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The Northeastern women's ice hockey team returns to Matthews Arena this weekend for its 2012-13 home opener against Union and RPI. The Huskies are coming off two road victories last weekend at Colgate (4-0) and Syracuse (5-2).

Prior to Friday night's game against the Dutchwomen, NU will raise the 2011-12 Hockey East Regular Season Championship banner to the rafters at Matthews Arena. NU captured the program's first-ever title after a 15-3-3 mark in league play last season, winning the crown by one point over Boston College.

NU returns its top seven scorers from last season, including reigning Hockey East and USCHO.com Rookie of the Year Kendall Coyne. The Huskies will be led this season by captains Maggie Brennolt, Katie MacSorley and Casey Pickett. Pickett enters her second season as a NU captain while Brennolt and MacSorley are in their first seasons wearing the “C”.

Dave Flint is in his fifth season at the helm of the Huskies. In his four seasons as the Northeastern bench boss, Flint has posted a 52-40-15 (.556) record. He will be assisted by Linda Lundrigan and Jeff Pellegrini.

The matchup with Union
NU and Union have met in each of the past four seasons, with the Huskies owning a 4-0-0 mark in the all-time series. The Dutchwomen come to Boston with a 1-0-0 record on the season, with that win coming at home against Connecticut, 3-2, on Sept. 29.

Stefanie Thomson led Union's offensive efforts in the game with two assists, and the team got goals from Jessica Kaminsky, Emma Rambo and Christine Valente. In net, Alana Marcinko stopped 30 of 32 UConn shots en route to earning the win. The victory snapped a 17-game winless streak for Union against Hockey East opponents (0-14-3).

Last season, the Dutchwomen went 4-26-4, led by Valente's 6-6-12 scoring line. Northeastern last played Union on Oct. 14, 2011, as the Huskies came away with a 2-1 win at Matthews Arena, behind two goals from Casey Pickett and 23 saves from Chloe Desjardins.

The matchup with RPI
NU and RPI meet for the first time since 2010 on Saturday, with the all-time series tied, 2-2-0. The Engineers will face off against Boston University at Walter Brown Arena on Friday night, before heading across town to play Northeastern on Saturday afternoon. Rensselaer opened their season last weekend against UConn, earning a 4-4 tie and a 5-3 win.

Freshman Alexa Gruschow has two goals and three assists so far this season, for a team-high five points. Jordan Smelker, last season's leading scorer with 10-16-26 totals, has a goal and three assists so far this year.  Goaltenders Brianna Piper and Kelly O'Brien each played one game last weekend, with Piper making 21 saves in the 4-4 tie and O'Brien stopping 16 shots in the 5-3 win.

Last time out
NU kicked off the regular season on the road last weekend with two wins on the road at Colgate and Syracuse. Friday night's contest saw the Huskies receive goals from four different scorers and the first career shutout from Chloe Desjardins en route to a 4-0 victory against the Raiders.

The Huskies continued to find the net on Saturday at Syracuse, using four first period goals and a career-high 34 saves by Desjardins to skate to a 5-2 victory against the Orange.

NU in home openers
The Huskies hold a 25-5-2 all-time record in home openers, including their last four in a row.  Northeastern last lost a home opener on Oct. 20, 2007 when they suffered a 6-4 setback to Niagara.

Success in season openers
Northeastern's victory at Colgate in the opening contest of the 2012-13 campaign improved the Huskies to 25-5-3 all-time in season openers. The win also marked the first time since Oct. 13, 2001 against Mercyhurst that NU recorded a shutout in its season opener. The Huskies are now 3-0-1 in season openers under head coach Dave Flint.

Early season triumphs
The Huskies have racked up the wins during the month of October in recent years, posting a 26-3-5 mark since 2008. Northeastern was 6-1-0 in October last season, including four straight wins to start the season. Under head coach Dave Flint, NU is 19-2-4 in games played in October.

O Captain, My Captain
Coming off a 22-7-4 season and its 15th Beanpot title, Northeastern has chosen its leaders for the 2012-13 season: senior Casey Pickett, as well as juniors Maggie Brennolt and Katie MacSorley will serve as tri-captains.

“We have three captains this year that are great role models on and off the ice,” said head coach Dave Flint. “I am looking forward to having Casey, Maggie, and Katie lead a talented group of athletes this upcoming season”

Desjardins' big weekend
Entering her first season as the NU starting goaltender, sophomore Chloe Desjardins showed that she was up to the task last weekend. She recorded her first career shutout on Friday against the Raiders before posting a career-high 34 saves against Syracuse the next day.

“She really stepped up and showed me that she's going to be fine this year and she's going to be solid,” Flint said.

Desjardins was named the WHEA Co-Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts, and sits fifth in the nation in GAA (1.00) and third in save percentage.

Poll position
Northeastern jumped two spots in this week's USCHO.com Division I Poll up to No. 8. The Huskies have previously been ranked 10th and ninth at times during the season.

NU also entered the top-ten in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll this week at No. 8. The Huskies had been received votes in the last three polls. Seven teams on this season's schedule are also included on the poll, including WHEA foes Boston College, Boston University, New Hampshire and Providence.

Strength of schedule
This season's Huskies schedule features nine games against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season. Northeastern will square off against Boston University four times in 2012-13, the first coming on Oct. 16 at Walter Brown Arena.

NU will also battle Boston College at least three times, beginning on Nov. 16 at Matthews Arena. Matchups on the road at St. Lawrence (Jan. 3) and at home against Cornell (Jan. 12) round out Husky competition against 2012 NCAA squads.

Additionally, Northeastern will play at least 13 games this season against teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the final 2011-12 USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll (BC, BU, Cornell, Harvard, SLU, PC).

On the national stage
Northeastern finished last season ranked ninth in the nation in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll. NU also finished the year sixth in the RPI, the second highest Hockey East school on the list, as well as 10th in the KRACH rankings.

Topping the charts
It was a season of offense for the 2011-12 Huskies, more than doubling the offensive output of its opponents and scoring more than 100 goals for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The Huskies finished the year ranked in the top-ten of numerous team statistical categories including:

Stat	Rank	Number
Scoring offense	10th	3.15
Scoring margin	6th	1.67
Shorthanded goals	4th	8
Penalty killing percentage	5th	88.2%
Scoring defense	3rd	1.55
Team shutouts	4th	8
Winning percentage	4th	.727
Goalie winning percentage	4th	.727

NU was also atop Hockey East in many categories including scoring defense and goals allowed.

Four or more is best
Northeastern found its most success last season when the Huskies scored in bunches. When NU scored four or more goals in 2011-12, the Huskies were a perfect 12-0-0. The Huskies continued the trend last weekend at Colgate and Syracuse, netting four and five goals, respectively to earn two key road wins.  Conversely, when the Northeastern offense scored two goals or fewer last season, NU was 4-4-3.

League things
All eight teams will qualify for the WHEA Tournament for the first time in league history, after the athletic directors voted to expand the tournament format. The top four seeds will host a one-game quarterfinal playoff game the weekend of March 1-3. The winners of the quarterfinal matchups advance and then are reseeded in semifinal play.

Hockey East will host the 2013 Women's Hockey East Championship Tournament at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center (HYCC) on Saturday, March 9th and Sunday, March 10th in the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Skating Rink. The semifinals will be held on Saturday, March 9th with games at 12:30pm and 3:30pm. The winners of each semifinal will advance to the 11th annual Women's Hockey East Championship Game on Sunday, March 10th.

NU earns weekly Hockey East accolades
Following a four-point weekend in back-to-back wins to start the season, sophomore forward Kendall Coyne was named the Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday. Sophomore goaltender Chloe Desjardins also earned conference accolades, picking up Co-Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Coyne scored a power play, shorthanded goal and added two assists in games at Colgate and Syracuse last weekend. She finished the weekend with 15 shots on goal and a +2 rating as NU defeated the Raiders (4-0) and the Orange (5-2).

Desjardins recorded a .969 save percentage for the weekend on 63 saves, and picked up her first career shutout on Friday against Colgate. She followed that with a career-high 34 saves against Syracuse to backstop the Huskies to victory.

Huskies picked third in Hockey East Preseason Poll
Northeastern has been chosen to finish third in the league in the conference's preseason coaches' poll on Sept. 20. The Huskies earned 44 points in the poll, marking the second straight time that NU has been chosen to finish third.

NU is behind only Boston College, which is slated for the top spot in the league with 54 points (five first place votes), and defending conference tournament champion Boston University at 51 points (three first place votes). Both teams reached the NCAA Tournament last season. Rounding out the poll was Providence (37 points), Maine (30), New Hampshire (28), Vermont (22) and Connecticut (14) in fourth through eighth place.

Getting on them early
Scoring the first goal of the game was key to Northeastern's success in 2011-12. The Huskies were 18-3-3 when scoring first last season, compared to a 4-4-0 mark when their opponent was the first to score. NU scored first in both games last weekend, as well.

Matthews magic
Matthews Arena has not been a friendly venue for Northeastern opponents in recent years. Last season, the Huskies were 15-2-0 at home, and has had an above .500 record at home since the 2009-10 season. NU also outscored its opponents 62-19 last season in games played at Matthews Arena compared to a 39-28 edge in contests away from Huntington Ave. 

Since Dave Flint became head coach in 2008, Northeastern is 29-16-0 at home.

Century club
Seniors Siena Falino, Rachel Llanes and Casey Pickett all played in their 100th career games last season. Llanes and Pickett are tied for the team lead in career games played among active players at 105 games, each. Falino dressed for her 100th career game in the season finale against Providence. Next on the list is Casie Fields, who has played in 96 career games at Northeastern.

Northeastern likes to share
Last season's Husky team produced 158 assists on its 101 goals, which was 13th in the nation. NU's average of 4.79 assists per game was also among the nation's best (11th). Among conference foes, the Huskies trailed behind only Boston Univ. and Boston College in that category.

Casey Pickett led the team with 23 assists last season, which was tied for third in Hockey East. Her total was the most for a Husky since Brooke Whitney had 34 helpers during the 2001-02 season. Pickett's 0.70 assists per game average was also ranked 30th in the country.

Tenacious D
Northeastern used strong goaltending and team defense throughout the 2011-12 campaign. The Huskies went 12-1-1 last season when allowing two or fewer goals. The lone defeat came in the final game of the season against Providence when NU was shutout, 2-0 in the 2012 Hockey East Semifinals.

Last weekend, the Huskies allowed only two goals in two games, and currently ranks tied for second in the nation in team defense (1.00 goals allowed/game).

Special teams
Whether on the power play or shorthanded, Northeastern had no trouble putting the puck in the net in 2011-12. The Huskies potted 20 power play tallies, and were third in Hockey East and 20th in the country to a 13.5% conversion rate while on the PP.

Conversely, NU was able to find the scoresheet when down a player, as well. The Huskies scored eight goals while shorthanded last season, and were second in the conference and fifth in the nation with an 88.2% success rate while skating shorthanded.

Through the first week of the season, Northeastern is operating at 27.3% (3-of-11) on the man-advantage, and is a perfect 12-of-12 on the penalty kill. Additionally, NU has also tallied two shorthanded tallies already this year.

Freshmen make quick impact
Northeastern's three freshmen made immediate impacts on the scoresheet last weekend at Colgate and Syracuse. Paige Savage netted the first Husky goal of the season, and the eventual game-winner, against the Raiders on Friday. It marked the second straight season that a freshman has netted NU's first goal of the season (Lucie Povova in 2011-12).

Jordan Hampton also scored on Friday at Colgate, while Tori Hickel had her first career multi-point night at Syracuse with a power play goal and an assist.  The trio also combined for a +4 rating during the weekend set.

Pickett leads nation in shorthanded goals in 2011-12
Casey Pickett gave the Huskies plenty of reasons to feel comfortable while shorthanded last season. Four of Pickett's 18 goals in 2011-12 came with the Huskies shorthanded, amidst a breakout 2011-12 campaign in which she scored 41 points and earned All-Hockey East Second Team honors.

The Wilmington, Mass., native did all her shorthanded damage before the Christmas break, tallying her fourth shortie of the year in a 5-1 win over New Hampshire on Dec. 4 – at the time, no player in the country had more than two. Pickett also scored shorthanded in NU victories against Colgate, Connecticut and Vermont.

When Llanes llights the lamp
When Rachel Llanes found the back of the net last season, the Huskies typically won. Northeastern was 8-0-1 in 2011-12 when Llanes scored a goal. The one “tie” was actually Northeastern's shootout win against Boston College in the Beanpot semifinal on Jan. 31 - the game goes down as a tie per NCAA rules.

Last weekend against Syracuse, Llanes tied a career-high with three points (1g, 2a) en route to a 5-2 victory.

Coyne, Savage go international
Sophomore forward Kendall Coyne and freshman forward Paige Savage started their seasons early this year by suiting up for Team USA in the 2012 Women's Under-22 Series against Canada in Calgary, Alberta from Aug. 16-19.

Both Huskies dressed for all three contests, helping the Red, White and Blue to a three-game sweep for the first time in series history. Savage netted the eventual game-winning goal in the series opener with a power play goal in the second period.

Coyne would then one-up her teammate in Game Two as the reigning Hockey East Rookie of the Year scored a goal and added an assist as the Americans picked up the 4-2 win.

The duo was also named to the Team USA roster for the Four Nations Cup on Sep. 27.

Esposito participates in U-22 Canadian national camp
During the offseason, senior Brittany Esposito was one of 40 players invited to attend the selection camp for the Canadian National Women's Under-22/Development Team.

The Edmonton, Alberta native participated in the nine-day camp at the WinSport Canada Athletic and Ice Complex in Calgary, Alberta. Esposito has 24 goals and 36 assists in 81 career games with the Huskies.

Out with the old…
The Huskies said goodbye to three seniors at season's end in Stephanie Gavronsky, Dani Rylan and Florence Schelling. Gavronsky was a Hockey East All-Second Team selection in 2012 after finishing posting 14 points (6g, 8a) last season. She was also a three-time selection to the Hockey East All-Academic Team.

Rylan was a stalwart on the NU defense during her career on Huntington Ave., and finished it off by dressing in all 33 games last season, tallying 10 points. The Huskies were 8-0-0 when Rylan registered at least one point.

The 2012 Hockey East Player and Goalie of the Year, Schelling rewrote the NU record books in her four years at Northeastern. In addition to her multitude of awards, she now stands as the programs all-time leader in goals against average, minutes, saves and save percentage.

Schelling was a two-time All-American, including a First Team selection in 2012, and was the first Husky to be named a Patty Kazmaier Award Finalist since 2004.

… In with the new
After a 2011-12 class that produced 84 points for last year's Huskies, Northeastern women's ice hockey welcomes three incoming freshmen to don the NU sweater for the 2012-13 season. The class includes two forwards and one defenseman.

Jordan Hampton comes to NU a veteran of the United States National Under-18 Team, which took the silver medal at the 2012 World Women's Under-18 Championship in Czech Republic. The promising defenseman earned an invitation to the USA Hockey National Development Camp in 2008, 2010 and 2011; she was selected to the All-Star Team in the latter two years.

Tori Hickel is a four-year captain and three-year Team MVP of the Alaska All-Stars. The versatile Alaska native spent the past two years at the North American Hockey Academy (NAHA), which like Assabet Valley produced three 2011-12 Huskies. Hickel was invited to the USA Hockey National Development Camp in each of the last four years, and was an All-Star selection as a defenseman.

Paige Savage was a teammate of Hampton at the Under-18 Worlds in Czech Republic, and classmate of Hickel at NAHA. The 5'8” forward captained the NAHA Under-19 Team last year, leading it to the Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL) title as its leading scorer. She was also a member of the 2011 Under-18 World Championship Team, which won the gold medal.

Sophomore surge
Kendall Coyne burst onto the scene for the Huskies last season, leading the team in points (45), goals (26), shots (223) and game-winning goals (seven). Her point total was the highest for any Husky player since Hillary Witt in 1999-20 (55 points), while her goals were the highest at NU since 2001-02 (Brooke Whitney; 32).

She finished the year ranked ninth in the nation in goals per game (0.84), was third in points per game among rookies (1.45), and her seven game-winning tallies was the second highest in the country. Coyne was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year, as well as the USCHO.com Rookie of the Year. The Palos Heights, Ill. native also earned WHEA First Team honors and was a candidate for the Patty Kazmaier Award.

Replacing Flo
With the graduation of All-American goaltender Florence Schelling in 2012, the Huskies now look to a fresh crop of goaltenders to carry on the legacy that Schelling left behind. Schelling set several program records during her four-year career at Northeastern including, goals against average, save percentage, saves and minutes played.

Sophomore Chloe Desjardins will be looked upon to carry the load to start the season. She appeared in three games last season for the Huskies, posting a 2.01 goals against average and .919 save percentage en route to a 2-1-0 record.

“Right now Chloe is who we're going to look to,” Flint said. She was brought here to be Florence's replacement, came in in great shape and she's ready to go.”

Sophomore Ayla Frank and junior Kelsey O'Sullivan are expected to push Desjardins for playing time.

Flint among winningest coaches all-time
Head coach Dave Flint enters his fourth season behind the bench at Northeastern. Flint, who previously coached at St. Anselm's for four seasons, has already made his mark on the all-time women's ice hockey wins list.

Flint currently sits 32nd on the list with 155 wins, and is 21st among active coaches. He is also 21st in all-time winning percentage at .687 (12th among active coaches).

What makes Flint's feat even more impressive is that he did not coach the Huskies during the 2009-10 season, when he was on the coaching staff for the U.S. National Team that won the silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.

NU adds Pellegrini to coaching staff
Head coach Dave Flint announced the hiring of Jeff Pellegrini as assistant coach on August 30. Pellegrini, who brings coaching experience from all aspects of the sport, joins the Huskies after spending last season at Harvard.

“I couldn't be more excited to join a university with such a rich tradition in women's hockey,” said Pellegrini. “It's an honor to coach at such a storied institution with extremely competitive and committed student-athletes, and I will strive to continue the winning tradition here at Northeastern.”

NU to participate in World Girls' Hockey Day on Oct. 14
Northeastern will participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation's 2012 World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend on October 14. The Huskies will host a clinic at Matthews Arena from 1-3 p.m. The event, which is open to all female youth hockey players in 8th grade and under, will feature an on-ice clinic with the Northeastern women's ice hockey team. The event is also include an off-ice period, including an autograph session with the Huskies and a pizza party.

Meet the Huskies
This season, NU invites you to “Meet The Huskies,” an in-depth look at the Northeastern women's ice hockey team. Each week, GoNU.com will feature one student-athlete from the women's ice hockey squad and find out about their lives on and off the ice, their pregame rituals, and why they ultimately chose Northeastern.

NU unveils digital media guides
The Northeastern athletic department introduces the official 2012-13 digital media guide for the women's ice hockey team. In an upgrade from previous media guides, this year's digital guides provide a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate format to access information for all 18 teams at Northeastern.

This season's digital media guides provide a glance into the student-athletes, coaches and history of each NU team, as well as a multitude of information on the University and the City of Boston. The guide also allows fans to learn more about a specific topic with a simple click of the mouse.

Join the conversation
Follow the Huskies all season long on the team's social media outlets. The official Facebook (facebook.com/GoNUwhockey) and Twitter (@GoNUwhockey) accounts for the team provide up-to-the-minute information on all things Huskies Hockey.

Be sure to like and follow all 18 Northeastern teams and join the conversation.

The road ahead
The Huskies will continue their five-game home stand on Tuesday as Northeastern welcomes No. 4 Boston University to Matthews Arena. It will be the conference opener for both squads and a rematch of the 2012 Beanpot Championship game.

NU will remain home the weekend of Oct. 26-27 when Robert Morris and Maine visit Matthews for a 7 p.m. and 3 p.m. puck drop, respectively.