Box Score  | Season Stats | Press Conference | Infographic

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Facing a 2-1 deficit entering the third period, the Northeastern men's ice hockey team (1-5-1, 0-1-1) battled back to take a 3-2 lead in the final frame before Vermont tied the score with 2:01 left in regulation to force a 3-3 draw on Saturday at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
Nolan Stevens, Adam Gaudette and Matt Benning all scored for the Huskies, who are now 2-0-2 at Gutterson in their last four outings, while Zach Aston-Reese added two assists. Derick Roy made 22 saves in goal in his first start in three games. Mike Santaguida had 28 stops for the Catamounts, who received goals from three different goal scorers.
 
NU outshot Vermont 31-25 in the game, and was 1-of-2 on the man advantage while the Catamounts did not get an opportunity on the power play. Northeastern dominated the face-off dot for the second straight game, winning 40-of-62 draws.
 
Goal descriptions:
• Vermont bolted out to a 1-0 lead just 39 seconds into the contest on Jarrid Privitera's second goal of the weekend, and fifth of the season. After Brendan Bradley fired a shot in on goal that Roy steered aside, Northeastern was unable to clear the puck out, and Privitera crashed the cage and buried the rebound for an early lead.
 
• The Northeastern power play responded to tie the game at one with 9:31 to go in the period on Nolan Stevens' third of the season. With Conor O'Neil in the box for elbowing, John Steven fed the puck down to Kevin Roy along the goal line. Roy then drew a defender towards him, leaving Nolan Steven alone in the slot. Roy fired a pass up to the sophomore winger, and Stevens ripped a shot over Santaguida's glove for the score.
 
• Vermont came out flying in the opening minute of the second period, using a goal from Brady Shaw to give the Catamounts a 2-1 lead. After UVM won a face-off in its defensive zone, Kevin Irwin sent an outlet pass up to Shaw in the neutral zone, and Shaw flew down the right side of the ice before firing a shot from the top of the face-off dot that beat Roy five-hole.
 
• Northeastern leveled the score at two 2:15 into the third period on Adam Gaudette's first collegiate tally. Of an NU face-off win in the attacking end, Zach Aston-Reese worked the puck in the zone before finding Gaudette atop the crease for a one-timer that beat Santaguida five-hole.
 
• The Huskies took their first lead of the weekend with 13:09 left in regulation on Matt Benning's first goal of the year. With bodies flying around the net, Benning scooped up a rebound off a shot from Dalen Hedges and somehow fired a shot through traffic that beat Santaguida over his right shoulder.
 
• Vermont brought the game back to even with 2:01 left in regulation as Anthony Petruzzelli netted his third of the year, taking a feed from Alexx Privitera, spinning around and tossing a backhand on goal that got through Roy. The goal was briefly reviewed for a possible high stick, but stood as called.
 
Stats of the game:
• Northeastern is now 23-30-7 all-time against Vermont
 
• Dating back to last season, John Stevens has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), in his last 19 games. Stevens is currently riding a three-game point streak (two goals, one assist)
 
• Roy's assist moved him into a tie with Gerry Cowie for 24th for career assists at Northeastern. He has an assist in each of his last three games.
 
• Benning's third period goal was his first goal since Jan. 17, 2014, a span of 52 games. His last goal came against Vermont.
 
• Zach Aston-Reese tallied his second multi-point game of the season with two assists on Saturday.
 
The road ahead:
Northeastern returns to the ice on Friday night when the Huskies battle crosstown rival No. 8 Boston University, beginning at Agganis Arena at 7:30 p.m. The teams will then travel down the road to Matthews Arena on Saturday for a 7 p.m. face-off during NU's Homecoming Weekend.