Wayne State splits with #10 Quinnipiac

By Tom Balog / WSU Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors were finally able to remember what a win felt like over the weekend as they split a two-game set with the tenth-ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats.

Wayne State snapped a six-game winless skid with a 2-1 win at the City Sports Center on Friday night.

"I thought it was a great game," said Warriors head coach Jim Fetter. "It's always good playing and beating a ranked team. I think tonight was probably the first game in my eight years here that we actually played a solid 60 minutes."

Micheline Frappier opened the scoring as WSU scored on an extended power play at 4:48 of the second period.

The score held until 10:31 of the third when blueliner Jill Szandzik (pictured) scored her second of the season and her second career game-winner.

Despite being heavily outgunned, 15-5, in the final 20 minutes, the Warriors held on for their first win over a ranked opponent since a two-game sweep of then tenth-ranked Northeastern in November 2008.

QU's lone goal was scored on a deflected blast by defenseman Regan Boulton with the extra attacker on with just 1:19 left in the contest.

Delayne Brian started her 21st straight game in net and stopped 28 shots.

Victoria Viglianti turned away 19 for Quinnipiac.

Things did not go as well for the Green and Gold on Saturday as they were shutout for the fifth time this season, 3-0, by the Bobcats.

"We're not shooting with purpose," saidWSU senior forward Adrianna Pfeffer. "We need to start getting pucks to the net and crashing the net. Right now, we're just throwing it in."

Kate Wheeler scored a pair and Vigilanti made 20 saves between the Quinnipiac pipes for her seventh shutout of the season.

Brian finished with the game with 31 saves marking her 16th 30-plus save effort this season and giving her 700 saves for the season, second-highest single-season total in WSU program history.

Amanda Colin also scored as the Bobcats beat the Warriors for the first time in eight chances in Detroit.

Wayne State will wrap up its six-game homestand next weekend with a pair of CHA conference battles against the Syracuse Orange. Friday is Doc Andrews Alumni Night, a special event to raise funds for the Doc Andrews Scholarship Endowment, and there will be a WSU alumni game on Saturday following the Warriors-Orange contest.

Photo courtesy Mark Hicks/WSU Athletics