Read The Game Notes | 2012-13 Digital Media Guide

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Hockey East's top ranked offensive and defensive squads faceoff this weekend as the No. 8/9 Northeastern women's ice hockey team and No. 5/6 Boston College meet in a home-and-home set, beginning Friday night at Matthews Arena.

This is the second top-ten battle of the season for the Huskies, who dropped a 4-1 decision to No. 3 Boston University at Matthews earlier this season, and is coming off a 1-0-1 weekend against Vermont. The Eagles, meanwhile, are in the midst of a three-game week following a 3-3 tie against Dartmouth on Monday.

With both teams fighting to get to the top of the Hockey East standings early in the season, the Huskies currently sit two points ahead thanks to a 4-1-1 start to league play, while Boston College is 3-2-1 against conference foes.

Northeastern is riding a six-game unbeaten streak dating back to Oct. 26, and is outscoring its opponents 28-11 in that span, including a record-setting 9-1 win against Connecticut on Nov. 3, marking the first time since 2001 that NU scored nine goals in a game.

The matchup with Boston College
No. 5/6 Boston College comes into this weekend's series with a 4-3-2 overall record, including a 3-2-1 mark in Hockey East play, and they are unbeaten in their last five games (3-0-2).

Alex Carpenter has been the offensive catalyst for BC, with a 7-8-15 scoring line through nine games, including three power play goals and three game-winning goals.

Freshman Haley Skarupa has posted five goals and five assists in her first nine collegiate games, and Emily Field has also been scoring more than a point per game with 4-6-10 totals in nine games.

Megan Miller and Corinne Boyles have split time in net for the Eagles, with Miller playing five games and Boyles playing four. Miller is 1-2-2 with a 3.12 GAA and .882 save percentage, while Boyles is 3-1-0 with a 2.25 GAA and .899 save percentage.

Last time out
After jumping out to a 2-0 first period lead, Northeastern saw its lead cut in half late in the third period before adding two more goals to upend Vermont on Saturday afternoon at Matthews Arena. Casey Pickett scored the Huskies' final two tallies as NU extended its unbeaten streak to five games.

Claire Santostefano and Kelly Wallace also scored for the Huskies, while Chloe Desjardins made 23 saves in goal. Northeastern was 0-of-1 on the power play and won 28-of-55 draws, while UVM was 1-of-3 on the power play and received 27 saves from Roxanne Douville.

On Sunday, Northeastern received goals from four different scorers as the Huskies skated to a 4-4 draw against Vermont.

The Huskies took a 2-0 lead after the first period only the see UVM tie the score at 3-3 heading into the third. Chelsiea Goll netted her first collegiate goal with 1:26 to play in regulation before Brittany Zuback answered with 30 seconds left.

Offensive onslaught
Northeastern's 9-1 victory against Connecticut on Nov. 3 was the most goals the Huskies' have scored in a game since Feb. 6, 2001 against Boston University (9-0) when the Terriers were a club team; the last time NU had nine goals in a NCAA contest was on Dec. 30, 1999 against Wisconsin (15-0).

Casey Pickett's four goals that day were the most for a Husky since Brooke Whitney scored four goals (Jan. 27, 2002 vs. Wayne St.).

Northeastern's combined 14 goals against Connecticut last weekend marked the first time since the 2000-01 season that the Huskies scored a combined 14 tallies in consecutive games; they defeated BC 7-2 on Jan. 31 and then beat BU 9-0 on Feb. 6.

NU's nine goals Saturday are the most goals scored by any Hockey East team in any game this season. The next closest is seven scored by Boston College against Boston University on Oct. 31.

Peppering the puck
The Huskies threw 94 shots on goal against UConn two weeks ago, including 52 on Nov. 3. It was the first time since Nov. 20, 1999 that NU had 50 shots in a game. Kendall Coyne leads the league with 72 shots this season, and has notched at least 10 shots in three games.

Shuffling the deck
The Husky coaching staff shook up the lineup on Oct. 26 against Robert Morris and Maine, splitting up the line of Kendall Coyne, Casey Pickett and Paige Savage for the first time all season; Pickett was moved to right wing while senior forward Rachel Llanes was inserted into the center slot.

What did the staff gotten in return? A combined 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) from the trio in the following four games, including six-point days for both Pickett (four goals, two assists) and Coyne (one goal, five assists) on Nov. 3 against UConn.

Coyne and Savage win gold at Four Nations Cup
Sophomore forward Kendall Coyne and freshman forward Paige Savage were away from the Huskies last weekend as the two traveled to Finland to compete for Team USA in the Four Nations Cup.

The Americans were 3-1-0 overall, including a 3-0 victory against Canada in the gold medal game. Coyne finished the tournament with four points, and scored the game-winner in the final game against the Canadians.

Savage had one assist, coming in a 15-1 throttling of host nation Finland to propel Team USA to the gold medal game.

Scoring spurts
When the Huskies score, they score in bunches. Northeastern is nearly four goals per game through 11 contests this season, and has double-digit goals in every period this season. The Huskies have scored goals less than three minutes apart on several occasions in 2012-13: at Colgate (two goals in 13 seconds), at Syracuse (two goals in 1:13) and against Union (two goals in 2:45).

NU scored four goals in the first period at Syracuse on Oct. 6, marking the first time since Jan. 22, 2012 against UNH that the Huskies netted four in the first. Northeastern's three-goal third period against Union was the first time since Dec. 4, 2011 vs. UNH that NU had three goals in the final period.

The Huskies also potted five goals in the first period alone against Connecticut on Nov. 3, marking the first time since Dec. 3, 2006 against Maine that NU scored five goals in a period.

Production at both ends of the ice
Northeastern's 8-1-2 start to the season is due in large part to NU's performance at both ends of the rink. The Huskies are second in Hockey East, and are fifth in the nation, with 3.91 goals per game, and have scored at least three goals in nine of the team's 11 games this season.

NU also leads the conference, and is fifth in the nation, with 1.64 goals allowed per game. The Huskies have also pitched three shutouts this season, which is the most in the league.

That's another Husky power play
Teams that have taken penalties against the Huskies in 2012-13 have paid the price. Northeastern has scored 28% of its goals this season while on the power play, and have scored a power play goal in six of its last seven games.

The Huskies are operating at 30% (12-of-40) on the power play this season, including a season-high three power play tallies at Syracuse. NU is one of only six teams in the nation with at least 12 power play goals.

Rachel Llanes (3-4-7) is tied for first in the league in power play points this season, while Kendall Coyne (1-5-6) trails closely behind in a tie for third.

Killing it on the PK
The Huskies penalty killing is one of the best in the nation, having killed of 44-of-46 shorthanded situations this season. Their 95.7% conversion rate on the PK is the third best in the country.

NU had a string of 16 straight successful penalty kills snapped on Saturday against Vermont. The only other power play tally came against No. 3 Boston University on Oct. 16 in the final minute of the second period.

Sophomore goaltender Chloe Desjardins has made 76 of her 282 saves this season (27%) with the Huskies shorthanded. Additionally, NU has potted three shorthanded goals this season.

Poll position
Despite outscoring its opponent 14-3 in two victories last weekend, Northeastern moved down one spot to No. 8 in this week's USCHO Division I Women's Poll. The Huskies have previously been ranked seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th at times during the season, and have been either ranked or receiving votes in each of the past 31 USCHO.com polls, dating back to March 7, 2011.

NU also dropped to No. 9 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll this week.

Eight teams on this season's schedule are also included on the poll, including WHEA foes Boston College, Boston University 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 Matthews 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).

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 WHEA Championship Tournament at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center (HYCC) on Mar. 9-10. The semifinals will be held on Mar. 9th with games at 12:30pm and 3:30pm. The winners of each semifinal will advance to the 11th annual WHEA Championship Game on Mar. 10th.

Wallace named Player of the Week
Senior forward Kelly Wallace was named the Athletic Republic Player of the Week, Hockey East announced on Monday. Wallace posted two goals and two assists last weekend in two games against Vermont.

Wallace potted two points in each contest against the Catamounts last weekend at Matthews Arena, helping the Huskies to a 4-1 victory and 4-4 draw. She is tied for fifth on the team this season with six points, and is fourth on the club with four goals.

The Libertyville, Ill. native has upped her offensive production in recent games, netting at least one point in each of her last three games (three goals, two assists). Northeastern is 3-0-1 this season when she registers a point and 3-0-0 when she has a positive +/- rating.

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.

The Huskies have scored first in nine of NU's 11 games this season. Northeastern is 7-0-2 in those games.

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. Conversely, when the Northeastern offense scored two goals or fewer last season, the Huskies were 4-4-3.

The Huskies have continued the trend early this season; NU has scored at least four goals in seven of the team's 11 games this season.

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 34-17-3 (.654) at home, and is unbeaten in 13 of its last 14 games at home dating back to last season by a combined score of 54-19.

Anything you can do, I can do better
Northeastern's 3-0 shutout victory against Maine began what would turn out to be a historic day at Matthews Arena. Later that evening, the NU men's hockey team skated to a 0-0 tie against No. 12 New Hampshire, marking the first time in school history that both the men's and women's ice hockey teams shutout an opponent on the same day.

Get in front of it
The Huskies had a season-high 21 blocked shots on the game against Boston University on Oct. 16. Through nine games this season, NU has blocked 112 shots.

Maggie DiMasi leads Northeastern with 13 block shots, while five Huskies have at least 10 blocks this season (DiMasi, Llanes; 11, Doherty; 11, Hampton; 11, Pickett; 10).

On the plus side
Through 11 games this season, Northeastern has 15 players with a positive +/- rating. Casey Pickett and Maggie Brennolt lead the team with a +13 rating, which is tied for first in Hockey East. Last season, NU had 16 in the black, led by Pickett's +34 mark.

Going streaking
The Huskies have had point streak of three games or more nine times so far this season. Kendall Coyne (five games; seven goals, seven assists), Katie MacSorley (five games; one goal, six assists), Casey Pickett (three games, six goals, four assists) and Kelly Wallace (three games, three goals, two assists) all have active streaks heading into this weekend's games.

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.

The Huskies have allowed more than two goals just three times so far this season, and currently rank fifth in the nation with 1.64 goals allowed per game. NU also has three shutouts in nine games this season, the quickest the Huskies have shut out three opponents since the 2008-09 season.

Century club
Senior defenseman Casie Fields is the latest Husky to reach the 100-game plateau last weekend against Connecticut. She joins fellow 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 111 games, each. Falino dressed for her 100th career game in the season finale against Providence.

Next on the list is Brittany Esposito, who has played in 89 career games at Northeastern.

Coyne tossing up numbers
During Northeastern's five-game home stand (Oct. 12-27), Kendall Coyne scored seven of the Huskies' 12 goals during the stretch. She also assisted on one NU goal to play a factor in 67% of Northeastern's scoring.

Coyne leads the team with 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) this season, and has been named the Athletic Republic Player of the Week two times this season. She is one of six players in the country with at least 20 points, and is tied for fifth in the nation with 2.33 goals per game.

Desjardins' hot start
In her first season as the NU starting goaltender, sophomore Chloe Desjardins has showed that she is up to the task. The Saint-Prosper, Beauce, Quebec native already has three shutouts in seven games.

The WHEA Goaltender of the Month for October, Desjardins is 11th in the nation in goals against average (1.63) and nine in save percentage (.940), and has been named the WHEA Defensive Player of the Week three times this season. 

Desjardins also got into the act offensively against Union. She recorded her first collegiate assist on Kendall Coyne's power play tally in the third period. It marked the first time since 2010 that a NU goaltender has recorded a point (Florence Schelling vs. Princeton on Oct. 22, 2010).

Freshman making early impact
Northeastern's three freshmen have stepped into the lineup and played key roles in NU's 8-1-2 start to the season. Each rookie has at least one point, led by Tori Hickel (two goals, two assists) and Paige Savage (two goals, one assist).

Savage netted the first Husky goal of the season in the opening game at Colgate, the eventual game-winner. 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 at Colgate, while 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.

Jumping into the offense
Junior defenseman Maggie DiMasi is tied for seventh on the team, and tied for first among defensemen, with four points this season. She recently tied career highs for assists and points with two helpers against Robert Morris on Oct. 26.

DiMasi is Northeastern's active leader in career points among defensemen with 29 (seven goals, 2 assists).

She is tied with Ann Doherty for points among defensemen this season after Doherty went on a three-game point streak from Oct. 12-16.

Llanes llighting 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.

Llanes has had similar results through NU's 11 games this season. She has registered three points on three occasions this season, and had a four-game scoring streak with three goals and six assists. NU is 4-0-2 when Llanes tallies a point, and 5-0-2 when she has a positive +/-.

Breaking through the wall
Senior forward Kelly Wallace's second period goal against Maine on Oct. 27 not only gave the Huskies some much needed breathing room, but also marked the first time in 33 games that Wallace has found the net.

Before then, the last time the Libertyville, Ill. native scored was on Oct. 21, 2011 against Princeton. In 65 career games, Wallace has posted nine goals and 11 assists.

Pickett approaching triple figures
Senior captain Casey Pickett is closing in on 100 career points with the Huskies. Currently sitting at 94 points, she is six shy of becoming the 21st player in program history to record 100 points.

Her two goals last weekend also lifted her into a tie for 20th on the NU record list for career goals (47) with Emily Pemrick and Kim Greene.

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).

Coyne has showed no signs of slowing up this season for the Huskies, and has already posted 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in just nine games. She posted career-highs in assists (five) and points (six) on Saturday against Connecticut.

A two-time WHEA Player of the Week honoree in 2012-13, Coyne is sixth in the nation in points per game (2.33), third in goals per game (1.33), tied for first in power play goals (five) and tied for first in game-winning goals (three).

In her 40 career games, Northeastern is 25-6-3 when she records at least one point and 23-0-1 when she records a positive +/- rating.

O'Sullivan gets the nod
In the final minutes of Saturday's win against UConn, head coach Dave Flint summoned junior goaltender Kelsey O'Sullivan to replace starter Chloe Desjardins between the pipes.  O'Sullivan played the final six minutes of the game in her first collegiate action, stopping the only shot she faced.

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The road ahead
Following the Thanksgiving holiday, the Huskies will host the Russian national team in an exhibition contest at Matthews Arena on Nov. 24 before returning to regular season action on Tuesday, Nov. 27 against Harvard, also at Matthews.

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