EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — The LIU men's hockey tied Quinnipiac in the first meeting between the teams, back on Oct. 9 in Connecticut.
Since then, the Bobcats have ascended to the nation's No. 1 ranking.
And that sets up an epic rematch between the teams on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Northwell Health Ice Center.
The game will mark the first time the Sharks have faced a No. 1-ranked team in the program's three-year history.
GET TICKETS HERE FOR LIU HOSTING TOP-RANKED QUINNIPIAC ON SATURDAY
LIU first faces Princeton the previous night in New Jersey.
"We are excited to host the No. 1 ranked team in our building," coach Brett Riley said. "It is not every day that you get an opportunity like this. But first we must focus on a very good Princeton team on Friday night. These ECAC matchups against great competition will be very good tests for our program."
The Sharks, who tied the Wildcats 2-2 during the third game of the season, have shown they can go toe-to-toe with the nation's elite programs.
LIU has defeated then No. 12 Ohio State and taken then-No. 9 Northeastern and then-No. 10 UConn to overtime.
"You look back at our Ohio State win, our Brown win, it does not matter who we play," said Anthony Vincent, who leads the Sharks with 23 points. "If we play our game as a group, we can beat anyone.
In LIU's first meeting against Quinnipiac, the Sharks trailed 2-1 late in the third period. That's when Vincent stepped up and scored the game-tying goal with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. The teams then played a scoreless 3-on-3 overtime.
"They are a very good team, but I think we have a great team as well," said Adam Goodsir, who ranks second on the team with 17 points. "We are really looking forward to this challenge and opportunity to host a really good team in our building."
Now 20 games into their season, the Sharks return to the Northwell Health Ice Center on Saturday for their first home game since 2-1 overtime and 5-3 losses to UConn.
"To play the schedule we have seen so far will only strengthen us down the road," Riley said. "We have proven we can compete with anyone in the country, with several strong performances against ranked opponents.
"For us it is no longer about moral victories or sharing the same ice, but rather finding a way to win some of these tight contests and continuing to improve."
