Yale and Quinnipiac offer different styles, history as NCAA championship looms

Yale's Andrew Miller skates during NCAA college hockey practice at the Frozen Four on Friday, April 12, 2013, in Pittsburgh. Yale takes on Quinnipiac on the championship game on Saturday. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) (The Associated Press)

Yale players work on a drill between goaltenders Jeff Malcolm, left, and Nick Maricic, right, during NCAA college hockey practice at the Frozen Four on Friday, April 12, 2013, in Pittsburgh. Yale takes on Quinnipiac on the championship game on Saturday. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) (The Associated Press)

Quinnipiac and Yale are located 10 miles apart, connected by a stretch of Connecticut highway but not much else.

When the two schools meet for the NCAA hockey title on Saturday night, it will be a clash of styles and history.

The Bulldogs have the oldest college hockey program in the country and their school is part of Ivy League royalty. The top-seeded Bobcats didn't join Division I until 1998 and serve as the benchmark for a rapidly growing university.

Quinnipiac has won all three meetings between the schools this year, outscoring Yale by a total of 13-3. The Bobcats say they're treating this like just another game, and coach Rand Pecknold insists Yale is much improved from the team that lost 3-0 to Quinnipiac three weeks ago.