On Friday, the people of Hamden exuded Bobcat pride as they cheered on the defending national champion Quinnipiac men's hockey team. They faced Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament opener.
The Bobcat crowd went wild after the Quinnipiac men's hockey team defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in sudden-death overtime.
“The championship goes to the Bobcats. To win the championship we have to beat the Bobcats! No one can beat the Bobcats,” said senior Andrew Morin.
The Bobcats entered the NCAA Tournament opener as the defending national champions. The team aims to win the championship for the first time in five years.
“There was a lot of pressure on us knowing we won last year,” senior Jake Weiss said.
The fast-paced and eventful game caused anxiety and cheers from students watching from Eli's on Whitney. They were all proud of their efforts.
“They're resilient. Yeah, it's tough to beat us. Everyone expects us to win, but we can't,” Morin said.
Despite being the defending champions, students say there is still an underdog mentality competing against college hockey's major powerhouse schools.
“Our guys have definitely been fighting all season, but now it's time to prove we can win back-to-back titles,” senior Sam Giuffrida said.
They say potential tournament opponents should never question the champion's mind on the ice.
“Everybody underestimates us every time we hit the ice, but we end up beating them,” Morin said.
Quinnipiac will play Boston College on Sunday in Providence.
