DURHAM, N.H. - Sophomore forward Cy LeClerc (Brentwood, N.H.) scored the overtime game winner to defeat No. 4 Quinnipiac, 5-4, on Saturday evening in the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex.
LeClerc scored two goals on the night, while junior defensemen Colton Huard (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) posted three points on one goal and two assists.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 2-1-0, while the Bobcats fall to 3-2-0. This is UNH's second win over a nationally ranked opponent this season as the Wildcats defeated No. 1 Boston University, 6-4, on Oct. 13.
UP NEXT:
- The Wildcats return to action versus No. 16 Northeastern on Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
- Go to UNHWildcats.com/Tickets or call the ticket office at (603) 862-4000 to catch the most exciting family entertainment in New Hampshire.
Score: New Hampshire 5, Quinnipiac 4 (OT)
Records: UNH (2-1-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East); Quinnipiac (3-2-0, 0-0-0 ECAC)
Location: Durham, N.H. (Whittemore Center at Key Auto Group Complex)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023
Attendance: 5,169
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Freshman forward Marty Lavins (Riga, Latvia) scored just 1:20 into the first period when he found the back of the net on a wrist shot. Junior forward Robert Cronin (Plymouth, Mass.) posted an assist on the goal.
- After a Quinnipiac goal at 2:54, LeClerc fired a shot from the slot to the upper glove side as UNH took a 2-1 lead at 4:40. Huard and freshman forward Ryan Conmy (Alexandria, Va.) notched assists on the goal.
- The Wildcats extended the lead to 3-1 at 5:12 when sophomore forward Morgan Winters (Osprey, Fla.) redirected a pass by Huard to the back of the net. Cronin tallied his second assist of the night on the goal.
- But the Bobcats responded with three straight goals to take a 4-3 lead to the second period.
- The 'Cats scored with just a second left on the power play early in the second period as Huard knocked in a rebound off a shot by Conmy. The assist was Conmy's second of the game. Sophomore forward Stiven Sardarian (Saint Petersburg, Russia) also tallied an assist.
- After a scoreless third period, LeClerc scored the game winner at 3:51 of overtime as he picked up a loose puck and buried it. Junior forward Liam Devlin (Needham, Mass.) and senior defenseman Luke Reid (Warman, Saskatchewan) had assists on the goal.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Quinnipiac outshot UNH, 39-31.
- The Wildcats went 1-4 on the power play, while the Bobcats went 0-5.
- Sophomore goaltender Tyler Muszelik (Long Valley, N.J.) recorded 35 saves to earn the win and improve to 2-1-0, while Vinny Duplessis tallied 25 saves.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- The game winner was LeClerc's first of the season and the third of his career
- Conmy, LeClerc, Devlin and Sardarian have each posted at least one point in each game so far this season.
- The goal by Lavins was the first of his collegiate career.
- Conmy leads the team with six points on one goal and five assists.
- This is the third time in his career that LeClerc has scored two goals.
