Game-day information: Game 24 at Merrimack
When	Friday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m.
Where	North Andover, Mass.  |  Lawler Arena  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	Live Stats  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Tickets
Notes and yearbook	Game Notes  |  2015-16 Yearbook
Promotions	n/a
Social media	@GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey instagram.com/GoNUathletics  Use #GoNU

BOSTON -- The Northeastern men's ice hockey team will put its six-game unbeaten streak on the line this weekend when the Huskies take on Merrimack in a home-and-home series, starting on Friday night at Lawler Arena. NU is unbeaten through five games (4-0-1) in January for the first time since the 1999-00 season (3-0-2).
 
The all-time series with the Warriors
Northeastern and Merrimack are meeting for the 103rd time on Friday night, with the Huskies holding a 50-42-10 edge in the all-time series. NU is also 19-20-8 all-time at Lawler Arena, and 4-6-0 against Merrimack in the last 10 games.
 
The Huskies and Warriors met four times during the 2015-16 season. After the teams each won its home game during the regular season series, the teams met again in the Hockey East Opening Round at Matthews Arena. Merrimack, the No. 11 seed in the tournament, upset the Huskies with two straight victories to eliminate Northeastern from postseason play.
 
Both games of the playoff series went to overtime, culminating in a double-overtime victory for Merrimack in Game Two, 2-1, a contest that saw the Huskies toss 64 shots on goal in the fifth longest game in Hockey East history.
 
Scouting Merrimack
Northeastern will be squaring off with a team hungry for a win on Friday; Merrimack is winless in its last seven games, and has been held to two goals or fewer in each of those games. MC is 7-11-5 overall this season, while it's 2-5-5 mark in Hockey East is good for seventh place in the league standings, two points ahead of the Huskies.
 
Senior forward Brian Christie leads the Warriors with 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) on the season, and Ben Bahe (seven goals, eight assists) and Hampus Gustafsson (six goals, nine assists) with 15 points each.
 
In the goal, sophomore Colin Delia is 6-8-5 on the year with a 2.69 goals against average and .899 save percentage. He's gotten the start in goal in each of Merrimack's last four games.
 
Streaking
Northeastern enters Friday's game unbeaten in each of its last six games (5-0-1), which is currently tied for the second longest active winning streak in the nation and tied for the 10th longest unbeaten streak in team history. NU is also unbeaten in its first five games in January for the first time since the 1999-00 season.
 
During NU's unbeaten streak, the Huskies are outscoring its opponents by 2.00 goals per game. It's 3.67 goals per game ranks in a tie for 10th in the nation in that span, while its 1.67 goals against per game is tied for eighth. Northeastern's power play, meanwhile, is clicking at 26.1% (6-of-23) in the last six games.
 
On the road again
The Huskies have been logging some serious windshield time this season. NU has visited Minneapolis (1,392 miles each way), South Bend (893 miles each way), Belfast (nearly 3,000 miles each way), and Canton (364 miles), among others, since October.
 
Northeastern will conclude the regular season having traveled 12,488 miles, according to the New England Hockey Journal, after trips to New Hampshire, Merrimack, UMass Lowell, UMass and UConn to end the regular season.
 
Playing from ahead
After beginning the season allowing the first goal of the game in 13 of their first 16 games, going 2-11-3 in the process, the Huskies have rebounded to score first in six of the last seven games. NU is 5-1-1 in those games.
 
Recapping Saturday's win vs. New Hampshire
Sam Kurker tallied four points (two goals, two assists), and Northeastern potted five second period goals to complete a weekend sweep of New Hampshire on Saturday night at the Whittemore Center, 6-2.
 
After a scoreless first period, the Huskies exploded for five goals in the middle frame to take a 5-2 lead through 40 minutes of play before Mike Jamieson netted his first collegiate tally midway through the third period to seal the victory.
 
The win gave the Huskies its first series sweep of the Wildcats since the 2007-08 season, and first regular season win at the Whittemore Center since Nov. 16, 2007.
 
Ryan Ruck tied a season-high with 30 stops to backstop NU, which was 1-of-2 on the power play and also notched a shorthanded tally. Adam Gaudette, Dylan Sikura and Lincoln Griffin also scored for Northeastern, which was outshot 32-21 by the Wildcats. Dan Correale and Marcus Vela both scored for UNH, while Danny Tirone made 14 stops before being replaced by Jamie Regan late in regulation.
 
When you're hot, you're hot
Mike McMurtry carries a seven-game point streak into Friday night's game. The senior winger has two goals and eight assists in his last seven games, which is a career-long. Freshman Adam Gaudette has also been hot of late, and has two goals and seven assists in his last five games. Zach Aston-Reese, meanwhile, has points in nine of his last 10 games (four goals, eight assists) and 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in his last 14 games.
 
Four!
Sam Kurker's four-point night (two goals, two assists) on Saturday at New Hampshire were a career-high for the junior winger. He, along with Mike McMurtry (2-2-4 vs. Colgate on Nov. 28), make NU one of 19 teams in the nation to have a player who has logged at least four points in two games this season.
 
The Ruck stops here
Freshman netminder Ryan Ruck made his collegiate debut on Oct. 17 at Bentley, making six saves in relief of Derick Roy in the third period. Ruck arrived at Northeastern after playing for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL for two seasons, posting a 3.17 goals against average and a .903 save percentage in 33 games in 2014-15.
 
Ruck followed that up with a 21 save effort at Minnesota on Oct. 23, including an early candidate for save of the year, which was the No. 2 play on SportCenter's Top Plays of the night.
 
The rookie has a 2.58 goals against average and .904 save percentage in 19 games this season, and was named the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week following a 26-save performance against Michigan State on Dec. 19, earning his first collegiate victory.
 
Over the last six games, Ruck is 5-0-1 with a 1.64 goals against average and .938 save percentage. On Jan. 8 at No. 13 St. Lawrence, he made 24 stops to pickup his first collegiate shutout.
 
The road ahead
Northeastern will be off next weekend to prepare for the 64th annual Beanpot tournament, which begins on Feb. 1 when the Huskies take on No. 11/11 Boston University in the second semifinal game at 8 p.m. on NESN, TSN and TSN3.