Women's Ice Hockey Hosts Final ECAC Hockey Regular Season Games This Weekend

Friday, February 11, 2011 - 7 p.m.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (18-10-2) (10-8-0 ECAC Hockey) vs.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers (10-12-7) (8-8-2 ECAC Hockey)

Saturday, February 12, 2011 - 4 p.m.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (18-10-2) (10-8-0 ECAC Hockey) vs.
Union College Dutchwomen (2-25-3) (1-15-2 ECAC Hockey)

TD Bank Sports Center - Hamden, Conn.

Senior Day Saturday
The Quinnipiac women's ice hockey team (18-10-2, 10-8-0 ECAC Hockey) hosts its final regular season home games against ECAC Hockey opponents Rensselaer (10-12-7, 8-8-2 ECAC Hockey) and Union (2-25-3, 1-15-2 ECAC Hockey) this weekend, Friday, Feb. 11 and Saturday, Feb. 12. Friday's game against the Engineers is set for a 7 p.m. start, while Saturday's game against the Dutchwomen starts at 4 p.m. Prior to puck drop on Saturday, Quinnipiac will honor its two senior skaters, Kelley Davies (Chesapeake, Va.) and Kelsey Britton (Ashland, Mass.), as well as its one senior student athletic trainer, Joeseph Murad, with an on-ice rose ceremony.

Follow The Bobcats
Live Stats for this weekend's games can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate links on the women's ice hockey schedule at www.quinnipiacbobcats.com.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer comes to Hamden after going 1-0-1 last weekend against ECAC Hockey opponents Brown and Yale. The Engineers began the weekend with a 4-2 comeback win over Brown on Friday, Feb. 4. After falling behind 2-0 heading into the third period, Rensselaer exploded for four goals in the frame to take the victory. On Saturday, Feb. 5 against Yale, Rensselaer tied the Bulldogs, 2-2. This time it was the Engineers who gave up a two goal lead heading into the third period, as Yale scored its two goals just 39 seconds apart from each other in the third frame. Sophomore forward Taylor Horton leads the Engineers with 19 points (10 goals, nine assists), followed by junior forward Alisa Harrison (six goals, 10 assist) and freshman forward Jordan Smelker (nine goals, six assists). In goal for Rensselaer is senior goaltender Sonja Van der bliek, who has seen action in 26 games this season. The senior has compiled a .898 save percentage and a 2.65 goals against average on the year.

All-Time Against The Engineers
Friday's game will be the 16^th time the two sides face each other, with Rensselaer leading the all-time series, 4-10-1. In their last meeting earlier this season on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010, the Engineers skated to a 2-0 victory on their home ice in Troy, N.Y. Sophomore forward Clare Padmore scored the first goal for Rensselaer at the 16:15 mark into the second period of play, while Alisa Harrison added an insurance empty netter with 22 seconds remaining in the third period to seal the win.

About Union College
The Dutchwomen are coming off a rare weekend split against Yale and Brown on Friday, Feb. 4 and Saturday, Feb. 5. On Friday against Yale, Union was defeated, 5-0. After skating to a scoreless first period, the Bulldogs opened up a three goal lead in the third period, only to add two more tallies in the third frame en route to victory. On Saturday against Brown, Union came away with its first ECAC Hockey win of the season, and its first overall victory since October 15, 2010 when it defeated Sacred Heart. The Dutchwomen's 3-2 comeback victory was sparked by two third period goals, one by sophomore forward Jeannie Sabourin and another by freshman defender Ashley Johnston. Junior forwards Lauren Cromartie (two goals, eight assists) and Lauren Hoffman (four goals, six assists) are tied for the team-lead with 10 points on the season. Junior goaltender Kate Gallagher has a .918 save percentage and a 2.82 goals against average on the season.

All-Time Against The Dutchwomen
Saturday's game will be the 19^th time the two sides face each other, with Quinnipiac owning a perfect 15-0-3 all-time record against Union. In their last meeting on Friday, Nov. 5, 2010, Quinnipiac skated to a 3-2 victory. Led by three first period goals, Quinnipiac staved off a Union comeback attempt to win its second ECAC Hockey victory of the season and seventh win overall. Freshman forward Kelly Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario) scored a goal and an assist in that first period, while freshman forwards Lindsay Burman (Stanchfield, Minn.) and Amanda Colin (Burnsville, Minn.) netted the other two goals for the Bobcats.

Last Time Out
Quinnipiac last played on Tuesday, Feb. 8 in a 1-1 tie against non-conference opponent New Hampshire, in a re-scheduled game originally slated for Tuesday, Jan. 18. Freshman forward Amanda Colin netted the lone goal for Quinnipiac, coming off an assist from fellow freshman forward Kelly Babstock. The Wildcats tied the game at the 12:45 mark into the third period, as senior defender Courtney Birchard put away her seventh goal of the season. Sophomore goaltender Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario) turned away 24 shots on the evening.

Blanking The Opposition
Tuesday's game marked the sixth straight game in which Quinnipiac's penalty-kill unit prevented the opposition from scoring on its extra skater advantage. During that time span which dates back to Saturday, Jan. 22, teams have gone 0 for 20 against the Bobcats. On the season overall, Quinnipiac has an 89.3 percent penalty-kill success rate and has allowed only 11 power play goals against.

Streak To Six
With an assist on Tuesday, Feb. 8 against New Hampshire, freshman forward Kelly Babstock extended her point streak to six games. Babstock has now recorded at least one point in 23 of the Bobcats' 30 games played this season, accumulating 25 goals and 23 assists along the way.

New Career High
Vigilanti's seventh shutout of the season in a 4-0 victory against Dartmouth on Friday, Feb.4 marks a new career-high for shutouts in a season. The sophomore netminder currently ranks third among ECAC Hockey goaltenders with a 1.74 goals against average and is fourth with a .932 save percentage.

Typical Babstock Brilliance
With three goals and one assist over the weekend against Dartmouth and Harvard on Friday, Feb. 4 and Saturday, Feb. 5, the freshman once again regained the NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey freshman lead in goals, assists and points, as she holds an incredible 1.60 points per game average on the year. The freshman netted the first and third goals of the contest on Friday, Feb. 4 against Dartmouth, earning her league-high eighth game-winning goal of the season. The eight game-winning tallies are also second best in NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey.

Hear Her Callin'
Freshman forward Amanda Colin (Burnsville, Minn.) collected a goal and an assist over the weekend against Dartmouth and Harvard. The freshman is just the eighth skater on the team to have double digit points (six goals, five assists).

What A View
Sophomore defender Felica Vieweg (Port Orange, Fla.) netted her first goal of the season on Friday, Feb. 4 against Dartmouth. The sophomore now has nine points on the season (one goal, eight assists), while the goal was her third career tally.

Leading By Example
Junior forward Kate Wheeler (Oakville, Ontario) netted an empty-net goal for the Bobcats in its 4-0 victory over Dartmouth, giving her 12 goals on the season. Wheeler (12 goals, 13 assists) has scored at least one point in five of the last seven games for the Bobcats.

Final Regular Season Road Games
Quinnipiac heads out on the road to finish its ECAC Hockey regular season schedule, when it faces Yale on Friday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. and Brown the following Saturday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.