No. 11 Huskies and No. 18 UVM meet in series finale Saturday

Clay Witt hade made at least 35 saves nine times this season. NU is 6-2-1 in those games.

Game-day information: Game 24 vs. No. 18/rv Vermont
When	Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m.
Where	Boston, Mass. \| Matthews Arena \| Directions
Broadcast and stats	Live Stats \| Video \| Audio \| Tickets
Notes and yearbook	Game notes (PDF) \| 2013-14 Yearbook
Social media	@GoNUmhockey facebook.com/GoNUmhockey \| RSVP to the Facebook event Use #GoNU

BOSTON -- After picking up two crucial league points with a 3-2 victory against No. 18 Vermont on Friday, the No. 11 Northeastern men's ice hockey team goes for the series sweep of the Catamounts in a nonconference contest on Saturday night at Matthews Arena, beginning at 7 p.m.

Last night's win moved the Huskies into sole possession of second place in the Hockey East standings with 15 points. NU is 7-4-1 in conference play this season with eight league games still to play.

Northeastern is 8-1-3 in its last 12 games, its best stretch since the 1997-98 season (9-1-2), and enters Saturday's tilt riding a four-game winning streak, including victories over ranked opponents in each of its last three games. The Huskies bested then-No. 6/6 Providence on the road in overtime, 2-1, knocked off then-No. 9/8 UMass Lowell 4-1 at Citi Frozen Fenway 2014 on Jan. 11 before last night's win against the Catamounts.

The Huskies jumped five spots in this week's USCHO.com poll, checking in at No. 11. It is the program's highest ranking since the end of the 2008-09 season, when NU was ranked sixth in the country. Northeastern also cracked the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll for the first time this season on Monday at No. 11.

Senior forward Braden Pimm has had the hot hand for the Huskies since returning from the holiday break, and has seven goals and three assists in his last six games. Pimm scored four of NU's six goals last week, including the game-tying and game-winning goals at Providence, and was named the Warrior Player of the Week on Monday.

Redshirt junior goaltender Clay Witt has emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the nation this season, earning the start in 11 of Northeastern's last 12 games. The Brandon, Fla. native, a three-time Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honoree, has made at least 35 saves in nine games this season. The Huskies are 6-2-1 in those games. Witt is second in the country with a .945 save percentage while is 630 saves are good for fourth in the nation. He is also one of six goaltenders with at least 12 wins this season.

A win against Vermont would …
• Be NU's 889th victory all-time.
• Mark the third time in team history, and first time since the 1980-81 season, that NU has started January 5-0-0.
• Give Northeastern a series sweep of the Catamounts for the second time in the last three seasons.
• Make the Huskies unbeaten in 12 of their last 13 games (9-1-3), its best stretch since the 1980-81 season (12-1-0).

The all-time series with the Catamounts
Vermont holds a 27-22-5 advantage in the all-time series against Northeastern, which dates back to 1969. Northeastern has gone 6-4-0 in its last ten meetings and is looking for its first weekend sweep of the Catamounts at Matthews Arena in program history.

Northeastern dropped all three games to the Catamounts last season, but snapped their winless skid with a 3-0 victory earlier this season on Dec. 17 at Gutterson Fieldhouse. So far this season, Kevin Roy has posted a goal and three assists against UVM, while Clay Witt is 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals against average and .978 save percentage.

A look at Vermont
No. 18 Vermont enters Saturday's game looking to put an end to a brief two-game losing streak following a five-game unbeaten stretch coming out of the holiday break (3-0-2).

The Catamounts are led by senior forward Chris McCarthy, who has posted 22 points on the season (nine goals, 13 assists). Trailing behind McCarthy is standout freshman Mario Puskarich who has tallied 9-12-20 totals, including four power-play goals.

Mike Santaguida and Brody Hoffman have alternated games in net since November with 13 and nine starts, respectively. Santaguida is 6-5-2 this season with a goals against average of 2.45 and a save percentage of .916 while Hoffman has gone 5-3-1 and posted a 2.00 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.

Last time out
Clay Witt made 46 saves, and Northeastern held a 3-0 lead deep into the third period before surviving a late flurry from No. 18 Vermont to hold on for a 3-2 victory on Friday night at Matthews Arena.

Braden Pimm, Matt Benning and Zach Aston-Reese all scored for the Huskies, who were outshot 48-19 in the game. Witt backstopped Northeastern to its fourth consecutive conference victory, making at least 45 saves for the second straight game. Vermont received goals from Chris McCarthy and Mario Puskarich with less than two minutes to play in regulation, while Brody Hoffman made 16 stops for the Catamounts.

Each team had ample opportunities on the man advantage throughout the contest, with NU converting on one of its five chance while the Huskies held Vermont to an 0-of-8 showing on the power play. Northeastern also won the battle in the faceoff dot, claiming 43-of-77 draws, led by Dalen Hedges' 10-of-15 performance.

When you're hot, you're hot
Northeastern enters Friday's game unbeaten in 11 of its last 12 games (8-1-3), its best stretch since the Huskies went 9-1-2 midway through the 1997-98 season. Since Nov. 22, NU is one of five teams in the nation with just one loss. Of those games, nine have come against conference opponents while five were against ranked teams. During that time, Northeastern is averaging 3.33 goals per game, allowing 2.33 goals per game and operating at 87.7% on the penalty kill.

The Huskies are also riding a four-game winning streak into Saturday's game, its longest streak this late in the season since the 2009-10 campaign. Friday marked the third straight win against a ranked opponent, the first time the Huskies have done that since the 2011-12 season.

Poll position
Following two wins against top-ten opponents last week, Northeastern moved up to No. 11 in this week's USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll. It is the program's highest ranking since the end of the 2008-09 season.

NU and Wisconsin were the biggest movers of the week with a five-spot jump in the polls, up from No. 16 and No. 14 last week, respectively. The Huskies are also one of eight Hockey East squads ranked in the top 20. Northeastern has been ranked in each of the last six USCHO.com polls, and has been either ranked or receiving votes for 13 straight weeks dating back to Oct. 14, 2013.

The Huskies also cracked the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine top 15 poll for the first time this season, coming in at No. 11.

Huskies for Hobey
NU's Kevin Roy and Clay Witt are two of 68 players nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, which honors an elite NCAA men's ice hockey player who exhibits both athletic talent and strong sportsmanship.

Roy currently leads the team offensively with 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) and is tied for 10th place nationally among top scoring leaders. He has averaged 1.26 points per game through 23 games so far this season and was named the Warrior Hockey Player of the Week twice (Dec. 23 and Oct. 14) while also earning the title of National Player of the Month in October.

In goal, Witt has backstopped 18 games for the Huskies while posting a 2.04 goals against average and a .945 save percentage, good for second in the nation. He earned the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week accolade three times this season and has made a total of 947 career saves.

Fans will be allowed one vote once every 24 hours and can access the ballot by visiting www.hobeybaker.com.

Pimm earns the 'A'
Prior to the Huskies' Citi Frozen Fenway 2014 game against UMass Lowell, NU head coach Jim Madigan announced that senior Braden Pimm has been named an assistant captain. Pimm earned the 'A' for his leadership both on an off the ice. Pimm joins captain Josh Manson and assistant captains Dax Lauwers and Adam Reid who will wear letters for Northeastern for the remainder of the season.

Pimm picks up first career league honor
After scoring four goals in two games to lead Northeastern to two victories last week, senior forward Braden Pimm was named the Warrior Hockey Player of the Week on Monday.

This marks the first career conference accolade for Pimm, who is in the midst of a career-season for the Huskies. The Fort St. John, British Columbia native began the week by scoring with 33.6 seconds remaining in regulation at No. 6 Providence on Tuesday before potting the game-winning tally 12 seconds into the extra frame to lift NU past the Friars at Schneider Arena, 2-1. Four days later, he scored another pair of goals against No. 9/8 UMass Lowell at Citi Frozen Fenway 2014 to help Northeastern to a 4-1 victory.

Pimm is third on the team with 15 goals and 10 assists this season, which is good for 10th in Hockey East. Nine of Pimm's 15 goals this season have come in special teams situations (seven power play goals, two shorthanded goals), which is tied for the most special teams tallies in the nation. Pimm's seven power play goals, meanwhile, are tied for fifth in the country and tops in Hockey East. Pimm has more than doubled his goal total from a season ago after posting six goals and 11 assists as a junior this season. Among senior skaters, he is tied for ninth in the country in total points this year.

Hey shorty
NU used special teams situations to its advantage on Saturday against UMass Lowell, scoring three goals in odd-man scenarios (two SHG, one PPG). It marked the first time since Oct. 18, 2008 that the Huskies netted two shorthanded tallies in a game. NU has five shorthanded goals this season, which is tied for fifth in the nation. Northeastern hasn't had more than five shorties in a season since 2008-09.

Cardiac canines
The Huskies have made a habit of doing their damage in the third period this season, scoring 32 of its 80 goals in the final 20 minutes of play. NU is tied with Providence for second in the country in third period goals behind only Boston College (35). In three of the last five games, Northeastern has trailed entering the third period and come back to either tie or win the game.

The Huskies have also made use of pulling the goaltender this year, and lead the nation with five goals with the extra attacker, highlighted by two at Dartmouth on Dec. 30 to force overtime.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner
Northeastern has had several skaters step up when the team has needed them most in 2013-14, with 10 different skaters recording game-winning goals for the first time since the 2009-10 season and tied for the second most in the country. NU is one of eight teams in the country to have at least 10 players with game-winners.

Three of freshman Dalen Hedges' six goals this season have proven to be game-winners, which is tied for fourth in Hockey East. Hedges is also one of just five freshmen with three game-winners, and matched Kevin Roy's 2012-13 team-leading total.

Head of the class
The Northeastern rookie class has tallied 27 goals and 66 assists in 23 games this season, which leads the nation in points for a freshman class. Eight different NU rookies have tallied a point this season.

Freshman Mike Szmatula is second on the team with 27 points this season (nine goals, 18 assists), and is second in the nation in rookie scoring with 1.17 points per game. He is also one of just three rookies to have at least 25 points this season. If Szmatula finishes the year first on the team in scoring, it would mark the third straight season that a freshman has led NU in scoring (Ludwig Karlsson in 2011-12, Kevin Roy in 2012-13).

The NU rookies have also tallied seven game-winning goals this season, the most in the nation.

At Witt's end
Redshirt junior Clay Witt has backstopped the Huskies throughout much of the season. The Brandon, Fla. native is 12-4-2 this year, one of six goalies with at least 12 wins, to go along with a 2.08 goals against average and .945 save percentage (second in the nation).

His 630 saves, meanwhile, are the fourth most in the nation, much in part to a career-high 52 against Providence on Dec. 6, which is tied for the third most saves in a game in program history (George Demetroulakos vs. Boston University on Feb. 21, 1980). Witt leads the nation with 34.4 saves per game.

Sophomore surge
Sophomore forward Kevin Roy has 31 goals and 32 assists in 52 career games with the Huskies. On Nov. 22, 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 leads the team with 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) this year. The Huskies are 13-3-3 when he tallies a point, and 8-1-1 when he scores a goal.

League things
The NU defense has made a point of tightening things up against conference opponents. Northeastern holds a 2.17 goals against average in Hockey East play, which is second in Hockey East behind only Maine (1.56) and eighth in the nation, compared to a 3.09 goals against average against nonconference foes (38th in the nation).

Killing it on the PK
Despite being seventh in the country with 15.5 penalty minutes per game, the Northeastern penalty killing unit has stepped up its play in recent weeks. In the last 11 games, NU has killed off 51-of-57 penalties (89.4%), which is sixth in the country. The Huskies have also been forced to kill off 128 penalties this season, the most in the nation.

Powerful power play
The Northeastern power play unit has come into its own in recent weeks, netting five goals on the man advantage in its last five games. NU is 22-of-113 on the power play this season, and is one of 19 teams in the country with at least 20 conversions on the power play. The Huskies have worked hard to draw penalties throughout the season, as well, and they are one of 21 teams to have at least 100 power play attempts this season.

Senior Braden Pimm has been the go-to player for power play goals this season for NU. He is one of six skaters in the country with at least seven power play goals, which is tied for fifth in the nation and tops in Hockey East.

Filling the net
While head coach Jim Madigan has shuffled the lineup a bit so far this season, one line of Huskies has remained intact. Kevin Roy, John Stevens and Braden Pimm have been grouped together on the same line in 21 of NU's 23 games this year, totaling 34 goals and 33 assists along with a combined +23 rating. The Huskies are 14-4-3 when the trio skates together.

Rookies in the middle
The Huskies have relied on its freshman class to produce at the face-off dot all season, with a rookie serving as the primary center on all four of their lines. John Stevens has won 51.3% of his face-offs this season, going 220-of-426. His 220 wins are tied for 26th in the nation, and he is one of four freshmen in the nation in the top 40 in face-off victories.

Mike Szmatula (202-of-450; 44.9%), Dalen Hedges (182-of-335; 54.3%) and Tanner Pond (81-of-160; 50.6%) make NU the only team in the country to have four freshmen who have taken at least 100 face-offs this season.

As a team, NU is 799-of-1636, which is seventh in the nation and second in Hockey East.

Lending a helping hand
Northeastern has tallied 134 assists through 23 games this season, which is seventh in the country and third in Hockey East, sparked by 18 helpers from freshman Mike Szmatula (tied for 13th in the nation). Szmatula, who leads the nation in assists among rookie skaters, has an assist in 12 of the team's 23 games this season, including five games with multi-assist efforts.

Offensive explosion
After scoring 81 goals all of last season, Northeastern has nearly matched that total in 23 games. NU is tied for fifth in the nation with 80 goals this season, and its 3.48 goals per game average is 10th in the country.

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.

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 27 goals and 66 assists, which is 43.4% of Northeastern's total scoring.

Show dogs
Northeastern has four NHL draft picks on this year's squad. Sophomore 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 senior Cody Ferriero in the fifth round (127th) in 2010 while junior Josh Manson was an Anaheim sixth rounder (160th) in 2011. Newcomer Matt Benning was selected by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round (175th) at the 2012 Entry Draft.

Oh brother
Northeastern's 28-man roster features two sets of brothers in Cody and Nathan Ferriero, as well as Derick and 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.

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 next weekend.

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.

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.

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.

The road ahead
Northeastern will head back on the road next weekend for its second trip to No. 15 Notre Dame. Four conference points will be on the line for the Huskies, who topped the Fighting Irish at the Shillelagh Tournament earlier this season, 3-2.

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