By Aaron Todd <[email protected]>–
Reilly Moran scored his first career goal, and Emil Zetterquist made a career-high 45 saves, but the St. Lawrence University men’s hockey team’s comeback effort fell short in a 2-1 loss to No. 11/12 Quinnipiac in an ECAC Hockey game on Saturday afternoon in Hamden, Connecticut.
Zetterquist stopped 19 shots in a scoreless first period, then made 16 saves while allowing one goal in the second period and 10 saves with one goal allowed in the third. Quinnipiac held a 47-16 edge in shots on goal in the game.
“We had one player compete tonight and that was Zets,” said Charles W. Appleton II Head Men’s Hockey Coach Brent Brekke. “He kept the game close on the scoreboard. We were outplayed in all aspects of the game, except in goal. Quinnipiac is a very good team and they showed that tonight.”
Zetterquist stopped the first 33 shots he faced, but Quinnipiac’s Christophe Fillion was finally able to get one past the junior from Stockholm with less than four minutes to play in the second period, whacking away at a loose puck at the left post after Zetterquist stopped his first bid on a pass across the crease from Michael Lombardi.
Ethan de Jong increased the Bobcats’ lead to 2-0 less than five minutes into the second, firing a shot off an offensive zone faceoff win by Skyler Brind’Amour just inside the left post.
Moran cut the lead to one just over a minute later, tucking in a rebound after a shot by Luc Salem was stopped by Quinnipiac goaltender Keith Petruzzelli. Ashton Fry also picked up an assist on the play.
Fry had an opportunity to give the Saints a 1-0 lead on a breakaway halfway through the second period, but Petruzzelli made a sprawling stop and the puck was cleared by a Bobcat defender. Petruzzelli made 15 saves for the Bobcats, who improved to 12-5-3 overall and 6-3-3 in ECAC Hockey play.
The Saints held Quinnipiac scoreless in four power play opportunities, including a five-minute major after Cameron Buhl was assessed a game misconduct for kneeing late in the first period. St. Lawrence has gone 23-for-24 on the penalty kill in its last eight games.
St. Lawrence, now 4-6-2 overall and in conference play, will return to the North Country for a home-and-home series with Clarkson next weekend, hosting the Golden Knights on Friday at 5 p.m. and playing at Cheel on Saturday at 4 p.m.
(St. Lawrence men’s hockey photo)
