TAMPA, Fla. — The game-winning goal was scored off a set play in overtime.
Quinnipiac University got a tally from sophomore center Jacob Quillan 10 seconds into overtime to beat Minnesota 3-2 to win its first NCAA Division I men’s hockey championship on Saturday at Amalie Arena. The Gophers finished the season 29-10-1, the Bobcats were 34-4-3.
Bobcats coach Rand Pecknold said that his team works on faceoff dot plays and this one was called by associate head coach Joe Dumais.
“We have faceoff plays on all nine dots,” Pecknold said. “That one was Joe Dumais. That was his play. We have different responsibilities on who’s calling different things. I’ve got to give Joe credit for that one.”
Quillan, who was named the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player, won the faceoff to start overtime back to graduate student defenseman Zach Metsa. Metsa got the puck inside the Quinnipiac blue line and skated with it before hitting freshman left wing Sam Lipkin with a pass near the Minnesota blue line.
“It’s a neutral zone faceoff play and you just attack the middle,” Metsa said. “Lipper made an unbelievable pass back to Quills and it was a crazy finish. I had a great view. It was awesome to watch.”
Quillan finished off the 2-on-1 rush for his 19th goal of the season and his third goal of the Frozen Four.
“We work on it a little bit and I’m thankful it worked out,” Quillan said.
Minnesota led 2-1 late in the third period, but freshman center Logan Cooley took a high-sticking penalty at 15:08 and Pecknold took his time out. After the time out, the Bobcats pulled goalie Yaniv Perets for an extra attacker.
The Gophers killed the penalty, but shortly after, tied the game. Quinnipiac moved the puck around and sophomore right wing Collin Graf scored on a wrist shot from the faceoff dot to the right of goalie Justen Close at 17:13 of the third period to make it 2-2.
“We wanted to excecute our game plan, 6-on-4,” Quillan said. “We practice it a lot every week. The boys executed it and we got a puck to the net and jammed one in.”
Pecknold said that he had contemplated pulling the goalie for an extra attacker before that opportunity.
“I almost did it earlier,” Pecknold said of pulling the goalie. “As we all know, I like to pull the goalie. You’re going to wait a little bit and then go 6-on-5? Why not do it 6-on-4? Especially with an ‘O’ zone draw, you probably gain possession and we practice it.
“Graffer makes a great play and if you watch that goal, we score that goal because Sam Lipkin does exactly what he’s told. He’s hiding off the back post. The goalie knows that and he cheats to the pass and Graffer beats him on the 5-hole.”
Minnesota took a 2-1 lead into the third period. Senior center Jaxon Nelson won a faceoff to the left of goalie Yaniv Perets out to his defense. Junior defenseman Brock Faber took a shot that went wide of the net, but it came off the boards and Nelson knocked in the puck at 4:24 of the second period for a 2-0 lead.
The Bobcats got back within a goal when graduate student defenseman Zach Metsa stole the puck along the right boards and got it out front to sophomore right wing Christophe Tellier for a tap-in at 7:41.
“We were kind of nervous to start the game, to be honest,” said Tellier, whose team was outshot 7-4 in the first period, but outshot the Gophers 14-2 in the third period. “We had pucks bouncing off our sticks and we just tried to calm it down and hold onto pucks a little longer and establish our game plan.”
The Gophers took a 1-0 lead into the second period. Freshman right wing Connor Kurth intercepted a pass from Bobcats defenseman Jayden Lee in the neutral zone and carried the puck up the right side. Quinnipiac goalie Yaniv Perets came out to try to play the puck and fell down. Kurth held onto the puck, carried it behind the Bobcats net, got it out front and freshman John Mittlestadt was able to fight through a stick check by Michael Lombardi to knock it into the open net at 5:35.
Quinnipiac 3, Minnesota 2, OT
Quinnipiac 0-1-1-1—3
Minnesota 1-1-0-0—2
First period scoring — 1. UM, John Mittlestadt 4 (Connor Kurth 4) 5:35. Penalties — QU, Skyler Brind’Amour (contact to the head) :21.
Second period scoring — 2. UM, Jaxon Nelson 10 (Brock Faber 23) 4:24; 3. QU, Christophe Tellier 8 (Zach Metsa 26) 7:41. Penalties — UM, Jimmy Snuggerud (tripping) 12:12.
Third period scoring — 4. QU, Collin Graf 21 (Metsa 27, Sam Lipkin 28) 17:13 (ea). Penalties — UM, Logan Cooley (high-sticking) 15:08.
Overtime scoring — 5. QU, Jacob Quillan 21 (Lipkin 29, Metsa 28) :10.
Goalie saves — QU, Yaniv Perets 6-5-2-0—13 (2 GA). UM, Justen Close 3-11-13-0—27 (3 GA).
Penalties-minutes — QU 2-4; UM 2-4.
Power-play goals, opportunities (shots) — QU 0-2 (5 shots); UM 0-2 (3 shots).
Faceoffs — QU 34-23.
Referees — Joe Sullivan, Ryan Hersey.
Linesmen — John Grandt, Tyler Liffrig.
Attendance — 19,444.
