BOSTON -- With just 11 Hockey East games remaining, the Northeastern women's ice hockey team will be looking to pick up two key points in the league standings when No. 3 Boston College visits Matthews Arena in a top-10 showdown on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
The Huskies are in the midst of playing their second top-three team in less than one week after knocking off No. 2/2 Clarkson last Friday. NU will continue its loaded schedule later this week when it hosts No. 4 Cornell on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Last weekend's games at St. Lawrence and Clarkson saw the emergence of freshman forward
Paige Savage as one of the Huskies' top threats. Savage played a part in all four NU goals against the Golden Knights on Friday, leading Northeastern to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory at Cheel Arena en route to Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week honors.
Additionally, sophomore forward
Kendall Coyne has led the charge for the Huskies so far this season, and has 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in her last 13 games, including eight multi-point games and four multi-goal games.
The matchup with Boston College
Boston College enters this week's games third in the nation after jumping two spots in this week's USCHO poll. The Eagles are leading Hockey East with an 8-2-1 mark in league play, and are currently riding a nine-game winning streak, as well as a 14-game unbeaten streak.
Haley Skarupa (14 goals, 16 assists) and Alex Carpenter (13 goals, 17 assists) have led the charge for the Eagles this season with 30 points apiece. Skarupa is also second in the nation in points per game among rookies, and has been aided by teammate Emily Field, who has posted seven goals and 16 assists in 18 games.
On the blueline, senior captain Blake Bolden has helped the Eagles to WHEA best 2.17 goals against average, in addition to posting four goals and 15 assists, good for fourth on the team. Senior Corinne Boyles has seen a majority of time in the goal for Boston College with a 1.70 goals against average and .926 save percentage.
The numbers game
Wednesday night will be a battle of two of Hockey East's top statistical squads, both offensively and defensively (see page 9). Northeastern and Boston College are jostling for the top league spots in several league categories including scoring defense, power play, penalty kill, and special teams net. In addition, both teams are in the bottom two in penalty minutes, with NU averaging 8.3 PIMs per game while the Eagles spend a WHEA low 7.8 minutes in the box per game.
Last time out
After dropping a 6-0 decision at the hands of St. Lawrence a day before, NU responded by erasing a two-goal third period deficit and received four points from
Paige Savage to knock off No. 2/2 Clarkson (15-5-0) on Friday at Cheel Arena. NU scored the final three goals of the game to hand the Golden Knights only their second loss at home this season.
Savage finished the game with one goal and three assists, including the game-winner with 6:09 left in regulation, while
Jordan Hampton (one goal, one assist) and
Kelly Wallace (one goal, one assist) also recorded multi-point games.
Chloe Desjardins made 22 saves in goal for NU while Erica Howe had 33 stops for Clarkson.
Trailing 3-1 with 17:08 left in regulation, the Huskies potted three goals in 10:18 and killed off a late penalty to defeat CU for the second straight season. Northeastern outshot Clarkson 37-25 for the game and was 0-of-1 on the power play. The Golden Knights went 1-of-4 on the man advantage and won 36-of-58 draws.
Savage earns WHEA accolades
Following a career performance on the road against the second-ranked team in the nation, freshman
Paige Savage was named the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week, as announced by Hockey East on Monday.
The forward from Johns Creek, Ga. had a helping hand in all four Northeastern goals this past Friday, as the Huskies stormed back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to upset No 2/2 Clarkson, 4-3.
Savage tallied an assist on a second period goal by junior forward
Kelly Wallace to knot the game at 1-1. Then, with Northeastern down 3-1 with 17:09 remaining, Savage earned the primary assists on strikes from freshman defender
Jordan Hampton and junior forward
Brittany Esposito before potting the game-winning goal with 6:09 remaining in regulation.
Savage's previous career-high in points came against Boston College on Nov. 16 (0-2-2). Her outburst against the Golden Knights pushes her to sixth on the team in points, and her game-winning tally gives her three for the season, good for second on the club.
Coyne named Athletic Republic Player of the Month
Kendall Coyne earned her second monthly award of the season on Jan. 2 as the sophomore was named the Athletic Republic Player of the Month for December. Coyne had six points (four goals, two assists) in three games during December, including two multi-point nights.
The honor is the third of the season for the Huskies after Coyne earned October accolades before
Casey Pickett followed with the award in November. Coyne has also been named the Athletic Republic Player of the Week three times this season.
Coyne led the Huskies to a 2-1-0 record during December, capped by a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory against Dartmouth in a game that saw Coyne net the game-winner with 2:52 left in the extra session. The Palos Heights, Ill. native is first on the team with 31 points this season (16 goals, 15 assists), and is eighth in the nation in points per game (1.82). She leads Hockey East in both points and goals, is tied for fifth in assists and tied for first in game-winning goals.
Huskies ring in 2013 in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Before NU resumed regular season play, the Huskies traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y. to prepare for their road contests against St. Lawrence and No. 2/2 Clarkson.
NU stayed at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (OTC) during its time in Lake Placid, which assists athletes in training for a variety of Olympic sports including biathlon, bobsled, figure skating, ice hockey, luge, skiing and speed skating. The center also provides assistance to a number of affiliated sports organizations and disabled sports organizations.
“When I knew we had these games coming up, we wanted to do something fun with the team and get them to experience a bit of history,” said head coach
Dave Flint. “I think it's a chance to experience history. A lot of people don't get the opportunity to see this place. Our girls all know about the 1980 'Miracle on Ice', and I think it's pretty special for them.”
Goldberg returns to the lineup
Friday afternoon against No. 2/2 Clarkson saw the return of sophomore
Chelsey Goldberg to the Northeastern lineup. The forward had been sidelined since Jan. 6, 2012 with an injury. The Agoura Hills, Calif. native played on a line with
Casie Fields and
Siena Falino.
Goldberg has one assist in 19 career games played with the Huskies.
That's another Husky power play
Teams that have taken penalties against the Huskies in 2012-13 have paid the price. Northeastern has scored 25% of its goals this season while on the power play, and have scored a power play goal in five of the last nine games, and 10 of the last 15 overall.
The Huskies are operating at 27% (17-of-64) on the power play this season, which is second in Hockey East and is fifth in the nation. NU has also netted two or more goals on the man advantage four times this season, including a season-high three power play tallies at Syracuse. NU is one of only 12 teams in the nation with at least 15 power play goals.
Rachel Llanes (4-5-9) is tied for second in the league in power play points this season, while
Kendall Coyne (5-3-8) trails closely behind in fifth. Coyne is also tied for second in power play tallies with BC's Alex Carpenter.
Killing it on the PK
The Huskies penalty killing is one of the best in the nation, having killed off 64-of-71 shorthanded situations this season. Their 90.1% conversion rate on the PK leads Hockey East and is fourth in the country.
NU had a string of 16 straight successful penalty kills snapped on Nov. 10 against Vermont. The only other power play tallies came against No. 3 Boston University on Oct. 16, at No. 6 Boston College on Nov. 18, vs. UNH on Dec. 2, vs. Dartmouth on Dec. 5 and at No. 2 Clarkson on Jan. 4.
Sophomore goaltender
Chloe Desjardins has made 112 of her 471 saves this season (24%) with the Huskies shorthanded. Additionally, NU has potted three shorthanded goals this season.
Coyne invited to 2013 National Winter Training Camp
Sophomore forward
Kendall Coyne was one of 36 players who were invited to the 2012 U.S. Women's National Team Winter Camp on Dec. 26-31 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. The players were divided into two teams of 18 – Team Blue and Team White - for a series of intrasquad scrimmages.
“This camp is a critical step in our player evaluation process as we look ahead to the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship,” said Reagan Carey (Colorado Springs, Colo.) USA Hockey's director of women's hockey. “It's an extremely competitive camp that allows our top 36 players to compete at the highest level.”
The six-day camp included two days of physical fitness testing, three days of practice, and three games.
Scoring spurts
When the Huskies score, they score in bunches. Northeastern is averaging 3.71 goals per game through 17 contests this season, which is second in WHEA. The Huskies have scored goals less than three minutes apart on several occasions in 2012-13, including two in just 14 seconds on Dec. 1 at New Hampshire.
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.
Pickett nets No. 100
Senior captain
Casey Pickett had three assists against New Hampshire on Dec. 1 to become the 21st player in program history to eclipse the 100-point plateau. Pickett is the first player since Kim Greene in 2003 to accomplish the feat.
She's been outstanding, and to reach 100 points is pretty amazing for any player,” said head coach
Dave Flint. “She works extremely hard at it and deserves it.”
Pickett, who has 50 goals and 51 assists in 120 career games, is also tied for 19th on the NU record list for career goals with Lisa Giovanelli.
Poll position
Northeastern remained at No. 9 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 36 USCHO.com polls, dating back to March 7, 2011.
NU also remained at No. 10 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll this week. Five teams on this season's schedule are also included on the poll, including Harvard, BC, Cornell, BU and Clarkson.
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 10 of NU's 17 games this season. Northeastern is 7-1-2 in those games.
Century club
Senior defenseman
Casie Fields was the latest Husky to reach the 100-game plateau on Nov. 3 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 122 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 95 career games at Northeastern.
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 this season; NU has scored at least four goals in 10 of the team's 19 games this season, and is 8-1-1 in those games.
On the plus side
Through 19 games this season, Northeastern has 11 players with a positive +/- rating.
Casey Pickett leads the team with a +14 rating, which is tied for sixth in Hockey East, while
Kendall Coyne trails close behind at +12 (ninth in WHEA). Last season, NU had 16 in the black, led by Pickett's +34 mark.
Desjardins filling the void
In her first season as the NU starting goaltender, sophomore
Chloe Desjardins has showed that she is up to the task in replacing All-American netminder
Florence Schelling.
The WHEA Goaltender of the Month for October, Desjardins is 21st in the nation in goals against average (2.43) and 22nd in save percentage (.913), 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).
Jumping into the offense
Junior defenseman
Maggie DiMasi is tied for seventh on the team, and first among defensemen, with nine points this season. She tied career highs for goals and points with two goals at New Hampshire on Dec. 1.
DiMasi has five points in her last five games (two goals, three assists), and is Northeastern's active leader in career points among defensemen with 34 (nine goals, 25 assists).
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 19 games this season. She has registered three points on four occasions this season, and had a four-game scoring streak with three goals and six assists. NU is 6-2-2 when Llanes tallies a point, and 7-0-2 when she has a positive +/-.
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 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) in just 15 games. She posted career-highs in assists (five) and points (six) on Nov. 3 against Connecticut.
A three-time WHEA Player of the Week honoree in 2012-13, Coyne is eighth in the nation in points per game (1.82), seventh in goals per game (0.94), tied for 21st in assists per game (0.88) and tied for third in game-winning goals (four).
In her 48 career games, Northeastern is 27-9-3 when she records at least one point and 25-1-1 when she records a positive +/- rating.
January television dates announced
The Northeastern men's and women's ice hockey teams will appear in front of regional and national audiences in January, highlighted by the women's game on ESPN3 on January 20 against Providence (2 p.m.) at historic Matthews Arena.
The NU women will also appear on WBIN (Live Well Network) on Wednesday night (7 p.m.) against No. 3 Boston College, while the men's squad will play on WBIN's main channel on January 19 against defending national champion and No. 3/2 Boston College (7 p.m.).
The games on Jan. 19-20 will also serve as part of Hockey East's Skating Strides event, with proceeds from all participating teams benefiting breast cancer charities. Both teams will be wearing commemorative jerseys that will be auctioned off for charity. January 20 will the second time that the women's squad will appear on ESPN3 after NU defeated New Hampshire 8-1 last season at Matthews.
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The road ahead
Northeastern will continue its stretch of games against nationally ranked foes on Saturday as the Huskies welcome No. 4/4 Cornell to Matthews Arena for a 2 p.m. puck drop.
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