FINAL SCORE: Quinnipiac 3, Vermont 2
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Quinnipiac (1-0-0) scored a pair of goals in the final 2:19 to take a 3-2 road victory in front of a near-capacity crowd to open its season against Vermont (1-1-0) at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"We had unbelievable jump in the first period. I thought we really took it to them. They responded in the second period," head coach Kevin Sneddon said. "I loved our jump; I loved our hunt for loose pucks. I don't really have a lot of concerns coming out of the game. I thought we were way better tonight than we were against Michigan, so we're growing and unfortunately we just didn't find a way to finish the game."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Derek Lodermeier opened the scoring at 14:35 of the first period. Ace Cowans moved the puck to Lodermeier on a 2-on-2 rush before the captain fired a short-side shot past Keith Petruzzelli (22 saves). Max Kaufman picked up the secondary assist on the tally.
• Stefanos Lekkas (27 saves) made a breakaway save on Michael Lombardi with 60 seconds left in the first to preserve the Catamount lead entering the first intermission.
• Neither team scored in the second period despite a power play chance each. Lekkas recorded 14 second period saves to Petruzzelli's five.
• The Bobcats tied the game 3:58 into the third period off a Catamount defensive zone turnover. Wyatt Bongiovanni deflected a centering pass from Alex Whelan past an outstretched Lekkas after the failed UVM breakout.
• Joey Cipollone scored his first collegiate goal to re-take the lead with 10:56 left to play in the third. The freshman tipped a shot from Cowans past Petruzzelli.
• Chase Priskie ripped a slapshot from inside the blue line past Lekkas to tie the game just nine seconds after Quinnipiac pulled Petruzzelli for the extra attacker. A lengthy goaltender interference review did not change the call on the ice.
• Odeen Tufto lifted the Bobcats to the win with 15.2 seconds left in regulation. QU's leading scorer a season ago, Tufto fired a shot from the slot that deflected over Lekkas' right shoulder and into the net.

UP NEXT
Vermont has next weekend off before opening Hockey East conference play on Saturday, Oct. 27 against New Hampshire at the Whittemore Center.
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 men's hockey season