Local Trail players and former Smoke Eaters led their teams to victories in NCAA Division 1 hockey on the weekend.
Fifteen games into the season and the Quinnipiac University Bobcats have yet to lose. Quinnipiac swept a home-and-home series with the University of Massachusetts to push its record to 13-0-2 with Trail native and former Smoke Eater Scott Davidson scoring the only goal for the Bobcats in a 1-0 victory over the University of Massachusetts (UM) on Saturday in ECAC division hockey. Davidson has three goals and five points in 14 games in his freshman year with the Cats.
The day before, Trail’s Travis St. Denis contributed two helpers in a 4-1 victory over UM. St. Denis is second in Quinnipiac scoring with eight goals and 16 points, while Trail’s Craig Martin has two assists in seven games for the Bobcats which lead their division and are ranked Number 3 in the nation.
The 15 game unbeaten streak is the longest since 2012-13 when Montrose natives Connor and Kellen Jones led the Bobcats to 21 straight games without a loss, and a spot in the NCAA championship final.
Meanwhile, at Michigan Tech Trail’s Jake Lucchini and former Smoke Eater Brent Baltus helped the 17th ranked Huskies to a pair of wins over the University of Alaska Aces on the weekend in WCHA action. On Friday, Lucchini set up the winning goal in a 4-1 victory over Alaska, while Baltus netted his fourth of the season in a 3-1 victory on Saturday. Lucchini, a freshman, has one goal and four assists for the 9-4-1 Huskies, while Baltus, in his junior year, is 4-2-6.