ALBANY — When Tim and Connor Clifton, brothers from Matawan, N.J., decided to attend Quinnipiac University to major in mechanical engineering and play hockey together, they took one more bold step.

After spending most of their childhoods in separate bedrooms, they shared a dormitory room, and the arrangement has lasted for three years. Connor figures he is saving another teammate, or any other student for that matter, from his brother.

“I can tell him: ‘Hey. Pick your stuff up,’ and yell at him,” Connor said. “It’s easy for me.”

On Sunday night, the Cliftons helped the Quinnipiac Bobcats, the No. 1-ranked team in Division I, advance to their second Frozen Four in four years by beating Massachusetts-Lowell, 4-1.

Tim is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward, Connor a 5-foot-11, 180-pound defenseman. They committed to Quinnipiac on the same day in November 2011 and entered the university at the same time, though Tim is nearly three years older than Connor.