Box Score Box score

Postgame comments (Jim Madigan)

The 15th-ranked Northeastern men's hockey team (2-2-0, 2-2-0 HEA) had at least a point snatched in the waning moments in a 4-3 setback at No. 12 New Hampshire (4-0-0, 2-0-0 HEA) on Friday night at the Whittemore Center.

The Huskies had a 3-1 lead heading into the second period, but UNH dominated the middle stanza and tied things up heading into the third. Northeastern dominated the tempo, but it was the home team that came away with the victory after John Henrion found the back of the net with just 53 seconds left in regulation.

Senior goaltender Chris Rawlings started the contest and stopped 11 shots but surrendered three goals in a period and a half of play and head coach Jim Madigan opted for classmate Bryan Mountain at 6:40 of the second stanza.

The Bryn Mawr, Pa., native displayed a sterling effort in net, turning away 18-of-19 Wildcats' attempts to close out the game, but UNH's last shot turned out to be the one that counted. Mountain has not seen any action since keep Maine off the board for 13 minutes on Feb. 25, 2012.

Junior forward Braden Pimm tallied his first goal of the year just 33 seconds into the contest while sophomore Joseph Manno netted his second of the season at 6:40 of the first frame. Second-year defenseman Ben Oskroba logged his first collegiate point in just his 11th collegiate with a goal at 11:45 of the first to give the Huskies the 3-1 advantage.

Northeastern's penalty killing efforts struggled, allowing New Hampshire to score a pair of power play goals on just four chances. The Huskies did not convert on their only chance. UNH also dominated the shots category, outshooting the Huskies, 33-21.

The Huskies jumped out to an early lead when freshmen defenseman Dustin Darou started the breakout up the right side of the ice with a pass to junior Cody Ferriero, who skated into the New Hampshire zone and fed Pimm with a nifty backhand pass in the slot. Pimm took two strides and beat UNH goalie Casey DeSmith underneath the right arm with a sharp snapshot to give NU a 1-0 just 33 seconds into the game.

The Wildcats were given the opportunity to get back into it early after senior defenseman Drew Ellement was whistled for tripping at 5:17 of the first period. On the ensuing power play, 'Cats blueliner Trevor van Riemsdyk beat Rawlings with a shot from the point to tie the game at 1-1 at 6:20 of the first, assisted by Connor Hardowa and Greg Burke.

Twenty seconds later, NU retook the lead, 2-1 when Manno made a great play off the draw. Senior Garrett Vermeersch won the draw out to classmate Robbie Vrolyk on the right dot. Vrolyk tossed the puck on net, but it tricked out to Manno right on the goal mouth at 6:40 of the first stanza.

Northeastern's fourth liners got their names on the score sheet when sophomore Adam Reid sent the puck behind the net to freshman Mike McMurtry, playing in his first collegiate game. McMurtry dished out to Oskroba from behind the net and Oskroba popped the one-timer wrist shot past DeSmith to give the Huskies a 3-1 lead at 11:45 of the first period.

New Hampshire was able to generate offensive pressure throughout the remainder of the period, but Rawlings and the Huskies defensemen were able to take their two-goal lead into the intermission. The Wildcats held the edge in shots, 10-8, and faceoffs, 11-9, in the opening frame.

Just 59 seconds into the second period, Northeastern found itself shorthanded as sophomore Ludwig Karlsson was assessed two minutes for tripping. Once again, UNH was able to capitalize as Austin Block took a cross-ice feed from Kevin Goumas and beat Rawlings to cut the NU lead to 3-2 at 2:51 of the second. Justin Agosta also assisted on the goal, Block's third of the season.

The Wildcats knotted the game at 3-3 when Goumas beat Rawlings at 6:40 of the second period, with assists from Greg Burke and Block. The tally prompted Madigan to switch out Rawlings for Mountain.

Five minutes later, at 11:30, Reid just missed a tap-in scoring chance on a feed from McMurty, who was along the boards in the corner. Twenty seconds after that, sophomore Josh Manson was called for holding, and the Huskies were able to kill off the man advantage thanks to key saves from Mountain and a timely shot block from freshman Colton Saucerman. The second period ended with the Wildcats once again leading in shots, 13-5, and faceoffs, 12-8, in the frame.

A minute and fifty seconds into the third period, Goumas and Block found themselves with an odd-man chance in the Northeastern zone, but a left-pad kick save by Mountain kept the game tied for the time being. After Darou was called for tripping at 5:21, Mountain was able to stop a pair of back-to-back chances with reflex saves, and the Huskies managed to kill off the rest of the 'Cats man advantage.

The Huskies' third line of Manno, Vermeersch and Vrolyk found themselves on a three-on-two rush with 7:35 left in the game. Vermeersch's wrister was turned aside by DeSmith, and Vrolyk was unable to get the rebound on net.

With under a minute left, New Hampshire blocked a Manson blast and the disc took a fortuitous kick out to the blue line. Casey Thrush rushed it through the neutral zone and passed ahead to Jeff Silengo. Silengo got the puck on net and Mountain made the initial save, but Henrion was in prime position to pounce on the loose garbage and paddle in the back hander to win the game for UNH with just 53 seconds to play in regulation.

Northeastern returns to Matthews Arena for the backend of the weekend series with New Hampshire tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

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Game Notes
• Northeastern is winless in its last seven trips to Durham, N.H. (0-6-1). The last time the Huskies defeated UNH at the WHittemore Center occurred on Nov. 16, 2007. Northeastern has a 3-20-4 mark since the Whittemore Center was built in November 1995.

• Senior Bryan Mountain made his first appearance in net for Northeastern since a 7-1 loss to Maine at home on Feb. 25, 2012. Mountain kept the Black Bears scoreless for the 13 minutes he was in net. The Bryn Mawr, Pa., native's 18 stops in relief duty marks a career best when he has not started in net. Mountain has appeared for the Huskies nine times in his career.

• Joseph Manno tallied his second goal of the season and is now tied for the team lead in points (2-1-3) with freshman Kevin Roy (2-1-3). The Montreal, Quebec, native matched last year's rookie goal total with his marker at UNH.

• Ben Oskroba netted his first-career point with a goal in his 11th game wearing the Northeastern sweater. The Tempe, Ariz., native was assisted by rookie Mike McMurtry in his first collegiate contest. Freshman defenseman Dustin Darou also logged his first collegiate point with the assist on Braden Pimm's goal 33 seconds into the contest.

• Drew Ellement played in his 100th-career game as a Husky at New Hampshire on Friday night.