Box score

Northeastern won its season-best third-straight contest with a 2-0 blanking of #18 Massachusetts on Friday night at the Mullins Center. Huskies' netminder Chris Rawlings steered aside 31 attempts to notch the third shutout of his rookie campaign.

The Huskies claimed their fourth-consecutive Hockey East victory thanks to senior David Strathman's first period powerplay tally that stood as the game winner. Newcomer Robbie Vrolyk lit the lamp for the second time in the last three games to solidify Northeastern's fifth triumph over a ranked opponent this season.

“Obviously this is a big win for our team, especially in a place that hasn't been too hospitable to us as of late,” head coach Greg Cronin said.

Rawlings has surrendered just six goals in his six starts and is Hockey East's second goalie to have posted three shutouts this year (Carter Hutton – UMass Lowell).

Massachusetts possessed the puck in Northeastern's zone for the first two minutes of the game, but a Martin Nolet tripping call at 6:16 yielded Strathman's powerplay rip for the 1-0 lead at 7:59. Freshman Drew Ellement staved off the Minutemen pressure and left a drop pass for Strathman atop the left circle. Strathman shredded the lane with his wrister for the first strike of the game.

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the second stanza, but the Huskies' scoring opportunities outnumbered the Minutemen's through 20 minutes. Sophomore Alex Tuckerman missed by a few inches with an open look on UMass netminder Dan Meyers near the 8:00-minute mark while freshman Steve Morra was all alone at the 11:00-minute mark but denied on the backhand.

Pulses were raised on both ends of the ice in the first half of the third period, but Strathman's interference penalty at 12:53 bestowed the Minutemen with an extra skater. The Huskies thwarted UMass' attack and as the penalty concluded, sophomore Mike McLaughlin poked the puck loose out Vrolyk. Vrolyk escaped the pursuit, faked a pass with the 2-on-1 transition and opted to pick a low corner with the wrist shot to ice the game, 2-0, at 14:59.

The Huskies powerplay denied all three Massachusetts' powerplay chances as NU has surrendered just one powerplay goal in the last three games.

Northeastern did not get much help from the rest of the league foes immediately ahead in the standings. Boston University defeated Maine and UMass Lowell knocked of Boston College to remain up one point in the league. The Huskies leapfrogged Vermont as the Catamounts tied Merrimack at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

Northeastern and Massachusetts complete their regular-season series tomorrow night at Matthews Arena. Saturday night's game has been dubbed 'Ferny Flaman Night' in celebration of Northeastern's famed head coach from 1970-89. A short on-ice ceremony celebration NU's skipper to lead the Huskies to all four Beanpot titles will begin at 7 p.m.

Game Notes
• Chris Rawlings registered an assist on David Strathman's powerplay goal, marking his first-career point as a Husky. The last Northeastern netminder to turn the trick was Brad Thiessen. Thiessen actually posted two assists 364 days ago (Feb. 13, 2009) in the same rink as Rawlings against UMass.

• Northeastern is on its first three-game winning streak of the season and has won its third-consecutive win away from home.

• The Huskies' 14-12-1 record is the first time Northeastern has been two-games over .500 this season.

• David Strathman's game-winner also stands as his 50th-career point from the blue line. The lamplighter also denotes Strathman's third-career game-winning goal.

• Robbie Vrolyk registered his second goal in the last three games.

• When Northeastern scored the first goal of the game, the Huskies have amassed an 11-1-1 record.

• The 2-0 shutout marks Northeastern's fifth win against a ranked opponent.

• Only the second time UMass has been shutout this season (Vermont, 3-0 – Jan. 24).