Box Score | Season Stats | Infographic | Post-game Press Conference

BOSTON  -- Vermont used a four-goal second period and a hat trick from Jonathan Turk to knock off the No. 16 Northeastern men's ice hockey team (0-1-0, 0-1-0) on Saturday night at Matthews Arena.
 
Mike Szmatula and Dax Lauwers scored for the Huskies, while Clay Witt made 21 saves through two periods before giving way to Derick Roy (10 saves) at the start of the third.
 
Turk scored twice in the second before adding a third late in the third period to lead the charge for the Catamounts, who also received multi-point nights from Mike Paliotta (one goal, three assists), Mario Puskarich (one goal, two assists), Alexx Privitera (two assists) and Kyle Reynolds (two assists). Brody Hoffman made 22 saves in goal for UVM, which outshot NU 37-24 in the game.
 
Both teams had their chances throughout the first period, with NU holding a slight 10-7 edge in shots on goal, but it was the Catamounts who drew first blood late in the frame to take a 1-0 lead into the dressing room.
 
The Huskies had a couple early bids to strike first, one coming from Zach Aston-Reese when he stole the puck from Hoffman behind the cage and dished to Garret Cockerill at the point, but Hoffman recovered in time to make the save. Cockerill had another chance minutes later when his shot from the blue line was stopped by Hoffman, and Nolan Stevens nearly stuffed home the rebound on the doorstep.
 
Torin Snydeman nearly put Northeastern on top with 3:57 left in the period as the Huskies broke loose on a three-on-one. After a UVM defender dropped down to block the passing lane, Snydeman elected to snap a shot off on Hoffman, who made the shoulder save.
 
The Catamounts took a 1-0 advantage with 3:27 to play in the frame when Mike Paliotta fired a one-timer from the point that got through traffic and beat a screened Witt.
 
UVM took control of the game from the drop of the puck in the second period, scoring four goals to take a commanding 5-0 lead. The first came 9:16 into the frame when Mario Puskarich tucked home a loose puck in front of the cage for his first of the season.
 
Two minutes later, Jonathan Turk made it 3-0 when he buried a power play tally off a cross-ice feed from Kyle Reynolds. Turk would then pick up his second of the night with 2:52 left in the period on a pass from Puskarich.
 
Vermont potted its fifth of the night with just 35 seconds remaining in the second on a goal from Jake Fallon.
 
Northeastern attempted to claw its way back into the game at the start of the third period , and got on the board when Szmatula knocked home a centering pass from Kevin Roy that got through the legs of Hoffman for the score three minutes into the frame.
 
Less than two minutes later, Lauwers brought the Huskies within three when he fired home a shot from the left side off a redirection from Mike McMurtry. UVM would bring it back to a four-goal game with 3:18 left in regulation as Turk completed the hat trick with a redirection past Derick Roy, off an initial shot from Alexx Privitera at the point.
 
The Huskies will be back in action next weekend when Northeastern travels to No. 5 Colgate for a pair of games, beginning Friday night at 7 p.m.

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Game Notes:
• Northeastern is now 22-29-5 all-time against Vermont, 47-29-7 all-time in season openers, and 13-12-6 all-time in Hockey East openers.
 
• Three Huskies (Garret Cockerill, Dylan Sikura, Nolan Stevens) made their collegiate debuts on Saturday, and Ryan Rosenthal made his Northeastern debut after transferring from Vermont in 2012.
 
• Lauwers scored his first goal since Nov. 23, 2012 against St. Lawrence, a span on 59 games.
 
• Szmatula was 16-of-22 (73%) in the face-off circle, winning nearly half of Northeastern's draws (33-of-60).
 
• Vermont's four-goal second period was the most goals NU has allowed in a period since Jan. 18, 2014 against Vermont (four goals allowed, third period).


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