Box score

Post-game comments (Jim Madigan - YouTube.com)

Despite a pair of power play goals from sophomore Anthony Bitetto and freshman Ludwig Karlsson, the Northeastern men's hockey team suffered a 4-2 loss to Massachusetts on Saturday night at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Mass.

The Huskies converted half of their power chances (2-for-4) despite surrendering two power play tallies to the Minutemen. Northeastern was outshot in the contest, 43-35.

Junior Chris Rawlings matched a season best by turning away 39 shots in the setback, slipping to 1-6-2 on the season. Massachusetts netminder Kevin Boyle made 33 stops in the victory.

Northeastern possessed into Massachusetts' zone to start the game, but a faceoff in Huskies' territory yielded a Minutemen tally at 3:58 of the first period.

Adam Phillips flipped the puck out to Conor Allen on the right dot and Allen tossed it on Rawlings up high. Rawlings blocked the shot but the disc caromed out to Rocco Carzo in between the circles. Carzo immediately stashed the loose rebound to the back of the net to give UMass the early 1-0 advantage.

Northeastern received two power play opportunities, respectively, at 4:49 and 8:58. The Huskies did not counter on the first one, but Oleg Yevenko's cross-checking call allowed Northeastern to tie it up at 9:58 on a one-timer goal from Bitetto. The Huskies established a strong cycle and Karlsson quarterbacked the play from behind the net. Karlsson slid the puck out to junior Justin Daniels who then deflected it over to Bitetto between the circles. Bitetto's blast carved traffic in front of the net and lit the lamp for the power play marker.

Later in the first, NU picked up its third power play opportunity after an Eric Filiou cross-check at 15:07, but the UMass penalty kill prevented another Northeastern's tally. Sophomore Cody Ferriero committed the Huskies' first infraction (roughing) of the game at 17:13, but the two clubs closed out the first, deadlocked at 1-1.

Massachusetts gained a pair of power plays out of the chute to initiate the second period, but the Huskies smothering penalty kill forced the Minutemen to squander a 5-on-3 window for 19 seconds. Karlsson and junior Steve Quailer were sent away for slashing and tripping, in that order, at 2:16 and 3:58. NU's four-man unit induced a turnover in the neutral zone and rookie Dan Cornell nearly attacked short-handed.

Both teams traded blows before another UMass penalty gave way to the Huskies' second power play tally of the night. After Peter DeAngelo's boarding call (15:50) allowed NU the extra man, Karlsson carted the puck behind the Minutemen net right off the draw. Karlsson skated to his left and dropped it for Quailer and Karlsson stayed on Quailer's heels. Quailer spotted Karlsson streaking towards the net and linked up with the rookie on the goalmouth at 16:02 for the 2-1 lead.

Northeastern gave the lead back almost two minutes later after Michael Periera exploited J. Daniels' trip at 17:03 of the second stanza. The Minutemen handled the puck in Northeastern's zone throughout the power play and Pereira managed to put back a fat rebound within the right dot from Phillips' initial rip at 18:47, 2-2.

The Minutemen mounted heavy pressure to start the third with lots of cross-ice passing to create chances in front of the net. After sophomore Braden Pimm was issued a charging call at 12:27, UMass' pressure finally gave way to another power play goal at 14:04.

Sheary linked up with Branden Gracel on the homerun pass from the far boards as Gracel smashed the one-timer past Rawlings between the circles for the 3-2 lead.

Northeastern tried valiantly to tie it up late by throwing throngs of forwards towards the net. Head coach Jim Madigan pulled Rawlings around 18:40 and Massachusetts exploited the unguarded cage seconds after.

T.J Syner chipped the puck away from the Huskies' unit that guarded the blue line and Syner shoveled it the length of the ice to seal the 4-2 victory.

Northeastern makes its first trip of the season to Schneider Arena on Friday, Nov. 18 (7 p.m.) to take on Providence followed by a date with Vermont at Matthews Arena on Homecoming. The Huskies and Catamounts will face off at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19.

Game Notes
• Northeastern scored its second and third power play goals of the season at Massachusetts. It marks NU's first two-goal performance with the extra skater this season. All three Huskies' power play goals have come against UMass.

• Anthony Bitetto tallied his fourth-career power play goal at Massachusetts. The last time the Island Park, N.Y. native scored a power play goal came at Boston College on Feb. 18, 2011.

• Ludwig Karlsson notched his second multi-point game of the season with his first-career power play goal and an assist on Anthony Bitetto's extra-man marker. Karlsson is one of seven Huskies with a multi-point performance this season. He and Vinny Saponari are the only two Huskies with two multi-point performances thus far. The Linkoping, Sweden native has scored three goals and four assists, leading the Huskies' first-year crop in scoring.

• Tonight was Chris Rawlings' first loss to Massachusetts. He is 4-1-2 against the Minutemen all-time.