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Quinnipiac hockey opens at No. 7 after a painful 5-0 exit

Dustin JudgeDustin Judge
Quinnipiac hockey game action in 2007 at the Hamden, Conn., arena now known as M&T Bank Arena

Quinnipiac hockey opens its 2026-27 season Friday, Oct. 2, when the No. 7 Bobcats host New Hampshire at 7 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Arena in Hamden, Conn. The game streams on ESPN+.

Quinnipiac is ranked seventh in both the USCHO.com and USA Hockey/The Rink Live polls released Sept. 28, according to College Hockey Inc. New Hampshire is unranked and received one vote in each poll.

Quinnipiac vs. New Hampshire: time, place and how to watch

  • Date: Friday, Oct. 2
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Venue: M&T Bank Arena, Hamden, Conn.
  • Stream: ESPN+

The game opens Quinnipiac’s Bobcat Weekend, the school said when it released its schedule.

Quinnipiac hockey returns two of the ECAC’s top award winners

Rand Pecknold’s Quinnipiac hockey program went 27-10-3 last season and won the ECAC regular-season title. The Bobcats were upset at home by Clarkson in the ECAC quarterfinals, 3-0 and 4-3, but recovered in the NCAA Tournament with a 5-2 win over Providence. Their season ended March 28 with a 5-0 loss to top-seeded North Dakota in the Sioux Falls Regional final, per Quinnipiac Athletics.

Two of the reasons for the high ranking are back. Forward Ethan Wyttenbach, the ECAC Rookie of the Year and a Calgary Flames prospect, had 59 points (25 goals, 34 assists) last season, and defenseman Elliott Groenewold, the league’s best defensive defenseman, led college hockey in plus-minus, The Hockey News reported. Total Apex Sports profiled Wyttenbach’s record-setting freshman year in March: Ethan Wyttenbach is rewriting Quinnipiac hockey history.

The Hockey News also listed new goaltenders Christian Kirsch, a freshman from Kitchener, and Rorke Applebee, a Lake Superior State transfer, plus defenseman Andrew Strathmann from North Dakota.

New Hampshire looks to rebound from a 4-game slide

Mike Souza’s Wildcats finished 14-20-1 overall and 8-15-1 in Hockey East. They closed the regular season by winning 1-0 at No. 6 Providence on Feb. 27, then lost the rematch 3-2 and dropped games to UConn and UMass. As the No. 10 seed, UNH fell 7-3 to Northeastern in the Hockey East opening round on March 11, UNH Athletics reported.

The Wildcats play six opponents from last spring’s NCAA Tournament this season, the school noted, starting with this trip to Hamden.

Where the opener could tilt

The scoring gap last season was wide. Quinnipiac hockey outscored opponents 155-95 over 40 games, while New Hampshire scored 67 goals and allowed 103 in 35 games, according to ESPN’s game results. UNH’s first test is a Quinnipiac team that also returns forward Chris Pelosi, a Boston Bruins draft pick who had 34 points, per The Hockey News. Neither school had announced a starting goaltender or injuries as of Thursday night.

For more coverage, visit the Total Apex Sports college sports page.

Dustin Judge

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.