BOSTON --Â It's the second Monday in February, and the No. 12/12 Northeastern men's ice hockey team will take on No. 1/1 Boston College looking to end a 26-year Beanpot championship hiatus in the title game of the 62nd annual tournament at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden. The game will be aired live on NESN.
The Huskies and Eagles will be meeting for the second straight season in the championship game, and fifth time in tournament history. BC is 3-1 against NU in the title contest, including a 6-3 victory last season. Monday marks the second straight year that the Huskies have reached the Beanpot championship tilt, and just the fourth time that Northeastern has reached the final game in consecutive seasons.
Northeastern has won four Beanpot titles in the 61-year history of the tournament, and is looking to end a 25-year drought that dates back to 1988. NU also captured Beanpot championships in 1980, 1984 and 1985.
Sophomore forward
Kevin Roy has been the go-to point producer for NU in 2013-14, leading the team with 15 goals and 18 assists. Roy could become the third player in tournament history to take home Most Valuable Player honors in consecutive seasons, and first since Boston University's Sean Fields accomplished the feat in 2003 and 2004.
Redshirt junior
Clay Witt has burst onto the scene in his first season as the Huskies' starting netminder, earning the start in 16 of Northeastern's last 17 games, including each of the last nine. The Brandon, Fla. native, who was named a Walter Brown Award semifinalist last week, leads the nation with a .946 save percentage, and is one of nine goaltenders in the nation with a goals against average below 2.00 (1.95).
Witt's 14 victories this season are tied for ninth on the Northeastern single-season record list, while his four shutouts are tied for third in the NU record books and tied for second in the country this season.
Huskies vs. Eagles in the 'Pot
Northeastern will make its 16th Beanpot championship appearance against Boston College on Monday. Monday marks the fifth Beanpot title bout between the NU and BC with two of those affairs going into overtime. The Huskies are 1-3 in the previous three installments with the lone victory occurring when Wayne "Beanpot" Turner netted the overtime winner 2:47 into the extra frame 34 years ago.
When these two teams meet in the Beanpot championship, shortage of offense is not an issue. NU and BC have never combined to score fewer than nine goals in a title bout (1980: NU, 5-4 • 1983: BC, 8-2 • 2011: BC, 7-6 • 2013: BC, 6-3).
How we got here
Northeastern advanced to the tournament championship following a 6-0 victory against Harvard in the first semifinal last week.
Mike Szmatula recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in his Beanpot debut, while
Clay Witt stopped all 27 shots he faced. The Huskies received goals from six different skaters, while six players notched multi-point efforts and seven skaters appeared in their first career Beanpot contest.
Madigan and the Beanpot
Northeastern head coach
Jim Madigan played and coached in the Huskies' golden era of Beanpot success. Madigan has direct involvement with three of NU's four Beanpot championships, two as a student-athlete (1984, 1985) and one as an assistant coach (1988).
Madigan actually scored a goal in one of Northeastern's two victories over BU in the Beanpot, including the 4-3 victory on Feb. 8, 1983. Trailing 3-0, Madigan scored the Huskies' first goal, sparking a four-goal flurry for the win. As a head coach, Madigan is 2-3 in two-plus seasons.
Third time's a charm?
NU coaches in their third season at the helm have never placed higher than second in the Beanpot.
Jim Madigan became the third coach in team history to lead his squad to the title game in his third season. Below is a list of finish and year of each third-year head coach:
• Herb Gallagher (1955 – 4th place)
• Jim Bell (1958 – 2nd place)
• Fernie Flaman (1973 – 4th place)
• Don McKenney (1992 – 4th place)
• Ben Smith (1994 – 4th place)
• Bruce Crowder (1999 – 2nd place)
• Greg Cronin (2008 – 4th place)
Last time out
Clay Witt made 45 saves in goal, but Massachusetts (8-16-4, 4-8-3) struck twice in the second period before adding an empty net goal in the final minute of regulation to blank Northeastern on Friday night at Matthews Arena, 3-0.
Witt made at least 40 saves for the fifth time this season as the Minutemen picked up two points in the league standings in the first two of conference meetings between the two squads. His counterpart, Steve Mastalerz, stopped all 27 shots he faced to earn the shutout.
UMass held a substantial 48-27 edge in shots on goal while face-offs were split at 37 apiece. Neither team could capitalize on the power play with NU going 0-of-6 and Massachusetts 0-of-2.
Monday night Roy
After scoring five of Northeastern's six goals in the 2013 Beanpot Tournament,
Kevin Roy added to his sterling freshman season by earning Beanpot MVP honors. Roy became the first Beanpot MVP of a second-place team since Boston University's Sean Fields in 2004.
Roy was the Huskies' fifth-ever MVP and Northeastern's first since Bruce Racine took home the award in 1988.
Roy became the first rookie skater to net a hat trick in his first Beanpot appearance since Boston College's Krys Kolanos on Feb. 7, 2000, in a 6-1 win over NU. The Lac-Beauport, Quebec, native became the first Husky to score a hat trick in the Beanpot since Mike Ryan netted three against Harvard on Feb. 8, 2002. Roy was also the first freshman to score the opening goal of the Beanpot since Boston College's Brock Bradford on Feb. 6, 2006. Roy followed that up with another Monday night performance of two goals in the championship game vs. Boston College.
Should Roy follow up 2013 with another strong performance this season, he could become the third player in tournament history to earn MVP honors in consecutive seasons. Boston College's John Cunniff picked up two straight awards in 1964 and 1965 before Boston University's Sean Fields was named MVP in both 2003 and 2004. Roy potted a power play goal and added an assist last week against Harvard in the semifinals.
It's good to be back
The Huskies are back in the Beanpot title game for the second straight season, marking the fourth time that Northeastern has reached the championship game in consecutive seasons. Three of NU's four Beanpot championships have come when the team made the final the previous year.
This will be the 15th time that two teams have met in the championship game in consecutive seasons. Of those, teams that have lost the title game the season before have gone on to win the next tournament 10 times.
Anything you can do, I can do
Both the Northeastern men's and women's ice hockey teams have reached the Beanpot championship game, with both squads taking out Harvard in the semifinal. The last time both programs got to the title game in consecutive seasons was in 1987 and 1988. Both teams won the Beanpot that season. The NU women's squad, winners of 16 Beanpots, will take on Boston College at Conte Forum on Tuesday at 8 p.m. looking for its third straight tournament championship.
Road warriors
The Huskies picked up their 10th victory away from home last week against Harvard, and are 10-5-2 away from Matthews Arena this season. It's the most wins away from home since Northeastern went 13-9-2 on the road during the 2008-09 season.
NU's 10 wins away from home are tied for the third most in the nation and tied for second in Hockey East, while the Huskies' 58 goals on the road are third in the country.
Offensive explosion
Last Monday's win against Harvard saw the Huskies score at least six goals for the fourth time this season. It's the first time since the 1997-98 season that NU has recorded at least six goals in four games. Northeastern opened the season with a 9-1 win against Alabama-Huntsville before also accomplishing the feat at St. Lawrence on Oct. 25 (W, 6-3), at Dartmouth on Dec. 30 (T, 8-8) and vs. Harvard on Feb. 3 (W, 6-0).
Overall, NU tied for 13th in the nation with 91 goals this season (third in Hockey East), while its 3.25 goals per game is tied for 12th in the country.
Head of the class
The Northeastern rookie class has tallied 31 goals and 75 assists in 28 games this season, leading 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 31 points this season (11 goals, 20 assists), and is fourth in the nation in rookie scoring with 1.11 points per game. He is also one of just three rookies to have at least 30 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).
Five Huskies have tallied at least 10 points this season (Szmatula, 11-20-31; Hedges, 8-14-22; Stevens, 5-13-18; Aston-Reese, 4-9-13; Benning, 3-10-13), making NU one of two schools in the nation (Boston College) to have five rookies with double-digit points. The NU rookies have also tallied eight game-winning goals this season, the most in the nation.
Scoring depth
The Huskies have received points from 20 skaters this season, and have a different player leading the team in goals, assists and points. Northeastern is one of just two teams in the country (Ferris State) to have three players leading the team in goals (
Braden Pimm, 16), assists (
Mike Szmatula, 20), and points (
Kevin Roy, 33).
Point men
Three Northeastern defensemen have consistently jumped into the offensive attack this season for the Huskies marking the first time since the 2010-11 season, and third time in the last decade, that NU has had three blueliners with double-digit points.
Colton Saucerman (4-11-15) is tied for eighth in the conference in points per game among defensemen (0.54) while
Matt Benning (3-10-13) and
Josh Manson (3-7-10) have also had strong seasons from the point.
Help me, help you
Mike Szmatula is tied for 17th in the nation with 20 assists this season, and also tied for second in the nation in assists among rookie skaters. Szmatula is the first Husky since Wade MacLeod in 2007-08 to record at least 20 helpers in his freshman campaign. Szmatula has recorded multi-assist games six times this season, highlighted by a three-assist night against Alabama-Huntsville on opening night. NU is 9-3-1 this season when he records an assist.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner
Northeastern has had several skaters step up when the team has needed them most in 2013-14, with 11 different players recording game-winning goals for the first time since the 2008-09 season and tied for the second most in the country. NU is one of five teams in the country to have at least 11 players with game-winners, and is tied with Minnesota, UMass Lowell and Wisconsin for second behind Ferris State.
Four of freshman
Dalen Hedges' eight goals this season have proven to be game-winners, which is tied for third in Hockey East. Hedges also leads all rookies in game-winning tallies, and bested
Kevin Roy's 2012-13 team-leading total on Monday against Harvard. It's the most game-winning goals for a NU freshman since Jay Schiavo in 1988-89.
At Witt's end
Prior to taking the ice for the Beanpot semifinal on Monday,
Clay Witt was named a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, which is given to the top American hockey player in New England. Witt is one of eight Hockey East players and two goaltenders included on the list.
The Brandon, Fla. native was also named the 'Stop It' Goaltender of the Month after leading NU to a 5-2-0 mark in January. He posted a 1.87 goals against average and .950 save percentage during the month, made at least 35 saves in three games and recorded one shutout.
Witt has appeared in 23 games for the Huskies so far this season, posting a 14-7-2 record and a .946 save percentage that leads the nation. His 1.95 goals against average, meanwhile, is third in the league and seventh in the country. He is now tied for ninth on the NU single-season record list for wins in a season (14). His four shutouts are tied for second in the country, second in Hockey East, and tied for third on the NU record list with Brad Thiessen (2006-07).
30/30
Sophomore forward
Kevin Roy reached the 30-point plateau for the second straight season last weekend against Vermont. The Lac-Beauport, Quebec native leads the team with 15 goals and 18 assists, and is the first Husky since Wade MacLeod (2009-10, 2010-11) to log at least 30 points in consecutive seasons.
Should Roy finish the season as the team's leading scorer, it would mark the 18th time in program history that a player has led the team in scoring in consecutive seasons, and the first to do it in his first two seasons with the team since Les Chaisson in 1970-71 and 1971-72.
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. NU is 14-4-3 when he tallies a point, and 8-1-1 when he scores.
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 25 of NU's 28 games this year, totaling 36 goals and 38 assists along with a combined +12 rating. The Huskies are 15-7-3 when the trio skates together.
Against the best
Northeastern hasn't been afraid to take on the nation's top teams this season, having squared off against anked opponents in six of its last eight games. So far this season, the Huskies are 6-4-1 against teams ranked in the top-20 of the USCHO.com poll. All of those games have come against teams from Hockey East.
Get in front of it
Dax Lauwers leads the team with 55 blocked shots this season, which is tied for fifth in the league and tied for 18th in the nation, highlighted by a season-high eight blocks against Providence on Dec. 6.
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 with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) and is tied for 12th place nationally among top scoring leaders. He has averaged 1.18 points per game through 28 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 23 games for the Huskies while posting a 1.95 goals against average and a .946 save percentage, good for first in the nation. He earned the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week accolade four times this season and has made a total of 790 saves this season (third in the country).
Cardiac canines
NU has made a habit of doing their damage in the third period this season, scoring 34 of its 91 goals in the final 20 minutes of play. NU is tied for sixth in the country in third period goals. NU has 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.
Poll position
Winners of six of their last nine games, the Huskies came in at No. 11 in the USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll this week. The Huskies are one of eight Hockey East squads either ranked or receiving votes.
Northeastern has been ranked in each of the last nine USCHO.com polls, and has been either ranked or receiving votes for 16 straight weeks dating back to Oct. 14, 2013. The Huskies are also No. 11 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine top 15 poll this week.
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 is third on the team with 16 goals and 11 assists this season, which is good for a tie for 10th in Hockey East. Nine of Pimm's 16 goals this season have come in special teams situations (seven power play goals, two shorthanded goals), which is tied for the fourth most special teams tallies in the nation.Â
Pimm's seven power play goals, meanwhile, are tied for seventh 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 last season.
Reid into that
Junior
Adam Reid has proven himself to be a second half threat for the Huskies in his two-plus seasons. Reid has 12 goals and seven assists in 48 games after the Christmas break, compared to a five-goal and seven-assist mark in 47 games before the holidays.
Killing it on the PK
Despite being eighth in the country and first in Hockey East with 15.3 penalty minutes per game, the Northeastern penalty killing unit has stepped up its play in recent weeks. In the last 16 games, NU has killed off 66-of-74 penalties (89.2%), which is fourth in the country in that span. The Huskies have also been shorthanded 145 times this season, the fourth most in the country.
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% of his face-offs this season, going 270-of-529. He is one of four freshmen in the nation in the top 30 in face-off victories.Â
Mike Szmatula (242-of-543; 44.6%),
Dalen Hedges (243-of-438; 55.5%) and
Tanner Pond (94-of-193; 48.7%) 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 978-of-1996, which is eighth in the nation and second in Hockey East.
Lending a helping hand
Northeastern has tallied 151 assists through 28 games this season, which is 15th in the country and third in Hockey East, sparked by 20 helpers from freshman
Mike Szmatula (tied for 17th in the nation). Szmatula, who is tied for second in the nation in assists among rookie skaters, has an assist in 13 of the team's 28 games this season, including six games with multi-assist efforts.
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.Â
Nine freshmen have seen playing time so far this season, and have accounted for 31 goals and 75 assists, which is 43.8% of Northeastern's total scoring.
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.
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.
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.
"We couldn't be more pleased than to have David as our general manager," said Ron DeGregorio president of USA Hockey. "He continues to have a remarkable management career in the National Hockey League and the vast experience and expertise he brings to the table will serve us well in our goal to bring the gold medal back to the United States."
Hang out with the Huskies
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The road ahead
Northeastern will resume conference play on Saturday when the Huskies make the return trip to UMass to square off with the Minutemen at 7 p.m. at the Mullins Center. Massachusetts took the first league matchup at Matthews Arena last weekend, 3-0.
