Game-day information: Game 4 vs. Bentley
When	Saturday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m.
Where	Boston, Mass.  |  Matthews Arena  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	Live Stats  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Tickets
Notes and yearbook	Game Notes  |  2016-17 Media Guide
Promotions	2016 Hockey East Championship Banner Unveiling  |  Pre-game BBQ
Social media	@GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey instagram.com/GoNUathletics  Use #GoNU and #RedBlackOnePack

BOSTON -- The No. 16/14 Northeastern men's ice hockey team will look to pick up its first victory of the season on Saturday night as the Huskies return to Matthews Arena for its home opener against Bentley. Prior to tonight's game, the Huskies will unveil the 2016 Hockey East championship banner in the Matthews Arena rafters. NU captured its second HEA title in program history last season thanks to an unprecedented second half run.
 
Tonight's promotions
Fans are asked to arrive early to the arena for the pre-game banner unveiling. The first 2,000 fans in attendance tonight will receive a Hockey East Championship replica banner, and a pre-game BBQ will be held for all students in the Matthews Arena parking lot.

Recapping Friday's tie at Bentley
Northeastern peppered Jayson Argue with 35 shots, but the Bentley goaltender steered aside all but one as the Huskies and Falcons fought to a 1-1 tie on Friday night at Ryan Arena.
 
Nolan Stevens scored the lone goal for Northeastern with a power play tally, his second of the season, to give NU a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the game before Bentley netted the equalizer on Alexey Solovyev's shorthanded marker early in the second period.
 
NU tested Argue (34 saves) early and often on Friday, including 16 shots in the first period alone and 17 overall on the power play. Both teams got ample opportunity on the man advantage throughout the evening, with Northeastern going 1-of-12 while the Husky penalty killing unit held the Falcons to an 0-of-7 showing. Ryan Ruck was solid in net for the Huskies, steering aside 22 Bentley shots, including a flurry near the end of regulation to force overtime.
 
The all-time series with Bentley
Heading into Saturday's action, the Huskies trail in the all-time series with the Falcons by a count of 2-4-1. The pair of games this weekend mark the second consecutive year that NU and Bentley have met.
 
A hat trick from Andrew Gladiuk gave Bentley all that they needed to win in the first matchup last season, a game that NU dropped 3-2 at Matthews Arena. The Falcons followed up with a 4-1 win the following night at John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown, Mass. The last time that the Huskies triumphed over the Falcons was back on Oct. 16, 2009 when they picked up a 3-2 win for Northeastern's first home win of the 2009-10 season.
 
Scouting the Falcons
Bentley welcomes back many familiar faces from last year's team, including leading scorer Max French. French finished in a tie for 14th in the country in points last year with 23 goals and 24 assists. Forward Andrew Gladiuk, who scored four goals against the Huskies in his collegiate career, has since graduated and left a hole on the top line that the Falcons hope one of their highly-touted freshmen like Andrew Desbiens can fill. On the back end, Tanner Jago enters his sophomore year as one of the elite offensive defenders in Atlantic Hockey.
 
The Falcons come into Saturday with a 1-0-1record after winning their season-opening game at New Hampshire, 5-1, before last night's tie. French racked up three assists in the win over the Wildcats. In their collegiate debuts, freshmen Desbiens and Dino Balsamo each found the back of the net. Goaltender Jayson Argue picked up the win, making 32 saves on 33 shots.
 
Home sweet home
Historically, Northeastern has gotten off to hot starts at home. During the last 84 seasons, the Huskies are 47-32-5 (.589) in home openers at Matthews Arena, including a 10-3-3 mark since the 2000-01 season.
 
Tonight marks the first of five straight home games for NU, the longest regular season home stretch since the 2010-11 season. The Huskies are 9-0-1 in its last 10 home games, dating back to last season.
 
Born in the USA
This year's Northeastern roster features 25 student-athletes who hail from the United States, as well as three from Canada. It is the most Americans that the Huskies have had on their roster since the 2006-07 season, when they had 29. Across college hockey, 66% of Division I are from the United States, 30% from Canada and 4% from Europe (82 players from 13 countries).
 
Returning firepower
With 19 letterwinners back from a season ago, the Huskies won't be at a shortage for options in the attacking end of the ice. NU's returning skaters combined for 106 goals and 168 assists during the 2015-16 season. Their 274 points, which was 73% or NU's offensive output in 2015-16, was more than 31 teams compiled in total last year.
 
Northeastern's 106 returning goals are the most in the nation, while its 274 returning points are second in the country and tops in Hockey East.
 
Individually, Zach Aston-Reese and Nolan Stevens are among the top returning point scorers in the nation after putting up 43 and 42 points last season, respectively. Aston-Reese is tied with three other skaters for seventh in the nation, while Stevens trails close behind in 10th. The duos makes Northeastern one of just three schools with multiple skaters on the list, joining 2016 Frozen Four participants Boston College and North Dakota.
 
Aston-Reese in the clutch
Senior assistant captain Zach Aston-Reese has been one of Northeastern's go-to players during his career on Huntington Avenue. He entered his final season with 10 career game-winning goals, which ranks fourth in the nation among active players.
 
The Ruck stops here
After winning the starting job midway through last season, sophomore goaltender Ryan Ruck left little doubt as to who would start between the pipes for the Huskies to begin 2016-17. As a freshman a year ago, the Coto de Caza, Calif. native went 20-11-4 in 35 starts, the third most single-season victories in team history and a team record 2.36 GAA.
 
He also cracked NU's single-season record book in games played (37; tied for third), save percentage (.909; ninth), minutes (2185:24; fifth) and shutouts (two; tied for seventh). After starting his career 0-9-2 between the pipes, he responded by going 20-2-4 in his final 26 starts and already holds the Hockey East record for career postseason victories (six).
 
Last Friday, Ruck was named to the Mike Richter Award Watch List, which is awarded annually to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I ice hockey. He is one of 20 netminders on the list.
 
Shots, shots, shots
Northeastern hasn't had trouble putting the puck on net during its opening three games, averaging 33.00 shots per game. NU is one of 12 teams in the nation with an average of 32 shots in its first three games.
 
Five Huskies crack NHL opening night rosters
NHL hockey is back, and Northeastern fans will be able to see four familiar faces suit up for their teams as the 2016-17 gets underway this week: Matt Benning (Edmonton), Anthony Bitetto (Nashville), Josh Manson (Anaheim) and Jamie Oleksiak (Dallas). In addition, Joe Vitale (Detroit) is out for the season after suffering a concussion last year.
 
They are five of a record 69 players from Hockey East who will start the 2016-2017 season on NHL rosters.
 
Hall call
David Archambault (class of 1980) will be inducted into the Northeastern University Varsity Club Hall of Fame on November 10. He was a star in the 1980 Beanpot, helping the Huskies to their first-ever Beanpot victory, while winning MVP honors in the tournament. Northeastern beat Boston University, 6-5, in overtime in the first round, followed by a 5-4 overtime upset of Boston College in the finals. Archambault played over 40 minutes in each game and has been elected into the Beanpot Hall of Fame for his outstanding performances.
 
Archambault was twice voted as the Most Valuable Player of the Northeastern hockey program. The standout defenseman was also a co-captain for two years. In his three years on the hockey team (1977-80), Archambault played in 81 games and tallied 41 points.
 
The road ahead
Northeastern continues non-conference play next weekend when the Huskies host Arizona State for a pair of games at Matthews Arena, beginning on Friday night at 7 p.m. Arizona State is in its first full season at the Division I level.