Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey
Encyclopedia
The Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I college ice hockey
program that represents Quinnipiac University
. The Bobcats are a member of ECAC Hockey. They play at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, Connecticut
.
(MAAC) and transferred to Division I. The Bobcats won the MAAC Regular Season Championship in their first season in the league. The trend continued as Quinnipiac won the title the follow two seasons. In 2002 The Bobcats won the team's first playoff series, winning the MAAC Playoff Championship with a 6-4 win over Mercyhurst
. With the win, Quinnipiac received an automatic bid to the 2002, the first NCAA post season appearance in program history. Quinnipiac faced off against Cornell
in the first round of the East Regional, held in Worcester, Massachusetts
. Quinnipiac’s run into the NCAA Tournament ended early in a 1-6 loss to the Big Red. The game was the first and to-date only NCAA Tourney appearance for the Bobcats. QU finished the 2001-2002 season 20-13-5, marking the fourth consecutive 20+ win season.
In 2003 the MAAC Hockey league split off from the main athletic conference to form Atlantic Hockey
. After two years in Atlantic Hockey Quinnipiac left to join the ECAC, replacing Vermont
who left the league for Hockey East
. QU was chosen over a number of applicants in large part to the university's commitment to build a new multipurpose sports arena to replace the civic-owned Northford Ice Pavilion
. The Bobcats moved into the new 3,386-seat TD Bank Sports Center (then known as TD Banknorth Sports Center) in 2007.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I college ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
program that represents Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Hamden, Connecticut, United States at the foot of Sleeping Giant State Park...
. The Bobcats are a member of ECAC Hockey. They play at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
.
History
Quinnipiac University began sponsoring men's ice hockey as a varsity sport for the 1975-76 season. The program joined as an independent NCAA Division II team. The team played as an independent Division II team until In 1998 the program joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
(MAAC) and transferred to Division I. The Bobcats won the MAAC Regular Season Championship in their first season in the league. The trend continued as Quinnipiac won the title the follow two seasons. In 2002 The Bobcats won the team's first playoff series, winning the MAAC Playoff Championship with a 6-4 win over Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst Lakers men's ice hockey
The Mercyhurst Lakers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I College ice hockey program that represents Mercyhurst College. The Lakers are a member of Atlantic Hockey. They play at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. -External links:*...
. With the win, Quinnipiac received an automatic bid to the 2002, the first NCAA post season appearance in program history. Quinnipiac faced off against Cornell
Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey
The Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey team represents Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, in NCAA Division I men's competition. Cornell is one of eight members of the academically prestigious Ivy League conference and the hockey team plays in the ECAC Hockey conference.The 1970 Cornell...
in the first round of the East Regional, held in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. Quinnipiac’s run into the NCAA Tournament ended early in a 1-6 loss to the Big Red. The game was the first and to-date only NCAA Tourney appearance for the Bobcats. QU finished the 2001-2002 season 20-13-5, marking the fourth consecutive 20+ win season.
Atlantic Hockey
The Atlantic Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates primarily in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey–only conference. Unlike several other college athletic conferences, Atlantic Hockey has no women's...
. After two years in Atlantic Hockey Quinnipiac left to join the ECAC, replacing Vermont
Vermont Catamounts men's ice hockey
The Vermont Catamounts men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Vermont. The Catamounts are a member of Hockey East. They play at the Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vermont...
who left the league for Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
. QU was chosen over a number of applicants in large part to the university's commitment to build a new multipurpose sports arena to replace the civic-owned Northford Ice Pavilion
Northford Ice Pavilion
Northford Ice Pavilion is a 2,000-seat multi-purpose arena opened in 1998 on Connecticut Route 22 in the Northford section of North Branford, Connecticut, just past the North Haven town line...
. The Bobcats moved into the new 3,386-seat TD Bank Sports Center (then known as TD Banknorth Sports Center) in 2007.