ECAC Hockey: Quinnipiac’s Pecknold reflects on a legendary career

Rand Pecknold and his staff secured a commitment from '03 forward Sam Lipkin. (Quinnipiac Athletics)

If it weren’t for longtime former Connecticut College head coach Doug Roberts, Rand Pecknold probably wouldn’t be where he is today.

Pecknold had planned on attending law school after his playing career for the Camels ended, but Roberts offered the Bedford, N.H., native a chance to return to his alma mater as an assistant coach. He spent three years alongside Roberts and got bit by the coaching bug.

The rest was history for Pecknold, who was hired as Quinnipiac’s head coach in 1994 and is currently in the midst of his 25th season in that position. Things are certainly quite different on the Hamden, Conn., campus now.

“I could take an hour talking about all the things that have changed for us,” said Pecknold, who became the third active Division 1 coach and the 17th in history to earn 500 career wins with his team’s 6-0 shutout of Colgate on Dec. 29 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.