Box Score

Postgame comments (JIm Madigan - YouTube.com)

LOWELL, Mass. – The Northeastern men's hockey team (5-9-1, 3-8-1 HEA) fell on the road on Saturday night, dropping a 2-0 decision to UMass Lowell at the Tsongas Center.

The River Hawks were led by the first-career shutout of freshman Connor Hellebuyck's in just his third collegiate appearance. Hellebuyck stopped all 20 shots on goal for UML, while fellow freshmen Michael Colantone and Ryan McGrath each scored a goal for the River Hawks.

The Huskies (5-9-1, 3-8-1 HEA) were backstopped by 27 saves from senior goaltender Chris Rawlings. Rookie Kevin Roy led NU with five shots on goal, while veterans Garrett Vermeersch, Vinny Saponari and Robbie Vrolyk all posted three shots on net.

Just 71 seconds into the game, UMass Lowell's Michael Fallon was whistled for boarding junior Cody Ferriero. Northeastern was unable to generate sustained pressure on the game's first man-advantage, with the River Hawks able to hold them without a shot on Fallon's penalty. Soon after, NU would create the game's first scoring chance at 3:45 of the first as senior Steve Morra skated down the left side into the offensive zone, halted his stride and fed an open junior Braden Pimm, whose one-timer was stopped by Hellebuyck.

The River Hawks would get their first power play at 7:33 of the first when the Huskies were caught with six skaters on the ice. Roy headed to the box to serve the bench minor, and one minute after Northeastern returned to full strength, sophomore Dax Lauwers was called for a boarding minor at 10:32. NU was able to kill off both infractions.

UML would get its first major scoring chance with 4:30 remaining in the opening frame after Chad Ruhwedel was able to get around Josh Manson, but Ruhwedel's shot rang the post on Rawlings' glove side. Manson later generated a chance for Northeastern when he sent a leading pass to second-year forward Adam Reid, but Reid was unable to control the puck on the breakaway. Chances would remain few and far between for both teams in the period, as the River Hawks managed only six shots on goal, while the Huskies had just five.

The first opportunity of the second period for either side came when rookie Mike McMurtry fed Saponari skating down the left side into the offensive zone, but Saponari's backhanded shot went straight into the chest of Hellebuyck. NU would get the second period's first power play as well, when Zack Kamrass was give two minutes for boarding Robbie Vrolyk. Ten seconds into the man advantage, Pimm was able to create a chance in the slot for NU, but his shot did not get airborne and slid wide of the net.

With 12:30 on the clock in the second, the River Hawks repeatedly fed the puck into the slot in front of Rawlings, but UML was unable to put home a pair of loose-puck opportunities. One minute later, freshman Ryan Belonger found himself on the receiving end of a huge hit from Lowell defenseman Christian Folin. Morra was nearby and gave out a retaliation hit and was assessed a two-minute minor for charging. Luckily for the Huskies, the River Hawks were assessed a too-many-men penalty to create a four-on-four situation.

Colantone was able to test Rawlings with 7:15 left in the second, when he came flying down the left side into the offensive zone and fired a high wrist shot that Rawlings was able to corral. Three minutes later, UMass Lowell generated sustained offensive pressure, with one particular tough save for Rawlings coming on a powerful slapshot from the point off the stick of Ruhwedel.

The scoreless tie was broken with 2:04 left in the second period, when Ryan McGrath took a pass from Derek Arnold and fed Colantone, beating Rawlings for the freshman's fourth goal of the year. The rest of the period featured no major chances for either side, and the River Hawks took its 1-0 lead into the second intermission.

Fifty eight seconds into the third period, Saponari and Kevin Roy executed a give-and-go that resulted in a hard, low one-timer for Roy, but Hellebuyck made the save. The freshman goalie made another crucial save on a Saponari put-back opportunity, then momentum swung back to UML. Scott Wilson came on the ice on the next shift and forced Rawlings to make a high save, and soon thereafter Wilson fired wide of the net on an extremely close chance from the slot in front of Rawlings.

Saponari once again quarterbacked a Northeastern three-on-two, when he fed McMurtry, who slowed down to get a wrist shot off, but the shot was blocked. Once play swung down the other end of the ice, Rawlings made a close-range reflex save on an Adam Chapie shot from ten feet away.

The River Hawks were able to build on their lead with 13:03 left in the game, when an odd man rush resulted in McGrath getting off an open shot from the slot. Rawlings was able to get a piece of the shot with his pads, but the puck still found its way into the net. Riley Wetmore and Wilson had the assists on McGrath's second tally of the season.

Hellebuyck again stood tall when Roy waited out a pair of River Hawks who overcommitted defensively, and unleashed a rising wrist shot that hit the UML goaltender in the right shoulder before going wide. Tensions would flare with 3:31 to play, when Ferriero committed a roughing penalty, and both teams engaged in some pushing and shoving. Ferriero and Colantone each received two minutes for hitting after the whistle.

The Huskies were able to record 15 shots on goal in the third period, after having just ten in the first two periods combined. Rawlings was pulled with 1:28 remaining, but Northeastern was unable to get one past Hellebuyck.

The Huskies will a 21-day hiatus for the holidays and return to action with their two remaining non-conference opponents of the season. Northeastern takes the short trip to Harvard on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. and then returns to Matthews Arena on Jan. 5 for a Saturday night contest with Bentley.