Box Score

Postgame Press Conference (Greg Cronin • Wade MacLeod)

2010-11 Men's Hockey Digital Media Guide

Despite a valiant effort and nearly overcoming a three-goal deficit with half a period left to play, Northeastern played its final game of a memorable 2010-11 season with a 5-4 loss to Boston College in the semifinal round of the Hockey East Tournament at the TD Garden on Friday night.

The Huskies faced a 5-2 deficit at the 8:22 mark of the third period. A power play blast and an extra-man marker brought it back to a nailbiter with just over a minute to play, but NU ran out of clock despite taking the offensive standpoint in the waning moments of the game.

Seniors Wade MacLeod and Tyler McNeely each posted three-point nights in their final game as Huskies. MacLeod netted a pair of goals and one assist while McNeely scored one goal with a pair of helpers. Sophomore Garrett Vermeersch tallied NU's other goal while both Huskies' netminders staffed the net.

Sophomore Chris Rawlings started the first two periods with 23 saves on 27 shots while rookie Clay Witt took the loss by stopping 5-of-6 BC attempts. Eagles' backstopper John Muse made 33 saves on 37 shots to earn his 26th win of the year.

Both teams took turns working the offense in the first few minutes, but the Eagles offered up the first chance of the contest. Pat Mullane ripped the puck away from Northeastern in the neutral zone and raced in towards Rawlings. Mullane deked once, but Rawlings shifted over and thwarted Mullane's breakaway around 6:45 of the first period.

Rob Dongara brought the Dog House to its feet with an exciting play moments later. Dongara came off the bench, motored down the right side and nearly crafted a toe drag around Muse, but Dongara ran out of real estate and the puck sailed wide.

A Brian Gibbons trip at 9:16 gave the Huskies the first power play of the game, but it was BC that earned the best look. Jimmy Hayes sniffed out an errant Huskies' pass in the neutral zone and broke off a quick wrister on Rawlings. Rawlings made the kick save but the Huskies were not able to capitalize on their first power play.

The Huskies broke the standoff at 13:48 on a broken play in NU's zone. MacLeod made the initial touch and slid it up to Steve Silva on the dot. Silva attempted to Muse's left but the shot caromed out into the right slot. McNeely was able to corral the puck unattested and stuff it past Muse on his second attempt to draw first blood, 1-0.

The Eagles responded at 16:05 on a goal from Brian Whitney to even the count, 1-1. Cam Atkinson possessed it down low in the left corner and dished behind to Gibbons. Gibbons gathered it, skated out to the right dot and beat Rawlings with a low shot across the crease just inside the left post.

Boston College gained its first power play to start of the second at 1:10 on NU's too many men infraction. The Eagles did not convert despite heavy play generated from behind Northeastern's net.

BC's next man advantage was not squandered as Kevin Hayes buried a one-timer from Jimmy Hayes at 6:56. Pat Mullane generated the play and pushed the puck down low to J. Hayes on the near side. J. Hayes sliced the defense with a crisp pass and K. Hayes hammered it home from the slot to take a 2-1 lead on the power play.

On the ensuring play, MacLeod took matters into his own hands on a two-way play and evened the count, 2-2, at 7:21. The faceoff squirted out to the near boards and MacLeod buried his stick in the scrum and pilfered the puck out to himself with plenty of room. MacLeod took four strides and found the back of the net on a low wrister past Muse's blocker side just outside the right dot for the equalizer.

Steven Whitney bestowed Northeastern with back-to-back power plays at 7:38 and 9:45, but unfortunately for the Huskies, it was S. Whitney who countered with the next tally at 13:14. Randy Guzior and Tommy Cross yielded a 4-on-4 situation after simultaneously hitting from behind at 12:50. BC won a faceoff in its own zone and Brian Dumoulin connected with S. Whitney in the neutral zone. With a defenseman applying heavy pressure, S. Whitney crossed NU's zone and shoveled the puck over Rawlings' glove with the backhand to take back the one-goal lead, 3-2.

Braden Pimm took a late interference penalty (19:10) in the second and the Eagles pounced for their second power play marker of the night at 19:41. J. Hayes deflected a shot off the post, but Cross shelfed it on the next cycle. Dumoulin passed over to Cross atop the right circle and the junior lit the lamp on a missile to grab hold of a two-goal edge, 4-2.

Barry Almeida's trip (2:45) and a BC too many men penalty (3:29) gave Northeastern 1:17 of a two-man advantage to start the third frame at 3:29. Three seconds off the draw, Silva drew a tripping call to trim it to a 4-on-3 at 3:32. Despite the man advantage for 1:14, the Huskies only tested Muse once as the window came and went without a goal.

BC jumped back on the power play at 6:39 and netted its third of the night at 8:22. The Eagles controlled through the duration and Pat Mullane dumped back a rebound from K. Hayes to take hold of a 5-2 advantage. K. Hayes' shot deflected out to Mullane as Witt was sprawled out in an attempt to poke check the puck out. Mullane lifted it through to the back of the open net for the three-goal cushion.

The Huskies doubled the Eagles' skater count after Philip Samuelsson and Patrick Wey went off at 15:01 and 16:24, respectively. Head coach Greg Cronin pulled Witt to give Northeastern a 6-on-3 man advantage. After two cycles, # Cody Ferriero# deferred to Vermeersch on the point and the sophomore blasted a slap shot through the heavy screen at 16:44 for the power play goal to crawl within two, 5-3.

A 6-on-3 situation was presented again for after Gibbons went off for cross-checking at 18:17. Once it got to a two-man advantage, the Huskies cycled the puck down low as McNeely took control. McNeely made a heads-up pass from behind the net and MacLeod was in position to pot his second of the night on the power play with just 63 seconds (18:57) remaning.

Unfortunately, the Huskies could not level the count as Northeastern bowed out to Boston College, 5-4.

The Huskies conclude the season with a 14-16-8 win-loss total.