NOTRE DAME, Ind. --Â The Northeastern men's ice hockey team looks to capture its second in-season tournament championship in the last three seasons on Saturday night when the Huskies take on No. 11/10 Notre Dame in the title game of the Shillelagh Tournament at Compton Family Ice Arena.
The Huskies advanced to the championship game thanks to a shootout victory against Western Michigan on Friday. After battling to a 1-1 draw with 30 saves from
Clay Witt, NU won the shootout 1-0 thanks to a goal from
Dalen Hedges.
This weekend marks the first time since the 2008-09 season, and second time in team history, that the Huskies have competed in a tournament on Thanksgiving weekend. Northeastern participated in the RPI Tournament that season, falling to Princeton in the semifinal contest (5-3) before rebounding to top the Engineers the following night (5-1).
Northeastern is led by sophomore
Kevin Roy (11 goals, seven assists), who leads the team with 18 points this season. Last weekend, Roy potted a pair of goals to become the 56th player in team history to log 50 career points in his first two seasons of college hockey, while Szmatula is second in the nation in rookie scoring with 1.29 points per game.
Freshman
Mike Szmatula (five goals, 12 assists) is also of to a hot start to the season, and is fourth in the nation and leads Hockey East in rookie scoring with 1.21 points per game.
Hedges has emerged as a scoring threat in recent weeks, and is third on the team with four goals and eight assists. Hedges, the reigning Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week, had two goals and two assists last weekend against Merrimack, and went 23-of-27 at the face-off dot.
Witt has gotten the start between the pipes in seven of Northeastern's last eight games. He is 6-3-1 this season with a 2.08 goals against average and .939 save percentage (sixth in the nation). Witt is coming off a 38 save performance on Saturday that earned the Brandon, Fla. native his first career shutout.
A win against Notre Dame would …
• Be NU's 883rd victory all-time, and its first championship in a November tournament in team history.
• Give NU it first in-season tournament championship since winning the Mariucci Classic in 2011.
• Give the Huskies four victories in November, the most for the team since the 2008-09 season.
• Make Northeastern the only team to defeat Notre Dame at Compton Family Ice Arena three times.
• Match Northeastern's win total from last season (nine).
The all-time series with Notre Dame
The Irish are set to face their new conference rival for the first time since being upset 9-2 and 2-1 at home in December of 2011. NU is 4-3-1 in a series that dates back to 1970. Northeastern is unbeaten against the Fighting Irish in the last four meetings (3-0-1), and hasn't lost to Notre Dame since Oct. 20, 2000.
A look at the Fighting Irish
Notre Dame is 9-5-1 this season after starting the season with five consecutive victories. The Irish, currently in their first season in Hockey East, went 0-2-1 in their last three league games, tying Merrimack and dropping two at UMass Lowell before last night's win against Alabama-Huntsville.
The team's points leader is senior T.J. Tynan, who has three goals and 10 assists on the year, including a three-point night on Friday. Rookie forward Vince Hinostroza has three goals and a team-high nine assists for 12 points despite playing in only 10 of Notre Dame's 14 games. They are accompanied on the leaderboard by sophomore Sam Herr's six goals (6-3-9) and strong stats from sophomore Mario Lucia (6-3-9).
Senior netminder Steven Summerhays has been a wall in goal, posting a 1.64 goals against average and .938 save percentage while going 8-4-1 in 14 games.
Making themselves at home
Of Northeastern's seven all-time meetings with the Fighting Irish, four of them have come on the road. NU is 3-1-0 all-time against Notre Dame, including a 2-0-0 mark at Compton Family Ice Arena.
A win on Saturday would make the Huskies the only team in the nation to have beaten Notre Dame three times at Compton Family Ice Arena since the building opened in 2011. Only Alaska, Ferris State and Western Michigan have also beaten UND twice at Compton.
Last time out
Junior goaltender
Clay Witt made 30 saves and
Dalen Hedges scored the lone goal in a shootout to help the Northeastern men's ice hockey team (8-5-1) advance to the championship game of the Shillelagh Tournament against Western Michigan (5-5-3) on Friday night at Compton Family Ice Arena, 1-1.
Northeastern won the shootout, 1-0, thanks to three saves from Witt.
John Stevens scored the only goal in regulation for the Huskies, who outshot WMU 33-31 in the game and won 36-of-66 face-offs. Frank Slubowski made 32 saves for the Broncos, who were 1-of-7 on the man advantage while NU went 1-of-7.
Hedges earns Hockey East accolade
Freshman forwardÂ
Dalen Hedges collected his first career Hockey East honor on Monday when the Ottawa, Ontario native was named the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week.
Hedges tied a career-high with three points in Friday's 5-2 victory at Merrimack, recording two goals and one assist. He netted a goal in both the first and second periods, and also picked up the primary assist onÂ
Kevin Roy's eventual game-winning tally. Hedges also added an assist on Saturday, and went 23-of-27 in face-offs, which was the sixth best face-off percentage in the nation last weekend.
Witt blanks the Warriors
Junior goaltenderÂ
Clay Witt had a strong weekend between the pipes against Merrimack last weekend, making a combined 67 saves in two wins. On Saturday against the Warriors, Witt made 38 stops (one shy of tying a career-high) to earn his first career shutout, the first for a Husky sinceÂ
Chris Rawlings blanked Massachusetts on Nov. 30, 2012.
Witt also made one of the best saves of the season on Kyle Singleton in the first period with a diving post-to-post save to preserve the Northeastern lead. The save was honored as the top play on the NCAA Plays of the Week.
Sophomore surge
Sophomore forwardÂ
Kevin Roy has 28 goals and 24 assists in 43 career games with the Huskies. Last Friday, Roy became the 56th player in program history to record at least 50 points in their first two seasons in college hockey, and first since Wade MacLeod and Tyler McNeely in 2008-09.
Roy is averaging 1.2 points per game since arriving at Northeastern last season, and is tied for the team lead with 17 points (11 goals, six assists) this year.
Hot Sauce
Sophomore defenseman
Colton Saucerman has nearly matched his point total from last season (3-8-11) in just 14 games this season. The Colorado Springs, Colo. native has two goals and eight assists this season, and is tied for fourth in Hockey East in points per game among defensemen (0.71). Saucerman has continued to be part of the offense since the start of conference play, and is tied for 12th in the league with 0.86 points per game in six Hockey East games this year (1-5-6).
Head of the class
The Northeastern rookie class has tallied 16 goals and 42 assists in 14 games this season, which is tied with Minnesota for the second most points for a freshman class in the country. Eight different NU rookies have tallied a point this season, including 12 last weekend, which was the second highest rookie total behind only Sacred Heart.
Freshman
Mike Szmatula is second on the team lead with 17 points this season (five goals, 12 assists), and is tied for third in the nation in rookie scoring with 1.21 points per game. If Szmatula finishes the year first on the team in scoring, it would mark the third straight season that a freshman has led NU is scoring (
Ludwig Karlsson in 2011-12,
Kevin Roy in 2012-13).
Dust off the brooms
Northeastern's two conference wins against Merrimack last weekend marked the first Hockey East weekend sweep for the Huskies since Jan. 27-28, 2012 at Vermont. It was also the first weekend sweep of Merrimack since Jan. 9-10, 2009.
Almost there
The Huskies' 8-5-1 start to the season has positioned Northeastern one win away from its 2012-13 total. A win on Saturday would give NU its most victories through 15 games since the 2008-09 season, when the Huskies advanced to the Hockey East semifinals and the NCAA tournament.
Ferriero's coming out party
Freshman wingerÂ
Nathan Ferriero had a big night for Northeastern against Merrimack last Friday, tallying three assists. Ferriero assisted on both ofÂ
Dalen Hedges' tallies, as well asÂ
Kevin Roy's eventual game-winning goal.
Ferriero is the fourth Husky to log three helpers in a game this season, joining fellow freshmenÂ
Mike Szmatula (Oct. 11 vs. Alabama-Huntsville),Â
Zach Aston-Reese (Oct. 19 vs. Holy Cross), and Hedges (Oct. 25 at St. Lawrence).
At the dot
Freshman
John Stevens has won 52.4% of his face-offs this season, going 172-of-328. His 172 wins are seventh in the nation, and he is one of two freshmen in the nation in the top 10 in face-off victories.
Spreading the wealth
So far this season, 19 skaters have recorded at least one point. It's the quickest that 19 skaters have recorded one point since the 2011-12 season.
On the plus side
Junior captainÂ
Josh Manson has anchored the Northeastern defensive corps through the first 14 games of the season, and is tied for 12th in the nation with a plus/minus rating of +11. The Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native has been an even or a plus in 12 of the team's 14 games so far this year, and is one of just 24 skaters in the nation to be at least +10, and one of 12 defensemen.
Lending a helping hand
Northeastern has tallied 82 assists through 14 games this season, which is tied for eighth in the country and third in Hockey East, sparked by 12 helpers from freshman
Mike Szmatula (tied for 10th in the nation). Szmatula has an assist in eight of the team's 14 games this season, including three games with multi-assist efforts and a career-high three helpers on opening night against Alabama-Huntsville.Â
Out of the gates
Northeastern's hot start to the season gave the Huskies a 5-0-0 beginning to the year for the first time since the 1988-89 season, and fourth time in program history (1980-81, 1952-53). It also tied a program-record for the most victories in the month of October, matching the 2008-09 squad.
Northeastern's two victories against Alabama-Huntsville to star the season gave NU a 2-0-0 start to the season for the second straight year. It's the first time since 1993-94 and 1994-95 that NU has begun consecutive seasons at 2-0-0.
Offensive explosion
After scoring 81 goals all of last season, Northeastern has already logged more than a third of that total in just eight games. NU is 10th the nation with 48 goals this season, and its 3.43 goals per game average is 11th in the country.
The Huskies' 48 goals this season are the most through eight games since the 1994-95 season when NU tallied 52 goals in the opening 13 games of the season.
The Huskies' 12 goals on opening weekend were the most goals scored in the team's first two games of the season since NU scored 13 in the opening two games of the 2002-03 season.
Poll position
For the second straight week, the Huskies are receiving votes in the USCHO.com Poll. Northeastern is one of eight Hockey East teams either ranked or receiving votes in this week's USCHO.com poll, and also appeared in the poll during the first nine weeks of last season, highlighted by a No. 14 ranking on Oct. 15, 2012.
Pimm on the power play
The Northeastern power play, currently ranked in a tie for ninth in the nation with 15 goals on the man advantage, has received four from senior
Braden Pimm in 14 games, already exceeding his total from last season and tied for third in the country.
Pimm recorded one PPG in each game against Alabama-Huntsville, becoming the first Husky since
Garrett Vermeersch on Oct. 9-10, 2009 to net a power play goal in each of his team's first two games of the season. Pimm was one of six players in the nation to net two power play goals in his first two contests.
Hello, my name is …
Northeastern houses 12 freshmen (eight forwards, three defensemen, one goaltender) on its 2013-14 roster, which is the most in Hockey East and tied with Sacred Heart for the most rookies in the nation.
Nine freshmen have seen playing time so far this season, and have accounted for 16 goals and 42 assists, which is 44.6% of Northeastern's total scoring.
Did I catch a niner in there?
Northeastern fans got a good look at the Huskies' offense on opening night as NU notched nine goals for the first time since Dec. 2, 2011 against Notre Dame. It also marked the first time since Oct. 25, 1988 against Vermont that the Huskies netted nine goals in the opening game of the season.
Shots, shots, shots
For the second time this season, NU generated more than 50 shots on goal against Holy Cross on Oct. 19. Opening night against Alabama-Huntsville saw the Huskies pepper the opposing goaltender with 52 shots on goal. It marked just the second time in the last five seasons that NU has generated at least 50 shots on goal.
Oh brother
Northeastern's 28-man roster features two sets of brothers in Cody andÂ
Nathan Ferriero, as well as Derick andÂ
Kevin Roy. The Huskies are one of just two teams in the nation to have two pairs of brothers on its roster, joining Quinnipiac's Connor and Tim Clifton and Conner and Kellen Jones.
O Captain, My Captain
Northeastern head coachÂ
Jim Madigan announced this spring that junior defensemanÂ
Josh Manson will serve as the Huskies' captain in 2013-14. Manson will be joined by classmatesÂ
Dax Lauwers andÂ
Adam Reid as assistant captains.
Manson, a 2011 sixth-round NHL draft pick by the Anaheim Ducks, emerged as a leader during his sophomore season with seven points (three goals, four assists). Lauwers and Reid, meanwhile, contributed five (1-4-5) and 12 (6-6-12) points, respectively, during their sophomore seasons in 2012-13.
Show dogs
Northeastern has four NHL draft picks on this year's squad. SophomoreÂ
Kevin Roy is NU's highest draft pick after the Anaheim Ducks took him in the fourth round (97th overall) last year. San Jose selected seniorÂ
Cody Ferriero in the fifth round (127th) in 2010 while juniorÂ
Josh Manson was an Anaheim sixth rounder (160th) in 2011. NewcomerÂ
Matt Benning was selected by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round (175th) at the 2012 Entry Draft.
Stiff scheduling
Eleven of Northeastern's 17 opponents this season are either ranked or receiving votes in the first USCHO.com poll, which was released on Sept. 30. UMass Lowell is the top-ranked squad in the country, followed by Boston College (No. 4), Notre Dame (No. 8), New Hampshire (No. 13), Providence (No. 14), Western Michigan (No. 18), Boston University (No. 19), Harvard (RV - 18), Air Force (RV - 14), Dartmouth (RV - 2), Merrimack (RV - 2). Northeastern is 18-31-7 against ranked opponents dating back to the 2010-11 season.
All eyes on me
Northeastern will take the ice in front of a national audience three times this season, as part of a two-year contract extension between NBCSN and Hockey East, the league announced Oct. 8. NU took on Boston College at Conte Forum on Nov. 1, and will also be on NBCSN for the Huskies' two-game set at Notre Dame on Jan. 24-25.
In addition, NBC Sports Live Extra, NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets, will stream all league games telecast on NBCSN. All games will be live streamed via "TV Everywhere," the media industry's effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra.
Taking it outside
The Huskies will make their anticipated return to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, as the Huskies face UMass Lowell on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014 as part of Frozen Fenway 2014 festivities. The City of Boston, the Boston Red Sox, Hockey East Association and Fenway Sports Management (FSM) announced the return of Frozen Fenway in a press release on Apr. 25.
"The entire Northeastern family, from our student-athletes, to our coaches and to our fans, is truly gracious for another opportunity to play hockey at Fenway Park," head coachÂ
Jim Madigan said. "I'll never forget my first experience outdoors at Fenway and everyone is very excited to make some new memories. We are also excited to take on a worthy opponent in UMass Lowell."
The matchup between the Huskies and the River Hawks will mark the second time Northeastern has participated in the Frozen Fenway festivities. On Jan. 14, 2012, in front of an audience of 29,601 in frigid temperatures and brisk winds, the Huskies dropped a contentious 2-1 battle to Boston College, the eventual national champions.
Poile named General Manager of U.S. Olympic Team
Alumnus David Poile has been named general manager of the 2014 United States Olympic men's hockey team, USA Hockey announced on Jun. 28.
"Being chosen for this position is a tremendous honor," said Poile. "When you get to represent your country, it's a special feeling. I look forward to working with our management team in fulfilling our ultimate goal of bringing home the gold medal."
Poile, currently the general manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators, played three seasons of varsity hockey at Northeastern from 1967 to 1970. He is 26th on the Northeastern all-time scoring list with 118 points, and he still holds the program record for hat tricks with 11. He was inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame in 1987.
Season and individual game tickets now on sale
Season and individual game tickets are now on sale for the Northeastern men's ice hockey team. Starting at just $100, fans can secure a great seat to see the NU men's team take the ice for all of its 14 home games during the 2013-14 season, including nine Hockey East games. Individual game tickets start range from $10 to $20. Log on toÂ
GoNU.com/tickets for more information.
Huskies hockey in high definition
GoNUxstream will broadcast each and every home men's hockey game free, in high definition, live at www.GoNU.com/xstream. Northeastern University was the first school in Hockey East to broadcast a live, HD stream over the internet. The broadcast is complete with live stats, live chat, commentating and sideline reporting.
Hang out with the Huskies
Be sure to connect with Northeastern athletics and Northeastern men's hockey on Facebook and Twitter to receive scores and information, interact with fellow fans, access photos and videos, and receive exclusive promotional and ticket offers. Follow NU Athletics, @
GoNUathletics, and 'Like' us atÂ
facebook.com/GoNUathletics. To get live, in-game updates of Northeastern men's hockey, follow @
GoNUmhockey, and 'Like' us atÂ
facebook.com/GoNUmhockey.
The road ahead
Northeastern will spend the Thanksgiving holiday on the road this season when the Huskies travel out to South Bend, Ind. to compete in the Shillelagh Tournament. NU will take on Western Michigan in the first round on Nov. 29 before battling either Alabama-Huntsville or host Notre Dame the following night.
