QU Bobcats women's hockey happy to see September

With the calendar flipping over to September, Quinnipiac University women's ice hockey head coach Cass Turner and the Bobcats are thrilled that they are only a few weeks away from their non-conference series opener against the University of Maine.

Back in July, when the non-conference schedule was announced, Cass expressed the positive impacts that the action involving three different conferences will have on the squad leading up to ECAC competition.

Bobcats' skaters Maddy Samoskevich (sophomore), Lexie Adzija (senior), Alexa Hoskin (junior), Taylor House (graduate student) and Olivia Konigson (graduate student) are focused and ready for the fast-approaching season. Photo Credit: Rob Rasmussen

Quinnipiac will host seven home non-conference games, travel for three and face opponents from three different conferences. After an exhibition game against the University of Connecticut Huskies on Sept. 18 at 4 p.m., the Bobcats will venture into their regular season with a solid commitment to success.

Black Bears visit for opening series

The Bobcats will open with a two-game set against the Black Bears on Sept. 24-25. Maine finished with an 8-9-1 record last year and advanced to the Hockey East semifinals, finishing the season with a 1-0 loss against Providence. "We're excited for our non-conference schedule this season, playing teams from three different leagues, including two teams who played in the NCAA Tournament last year with Providence and Wisconsin," Turner said in a team release. "Our team is preparing for the challenge and eager to bring our game to the next level." To begin the month of October, Quinnipiac will host the Long Island University (LIU) Sharks on Oct. 1-2. The Bobcats took three games from the Sharks last season, outscoring the newest NEWHA team, 22-0. The Saint Anselm Hawks will then travel down to Hamden to take on the Bobcats Oct. 8-9. Quinnipiac and the Providence Friars will meet Oct. 15-16 for a home-and-home series starting in Providence. In 2020-21, the Friars lost in the Hockey East Championship game to Northeastern and earned an bid to the NCAA Tournament, losing 3-0 to Wisconsin.

Nutmeg Classic taps state rivals

Then in November, the Bobcats will play in the 17th annual Nutmeg Classic, hosted by the University of Connecticut. Sacred Heart and Yale will also participate in the tournament scheduled for Nov. 27-28.

To wrap up conference play and ring in the New Year, Quinnipiac will travel to take on the Wisconsin Badgers Jan. 1-2. The defending national champions will host the Bobcats to open 2022 at LaBahn Arena in Madison. The last time the two programs faced off was on Sept. 27, 2008. Quinnipiac will look to capture its first win against the Badgers in program history this coming January. Individual game tickets go on sale Sept. 13 at the Quinnipiac Box Office. For more ticket information, visit gobobcats.com/tickets. To stay up-to-date on news surrounding Quinnipiac women's ice hockey, follow on social media @QU_WIH. (Rick Menning contributed to this Quinnipiac University press release.)