Quinnipiac University Hockey History

The Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey team represents Quinnipiac University and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of ECAC Hockey. The program has a rich history, marked by periods of growth, conference transitions, and increasing national prominence.

Early Years and Conference Affiliations

Quinnipiac College established its men's ice hockey program as a varsity sport in the 1975-76 season. Initially, the team played as an independent before joining ECAC 3 the following year. Despite Quinnipiac's status as a Division II school for a significant portion of its early years, the program remained in the third-tier conference for over two decades.

In 1997, the Braves (as they were then known) left ECAC 3 and spent a year as a Division II independent before transitioning to Division I, coinciding with the university's elevation to the top level of collegiate athletics. As part of this transition, Quinnipiac became a founding member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) ice hockey division, joining as an affiliate member. In their inaugural season in the league, the Braves captured the MAAC Regular Season Championship.

Move to Atlantic Hockey and ECAC Hockey

In 2003, the MAAC Hockey league separated from the main athletic conference to create Atlantic Hockey. Quinnipiac spent two years in Atlantic Hockey before departing to join the ECAC, filling the void left by Vermont's move to Hockey East. It was at this time that the team's name was changed to the Bobcats.

Rise to National Prominence

The 2012-13 season marked a turning point for Quinnipiac, as the program achieved national recognition. On February 11, 2013, the Bobcats reached the number one ranking in the country in both the USCHO.com poll and the USA Today College Hockey poll. Despite losing their first game as the top-ranked team to St. Lawrence University, Quinnipiac retained the ranking the following week due to other top teams also losing. The Bobcats also secured their first-ever Cleary Cup, awarded to the ECAC regular season champion.

Read also: Tradition of Quinnipiac Baseball

The Bobcats earned the number one overall seed in the 2013 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament. They advanced to their first Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by winning the East Region with victories over Canisius (4-3) and Union (5-1). In the national semifinals, Quinnipiac defeated St. Cloud State (4-1) to reach the national championship game against Yale.

NCAA Tournament Appearances and Championships

Although the Bobcats once again reached the NCAA tournament in the 2013-14 season, they were defeated in the first round by Providence College 4-0. In the 2014-15 season, Quinnipiac won their second ECAC regular season title in three years but lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to North Dakota 4-1. The 2015-16 season was a historic one for Quinnipiac, as they set a school record for wins with 32, won their third ECAC regular season title in four years, and captured their first ECAC tournament championship. Quinnipiac advanced to the Frozen Four in Tampa for the second time in four seasons. They defeated Boston College 3-2 in the national semifinals to advance to the second national championship game in program history, where they were defeated by North Dakota 5-1.

Rivalries

Since joining the ECAC, Quinnipiac's primary rival has been the Yale Bulldogs. The rivalry, known as the "War on Whitney Avenue," is fueled by the close proximity of the two campuses, separated by only eight miles on Whitney Avenue in Hamden and New Haven, Connecticut. The rivalry reached its peak in 2013, with both teams ranked in the top 10 nationally and holding the top two positions in the ECAC standings. The winner of the final game between the two teams is awarded the Heroes Hat, which honors those who risked their lives during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The two teams met on April 13, 2013, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to compete for the national championship.

The Cornell Big Red have also emerged as a rival of Quinnipiac, with the teams meeting in five ECAC Hockey Playoff series since the 2007 season. Quinnipiac won the series in 2007 at Lynah Rink and in 2013 and 2016 in Hamden, with the latter two instances occurring when Quinnipiac was the ECAC number one seed and during seasons in which Quinnipiac reached the Frozen Four. Cornell won series in 2011 and 2018, both at Lynah Rink. Quinnipiac holds a 3-2 record in those series against Cornell, with three of the series requiring the maximum three games.

Team Information

The Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey team is led by Head Coach Rand Pecknold, who is currently in his 32nd season with the program and has amassed a record of 666-359-107 (.636). Joe Dumais and Justin Eddy serve as assistant coaches. The team plays its home games at the Frank Perrotti, Jr. Arena.

Read also: Quinnipiac Fees Explained

Current Roster

The 2024-25 Men's Ice Hockey Roster includes:

Goaltenders:

#33 Matej Marinov (G), 22 years old, born in 2003 in Nitra, SVK, 183 cm, 71 kg, Left-handed
#31 Sam Scopa (G), 20 years old, born in 2005 in Lexington, MA, USA, 183 cm, 82 kg, Left-handed
#29 Dylan Silverstein (G), 21 years old, born in 2004 in Calabasas, CA, USA, 183 cm, 81 kg, Left-handed

Defensemen:

#22 Braden Blace (D), 22 years old, born in 2003 in Duncan, BC, CAN, 191 cm, 86 kg, Right-handed
#3 Will Gilson (D), 24 years old, born in 2001 in Old Greenwich, CT, USA, 183 cm, 77 kg, Right-handed (Contract through 25/26)
#7 Elliott Groenewold (D), 19 years old, born in 2006 in Bellows Falls, VT, USA, 193 cm, 98 kg, Left-handed
#2 Drew Hockley (D), 20 years old, born in 2005 in Kentville, NS, CAN, 191 cm, 86 kg, Right-handed
#6 Charlie Leddy (D), "A", 21 years old, born in 2004 in Fairfield, CT, USA, 188 cm, 84 kg, Right-handed
#4 Logan McCutcheon (D), 21 years old, born in 2004 in Saskatoon, SK, CAN, 175 cm, 73 kg, Right-handed
#5 Brady Schultz (D), 21 years old, born in 2004 in Monroe, CT, USA, 180 cm, 88 kg, Left-handed
#15 Graham Sward (D), 22 years old, born in 2003 in Langley, BC, CAN, 193 cm, 87 kg, Left-handed
#25 Nate Tivey (D), 21 years old, born in 2004 in Burlington, ON, CAN, 195 cm, 93 kg, Left-handed

Forwards:

#10 Tyler Borgula (RW), 20 years old, born in 2005 in Livonia, MI, USA, 175 cm, 77 kg, Right-handed
#27 Andon Cerbone (F), 21 years old, born in 2004 in Stamford, CT, USA, 175 cm, 74 kg, Left-handed
#18 Anthony Cipollone (F), 23 years old, born in 2002 in Purchase, NY, USA, 168 cm, 75 kg, Left-handed
#14 Victor Czerneckianair (C), "C", 23 years old, born in 2002 in Southington, CT, USA, 180 cm, 79 kg, Left-handed
#26 Matthew Lansing (C), 18 years old, born in 2007 in Tonawanda, NY, USA, 185 cm, 84 kg, Left-handed
#20 Mason Marcellus (C), "A", 23 years old, born in 2002 in Greely, ON, CAN, 176 cm, 75 kg, Left-handed
#8 Matthew McGroarty (F), 22 years old, born in 2003 in Westport, CT, USA, 179 cm, 78 kg, Right-handed
#28 Christopher Pelosi (C/LW), 20 years old, born in 2005 in Sewell, NJ, USA, 188 cm, 89 kg, Left-handed
#24 Alex Power (C), 23 years old, born in St.

tags: #quinnipiac #university #hockey #history