HAMDEN, CT – The fifth-seeded Quinnipiac Bobcats held on to a 2-0 second-period lead as they defeated Union College, 3-1, in game one of the first round of the ECAC Hockey League playoffs Friday night at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. Olivier Bouchard (Quebec City, QC) scored for the Dutchmen, while T.J. Fox (Oswego, NY) recorded his first point in five games with an assist.

Quinnipiac (17-13-5) came out firing early in the opening period, jumping out to a 7-4 lead in shots. Union rallied as Chris Potts (Phillipsburg, NJ) intercepted a Quinnipiac clear attempt at center ice around the 12-minute mark and rushed into the zone passing back and forth with Bouchard. Potts controlled the puck and fired from the top of the right circle, but Quinnipiac goaltender Bud Fisher easily handed the wrister.

Union (14-17-3) killed of Quinnipiac's first power play of the period, holding the Bobcats to one shot on the two-minute advantage. Shortly after Quinnipiac returned to full strength, Union gained momentum as Mario Valery-Trabucco (Montreal, QC) snagged an errant Bobcat clear attempt and fired at Fisher, only to be denied. Torren Delforte (Shortsville, NY) collected the puck and cycled patiently before shooting, only to find the Quinnipiac goaltender's glove.

The Bobcats took advantage of their second power play of the first period when Ben Nelson scored just 13 seconds into the opportunity. Matt Sorteberg passed from the point down to Reid Cashman low in the right circle. Cashman carried the puck back out a short distance before sending a pass across the high slot to Nelson, whose one-timer beat Union netminder Justin Mrazek (Regina, SK) high on the glove side.

The second period featured more defensive play on both ends of the ice. Quinnipiac held Union scoreless in two power-play opportunities in the frame, mostly by blocking virtually every shot attempt by the Dutchmen. Brendan Millnamow (Wilton, CT) and Lane Caffaro (Slave Lake, AB) each had shots on the power play, both coming from the point.

The Bobcats threatened again late when David Marshall stripped the puck off a Union defender just outside the Dutchmen zone and carried it in on the left side only to have Mrazek snag his shot out of the air for one of 10 saves in the middle frame. Quinnipiac capitalized late when Eric Lampe lifted a pass from Marshall high past Mrazek from the slot with just 16 seconds remaining in the period to carry a 2-0 lead into the second intermission.

Quinnipiac added a power-play goal just over six minutes into the third period when Bryan Leitch poked in a rebound from Jamie Bates' shot to take a 3-0 lead at 13:26.

Union answered back on the power-play with an extra attacker as Bouchard slid a short rebound past Fisher for his 12^th goal of the season. Mike Schreiber (Sherwood Park, AB) passed to Fox across the point before Fox collected the puck and fired from the top of the right circle. Fisher made the save, but Bouchard was planted at the near post to cut the hosts' lead to two at 3-1.

The Dutchmen turned on the pressure late in the game with the extra attacker, and outshot the Bobcats, 9-8, in the final frame. Quinnipiac held a 33-26 shot advantage in the game.

Mrazek finished the night with 30 saves, while Fisher stopped 25 Union shots that made it to the net; the Bobcats blocked 21 other Dutchmen attempts.

The two teams face off again Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the TD Banknorth Sports Center in game two of the best-of-three ECACHL first round series.