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HAMDEN, Conn. – Trailing 2-1 in the final minute of regulation, the No. 15/14 Northeastern men's ice hockey team (0-0-1) netted the equalizer off the stick of Nolan Stevens to force a 2-2 tie at No. 2/2 Quinnipiac (0-0-1) on Friday night at the TD Bank Sports Center.
 
After the teams exchanged timeouts and sophomore goaltender Ryan Ruck was pulled in favor of the extra attacker, Dylan Sikura's (two assists) shot from the point was redirected by Stevens at the hashmarks past Bobcat netminder Chris Truehl with 53.8 seconds to play to force overtime.
 
QU jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a goal from Andrew Taverner late in the first period before the Huskies responded with a tally from Lincoln Griffin just 1:39 into the middle frame. The Bobcats retook the lead with less than seven minutes to play in regulation as Bo Pieper netted a goal off a rebound before Stevens leveled the score at two late in the game.
 
Both netminders were solid in their season debuts, with Ruck making 20 stops on the night while Truehl turned aside 28 Husky shots, including 24 in the final 45 minutes of play. After being outshot 9-4 in the opening frame, Northeastern began to take control of the game, outshooting QU 26-13 in the final two periods and overtime.
 
Quinnipiac, who began the year with the top power play unit in the nation over the last four seasons, was held to an 0-of-5 showing on the man advantage while Northeastern was 1-of-4 on the man advantage.
 
Goal descriptions:
• The Bobcats drew first blood late in the first period as Andrew Taverner buried his first of the season, capitalizing on a rebound to the left of the cage. After Ruck came out of his crease to cut down the angle on a shot from the slot, the rebound popped out to Taverner. Ruck, who had collided with a Bobcat attacker, tried to get back into position, but Taverner's shot beat him high for the score.
 
• Northeastern leveled the score at one less than two minutes into the second period on Griffin's first of the year, finishing off some pretty passing by the Huskies. With NU in the final seconds of a power play, Dylan Sikura flew into the zone and dished to Grant Jozefek at the left side. Jozefek then spotted Griffin at the opposite post, and threaded a pass across the seam to the sophomore for the finish past Truehl.
 
• Quinnipiac took a 2-1 lead with 6:23 remaining in regulation when Pieper netted his first goal of the year, finishing off a rebound atop the crease. After Derek Smith hit Tommy Schutt with a pass entering the zone, Schutt fired a shot on goal that Ruck knocked down with his pad. As Ruck tried to cover the rebound, Pieper crashed the cage and knocked home the loose puck to give the hosts the lead late in regulation.
 
• With Ruck pulled in favor of the extra attacker, Northeastern tied the game once again on Nolan Stevens' first of the season. With Quinnipiac running around in its own end, Sikura kept a clearing attempt in at the point. He then took a few strides along the blue line before sending a low shot towards the cage and into a slew of bodies. There, Stevens was able to redirect the puck through Truehl to tie the game at two and force overtime.
 
Stats of the game:
• Northeastern is now 1-2-2 all-time against Quinnipiac
 
• Nolan Stevens has four goals and two assists in his last four games dating back to last season, including goals in four straight.

• Sikura recorded his seventh career multi-point game with a pair of assists on Friday.

• Jozefek recorded his first collegiate point with his assist on Griffin's second period goal.
 
• Jeremy Davies, Matt Filipe, Jozefek, Biagio Lerario and Ryan Shea all made their collegiate debuts on Friday night
 
The road ahead:
The Huskies and Bobcats will complete the weekend series tomorrow night at the TD Bank Sports Center. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m.