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NCAA MEN'S FROZEN FOURApril 13, 2013Zack CurrieRand PecknoldPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA Yale – 4 THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll begin with some opening comments from the head coach. COACH PECKNOLD: We're devastated. It was a great year, and this wasn't the way it was supposed to end. I'm proud of my guys. I really couldn't for a better group. We weren't perfect through two periods, but we played well enough. We had plenty of chances and we just couldn't score. I don't know if there's any one pivotal moment, but we had a ton of grade A's in the first two periods, and we just couldn't finish. Sometimes the puck just won't go in the net for you, and it's unfortunate that was one of the things tonight. Then they sneaked that win right at the end of the second. And then I thought we still were fine, and they sneaked out that second one in and just we just couldn't get it to bounce tonight. I couldn't be more proud of my players and the season that we had. I think we were the best team in college hockey, and for the season, and unfortunately, we didn't proffer it tonight. You've got to give Yale credit for that. THE MODERATOR: Zack, your thoughts. ZACK CURRIE: As far as the game goes, I think Coach wrapped that up pretty nicely. It's not the way we wanted it to end. It's a hard pill to swallow, but, you know, I couldn't ask fair better group of guys to do it with. I would have liked it to end a little differently. But I'm proud of what we did, and I'd like to see where Quinnipiac goes for the future. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Zack? Q. Was it that second goal the one that really seemed to take the wind out of your sails because the first few minutes of the third you guys were down there and pressing, and when that second one got away from you? ZACK CURRIE: Obviously, that second one hurts. You're down by one, and that's nothing in hockey. We came on in the third pretty excited. We had every intention of coming back in that game, obviously. I don't think the second one took the wind out of our sails. I think our team is extremely resilient and showed that all year. But, obviously, giving up that second one sets us back. But I wouldn't say that was the goal that turned it. Q. Zack, I was wondering if you would talk about the Yale forecheck? It seemed that they were doing something that took you guys or at least they were forechecking pretty well. Did you see that on the ice? ZACK CURRIE: Yeah, I think you can look at Yale throughout the whole tournament and say that their forechecking was a huge part of their success. It seemed that they recommitted to it, and they were working extremely hard there getting in on us pretty good there. You know, give credit to them. They worked hard, and I think it was definitely a big part of their success. Q. If you would, would you just talk about how frustrating it was facing their goalie tonight? ZACK CURRIE: I mean, he had a great game. Like Coach said, we had some extremely good chances in the first two periods. If we capitalize on one or two of those, it's a completely different game and who knows what happens in the end. He showed up in his big moment, and he played extremely well when he needed to, made the saves he needed to. So obviously, it's frustrating when you're on the other end of that. Again, give him credit for what he did, and we've got to finish our chances when we get them. THE MODERATOR: We will take questions for Coach. Q. Congratulations on a great season. You talked before the other day about their first two lines and how they had that balance. They literally had all the offense tonight. Talk about what difficulties you had in shutting that down and at least keeping you in the game until you could get back into it? COACH PECKNOLD: Yeah, I don't know if all their lines were good tonight. I thought, in the end it was an evenly matched game. It should be in the third period 0‑0. The score is not indicative of how the game was played. In the end, they got a couple of bounces and finished some chances, and we didn't. Their first two goals, they didn't rip them under the bar. They just go in some times, and the third goal was nice. We had a breakaway; but, again, if we're not up 2‑0, we're pressing and trying to get back in the game. But, again, I don't think we were perfect tonight. But I thought we were good enough to win, and we just couldn't finish. Sometimes, like I said earlier, the puck just won't go in the net for you. Malcolm was great. He was the best player on the ice, and you know, he won that game for them. Q. Obviously, both teams had five‑on‑threes, but now looking back on it, and not scoring on that five‑on‑three for yourselves in a game that you need to get on the board at some point, how much of a turning point was this for you? COACH PECKNOLD: Yeah, it wasn't very good. Our guys didn't make good decisions. We didn't screen the goalie on the one shot, and it was poorly executed. But there's probably‑‑ I'll go through the video, but there's probably ten moments. I mean, bad five‑on‑three, couple power play, good looks, we take a little too long. Jordan has the breakaway and Malcolm makes the big save. There was a lot of offense for us. A lot of grade A's, so I don't know if you can pick any one thing. We scored goals, not in abundance all year, but we've been scoring in this tournament. Just, like I said, it just wouldn't go in the net tonight. Q. In the semifinal against Brown, you said Eric wasn't aggressive enough in net. Did you feel that was the case tonight or was it something different? COACH PECKNOLD: No, I just think obviously he'd love to have that second one back; we all know hockey. It's part of the game. You know, Eric was the best player in college hockey, I really do. I still believe that. I think he's the most dominant player in college hockey in the national team. He should have won the Hobey Baker. I don't want to take away anything from Drew. He is a great player. You could have picked a lot of guys, but I thought Hartzell was the best player in college hockey this year, I wish he would have gotten that second one back. He was awesome against St. Cloud on Thursday. He was awesome all year for us. Q. Can you talk about how difficult it is to beat a team four times and if you have any feelings about that? COACH PECKNOLD: I don't know if that was as big a factor. We were fired up. I think that happens sometimes in the regular season or something like that. But this is the national championship game, so I don't think you can put as much into that. I do think in the first three games, if you believe in luck and bounces, I mean, we got some bounces in the first three games. We outscored them 13‑3 in the first three games. Scored some iffy goals in those games where we got a little bit of luck, and it turned tonight and they got the luck on the first two. Both those goals weren't great goals, and that's why you play the games. That's part of hockey. Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't. Q. Was that the best you've seen Jeff Malcolm play just maybe the least heralding goalie coming into this Frozen Four weekend and then had a game like that tonight? COACH PECKNOLD: Yeah, that's the best I've ever seen him play. He's been kind of streaky in his career there. He gets on runs. The game we played in Atlantic City, we beat them 3‑0. They outplayed us that game, really outplayed us. Hartzell was a stud, and we got a nice goal early, and then we got two mediocre ones a little bit later. But, yeah, Malcolm was great tonight. You've got to give the kid credit. It's the biggest game of his career, and he pitches a shutout. We had 30‑something shots. I don't know what we had. But we definitely had a lot of chances in the first two periods. The game got away from us there. I wouldn't say 3‑0. But we could have easily been up 1‑0 or 2‑0 going into the third and it's a different hockey game. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Appreciate it. COACH PECKNOLD: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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