Bobcats and Raiders Square Off in Paramount ECAC Contest
Class of 1965 Arena is playing host to a paramount ECAC matchup between the No. 4 Quinnipiac Bobcats and No. 5 Colgate Raiders.
Both teams started the 2022-2023 campaign with terrific starts, and have continued the strong gameplay into the beginning of the second half of the season.
The two teams have faced off once already this season, with the victory going to Quinnipiac who won 3-0 in late October.
Quinnipiac is 20-3-0 with a 10-1-0 record in ECAC play stemming from fierce defending and strong goaltending limiting opponents chances to score night in and night out.
The Bobcats’ offense is led by Olivia Mobley. Mobley has lit the lamp 11 times this season while also tallying 20 assists, placing her top 10 in the entire nation in points and assists.
She is not the only force to watch out for on the offensive side of the puck. Senior captain Lexie Adzija is another force for Quinnipiac. Adzija has recently returned from an early season injury and picked up her production for the Bobcats.
The backend for the Bobcats is spearheaded by Maddy Samoskevich, sister of Michigan Hockey star Mackie Samoskevich. Maddy has 12 points on the season, 11 of them being assists due to the large role she plays on the Quinnipiac powerplay and other big time situations.
The pipes are most commonly defended by Logan Angers. The Winnipeg native has 12 wins on the season while posting a 1.34 GAA and .935 SV%. Catie Boudiette is the other viable option Quinnipiac can use, she has posted a 0.50 GAA and .974 SV%.
If the Raiders want to improve upon the October contest between the two teams, they will need to shut down the offense of the Bobcats while also solving the terrific netminders.
Colgate is led by senior forward Danielle Serdachny, who is top-five in all NCAA scoring categories, leading in points with 41 and assists with 26 on the season. Averaging 1.95 points per game while scoring on 18.8% of her shots, Serdachny is an absolute force to be reckoned with.
Kristýna Kaltounková is second on the team in scoring with 28 points and Kaitlyn O'Donohoe rounds out the top three scorers with 25 points. The two play with Serdachny and have helped her have the tremendous season she has had.
Sydney Bard is the lead producer on the blue line for Colgate. She has 20 points in 21 games played. With 18 apples on the season, her distribution is key for offensive production, including the productivity of the Raider powerplay.
Colgate has two netminders that they rely on in Hannah Murphy and Kayle Osborne. Both have started 11 games and have eerily similar stats. Murphy has a 1.34 GAA and .927 SV%, and Osborne has a 1.73 GAA and .926 SV%. Either one could tend the pipes at home against the Bobcats.
Fans of either team should expect a tight game between these two programs that have been powers all year in college hockey. This may be a potential ECAC championship matchup come tournament time, meaning every minute should be exciting no matter who you support.
Hayden Lewis is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email lewis1818hayden@gmail.com.
