Bobcats sweep hockey awards
Quinnipiac senior hockey forwards swept the Hockey Commissioner’s Association Players of the Month awards, announced Tuesday.
The selection on the women’s side was Renee Saltness, who had three goals and three assists in two games. She’s the first Bobcat to earn the honor. Odeen Tufto was the men’s hockey choice, scoring three goals and 14 assists in nine December games, becoming Quinnipiac’s first HCA Player of the Month in almost 16 years.
Spencer Knight of Darien was one of three runnersup for the men’s Goaltender of the Month, which went to Michigan’s Blake Pietila. Knight, who was to play for gold on Tuesday night at the World Junior Championship, recorded shutouts in his two December games for Boston College before joining the U.S. national team.
ROTATE AGAIN
Fairfield and Quinnipiac women’s basketball were both involved in Tuesday’s MAAC schedule update. Quinnipiac saw its next two series flipped; the Bobcats will visit Saint Peter’s on Saturday and Sunday, then host Siena on Jan. 15-16.
Both of those series had been moved up last week from later in the season. Fairfield was to host Saint Peter’s this weekend, but it’ll do so instead Jan. 15-16. Fairfield visits Iona on Friday and Saturday instead of later this month.
IN PLACE
Quinnipiac women’s hockey remained 10th in the USA Hockey/USA Today top 10 poll released Tuesday. The Bobcats (3-0) have sat in that spot for three consecutive polls, though the voting took last week off. UConn (3-3-1) received one 10th-place vote this week for the second poll in a row. Quinnipiac was the top team among those also receiving votes outside the top 10 in the US College Hockey Online poll that was released Monday.
MCILMURRAY SIGNS
Former Sacred Heart men’s hockey forward Austin McIlmurray has signed with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL, the team announced Tuesday. McIlmurray scored 86 points in four years with the Pioneers. The Komets, who also signed former Bridgeport Sound Tigers forward Justin Vaive, officially opted in for the remainder of the 2020-21 season on Tuesday.