Box Score Dogs Fight Back From 2 Deficits, Get 3-Point Weekend
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Before tonight, just six of the 22 games played between the cross county rivals have been decided by a goal or less. Not even the close ones could match the intensity and quality of this matchup of teams tied at No. 16 in the Pairwise Rankings.
Carson Cooper and Ryan Obuchowski scored equalizing goals in Yale's 2-2 OT tie with Quinnipiac before a sold-out Ingalls Rink in the first of two regular-season meetings.
The score wasn't the only thing that was even. Both teams had 31 shots on target and went scoreless on four power plays.
Both goalies had 29 saves, but Yale sophomore Alex Lyon made all (4) of the saves in overtime and earned first-star honors.
None of those facts made the Elis content with a three-point weekend. Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach, talked about being disappointed after the classic hockey contest.
"We go into every game expecting to win," said Allain, who was very pleased with the way his squad played. "I'm proud of our effort. I think our guys played the type of game we want to play."
The home team had a 12-6 shots advantage in the first but the visitors notched the only goal on one that bounced off a Yale player almost exactly midway through the frame.
A flurry of chances from close range five minutes into second couldn't get the Blue on the board. That included Trent Ruffolo following up his shot, but both bounced off the Bobcats' goalie.
However, Yale's 17th shot on target brought it even at 1-1 just past the midway point of the second. Cody Learned, working the left corner in the offensive end, passed the puck out of scrum to Frankie DiChiara, who raced toward the back of the cage. Before he reached the net, he dished in front to Cooper, who one-timed it past Michael Garteig's glove for his second tally of the weekend.
"I think Frank [DiChiara] and I just complement each other nicely," said Cooper. "He's a shooter and I like to get in there and grind a little bit, which he does too. We have Cody Learned on our line as well, and we all complement each other."
The second was the opposite of the opening frame with Quinnipiac having the shots lead but Yale getting the only puck in the net. And both tallies came around 10 minutes in.
While the goal that put QU up 2-1 is officially at even strength, a penalty in its offensive zone cost the Elis. Yale was doing a great job of blocking shots and sending the biscuit down the ice, but the Bobcats found a hole at 5:33 on a slap shot from the high slot before John Hayden, sprinting out of the penalty box, could help on defense.
Again, the Bulldogs fought back to get tie it, this time 70 seconds after the midpoint of the third. Mike Doherty sent the puck around the boards in the QU end to Ryan Hitchcock, who moved it out to the point for Obuchowski. The junior defenseman quickly sent it on target and it slipped past Garteig to make it 2-2.
Yale had a brief advantage late in the game after Learned fought through a check, created a great scoring chance and then drew a penalty at 17:02. Halfway into the power play, the Bulldogs took a penalty, which gave the visitors a 5-on-4 for the rest of regulation and a few seconds into the extra session.
Lyon had all the work in the OT, but it never became scary for the home team.
"Alex [Lyon] definitely gives the team a lot of confidence. When Alex is back there you know he's going to come up big for you. He comes up big for us, and we need to come up big for him," said Cooper.
BULLDOG BITES
Frankie DiChiara had 1-2-3 weekend while Carson Cooper had two goals… Alex Lyon stopped 60 of 62 shots on the weekend… Yale's three-point weekend vaulted it to fourth place in the ECAC with 16 points… The Elis remain at No. 16 in the Pairwise Rankings… The one change in the lineup from Friday was at forward where John Baiocco was in for Alex Ward… Next weekend Harvard and Dartmouth come to town for alumni weekend. Saturday at 3 pm is the annual alumni game at the Whale.
filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director
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