picked to finish 8th in the ECAC pre season polls, the win should sure send a message to the rest of the ECAC. Quinnipiac scored the first four goals of the game to put Harvard into a hole in which they could not recover. Captain Chase Priskie put on the Bobcats on the board early when he tucked one past Harvard goaltender Cameron Gornet just two minutes and ten seconds into the game. 

Quinnipiac had to withstand a Harvard flurry of shots for the better part of the first period before scoring a late goal when Alex Whelan from behind the net fed a wide open Odeen Tufto in the slot who buried home his 5th goal of the season. With Quinnipiac on a power play early in the second period Brandon Fortunato potted his second of the season which was followed just over a minute and half later by freshman William Fallstrom scoring his 3rd of the season. 

Harvard responded immediately with two goals in just over a minute and ten seconds with freshman Jack Rathbone getting his first of the season followed by senior captain Lewis Zerter-Gossage scoring his first of the season. With the score 4-2, Quinnipiac's penalty kill was tested twice in the second period once when Odeen Tufto went off for a slashing call followed by Scott Davidson being sent off for a hook. Both times the Bobcats killed off any Harvard scoring threat to preserve the lead. 

Late in the second period Quinnipiac freshman Ethan de Jong scored his first collegiate goal to push the lead to 5-2. The Crimson got one back early in the third when senior captain Michael Floodstrand got Harvard within two goals at 5-3. Quinnipiac goaltender Keith Petruzzelli was clearly up to the challenge tonight with 34 saves with many key ones coming with Harvard upping the pressure. The Quinnipiac defense also stood out with 12 blocked shots. Five Bobcats had multi point games including Priskie (1 goal, 1 assist), Odeen Tufto (1 goal, 1 assist), Brogan Rafferty (3 assists), Brandon Fortunato (1 goal, 1 assist) and Karlis Cukste (2 assists). Freshman TJ Friedmann recorded his first collegiate point with a secondary assist on Priskie's goal. 

Quinnipiac wraps up the road trip tomorrow night when they face off against Dartmouth College at 7 pm on a game that will be streamed on ESPN Plus. 

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