Box score

Post game comments (Jim Madigan - YouTube.com)

The Northeastern men's hockey team earned its first point of the season on the road and blemished No. 7 Merrimack's perfect record with a 1-1 tie on Friday night at Lawler Arena.

Junior Justin Daniels netted his team-leading fifth goal 57 seconds into the third period to tie the game as the Huskies defense was anchored by astute play from third-year backstopper Chris Rawlings. Rawlings stopped 34 shots compared to Merrimack's Joe Cannata who turned aside 30 shots on the night.

Northeastern's penalty killing unit displayed its strongest effort of the season and blanked the sixth-ranked power play in the country. The Huskies shut down the Warriors' power play on all seven opportunities. NU finished 0-for-4 with the extra man.

The Huskies were outshot again, 35-31, but dictated the pace of play in the third period and outshot MC, 15-10.

Merrimack earned the first power play of the contest after sophomore Luke Eibler took a seat for interference at 2:25. The Warriors offered a couple chances on the post, but Rawlings stood his ground to keep the Huskies out of an early hole.

Rhett Bly was whistled at 5:47 on the same infraction and the Huskies utilized the opportunity to rip off a couple one-timers from the point, but the puck never made its way through traffic.

Northeastern continued its offensive pressure and junior Garrett Vermeersch rang one off the left pipe at 8:40, but classmate Vinny Saponari was cited for a hook in front of Cannata at 9:16 to nullify the momentum.

The Warriors only chance came with five seconds left in the power play as Ryan Flanigan nearly put away a wraparound on the near post, but Rawlings kicked the attempt away to keep it scoreless. Kyle Bigos was called for holding at 14:59 of the first, but back-to-back elbowing and tripping calls to rookie Joseph Manno gave MC the extra man for the duration of the frame.

Early in the second stanza, Northeastern nearly broke the scoring draught on two bad Warriors' turnovers in their zone. Sophomore Braden Pimm swiped the disc in the near corner and set up freshman Ludwig Karlsson with a chance, but Cannata shifted in position to thwart the Huskies' threat.

At 6:54 of the second period, first-year forward Adam Reid hit the showers early after taking a five-minute game misconduct for an elbow to the head. Northeastern's penalty kill did a terrific job in the elongated window and prevented the Warriors from any grade-A chances in the game misconduct power play.

Despite NU's penalty killing efforts, Merrimack broke through with an even strength tally by Rhett Bly at 14:20. Flanigan gained possession of the puck in the neutral zone and zipped it down to Jesse Todd on the left dot. Todd kicked the puck to Bly through the middle and Bly crafted a deke past Rawlings on the doorstep for the first strike of the game and a 1-0 MC lead.

Sophomore Rob Dongara tripped up a Warrior forward on MC's blue line at 17:28 for another Merrimack power play, but the Huskies' penalty killing unit rose to the challenge once again at kept it a 1-0 affair through two periods of play.

The Huskies channeled their strong defensive play into an early third-period tally just 57 seconds in. Northeastern controlled off the draw and Saponari started the play from up top. Quailer put the last touch on the puck with an attempt on Cannata and the puck trickled over to J. Daniels on the near post. J. Daniels lifted it past Cannata with the backhand to knot it up, 1-1.

J. Daniels' tally shifted momentum into Northeastern's favor for the duration of regulation. The Huskies outshot the Warriors, 15-10, in the third period, but neither team could connect in the last 19 minutes as the two clubs skated into overtime.

Sophomore Cody Ferriero blasted the best chance on net in the overtime session on a rebound off of Rawlings. Ferriero flew up the right side and ripped a shot from the right dot, but the puck was greeted by Cannata's chest and the game concluded in a 1-1 draw.

Northeastern returns to Matthews Arena tomorrow night, Nov. 5, to close out the regular-season set with Merrimack at 7 p.m. Tomorrow night's contest marks one of only two home games for the Huskies in November (Vermont – Saturday, Nov. 19).

Game Notes
• Justin Daniels is riding a team and career-best five-game point streak. The Suffern, N.Y. native has scored three goals and two assists in that stretch. He leads the Huskies in goal scoring through seven games with five tallies. J. Daniels' goal marks his first-career game-tying goal.

• Steve Quailer assembled a career-best three-game point streak. The Arvada, Colo. native has scored a point in consecutive games on eight occasions in his career. He has scored one goal and two assists within the three-game spell.

• Vinny Saponari has assisted in his last three outings, marking a season-best at Northeastern. The Powder Springs, Ga. native leads the Huskies with six assists in seven games.

• NU's first line unit of Quailer – J. Daniels – Saponari have each scored at least one point in the last three games.

• Saturday's tie was Northeastern's third overtime game in seven outings this season. It marked the first points in Hockey East for Northeastern on the road.