Game-day information: Game 18 vs. Clarkson
When	Friday, December 30, 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	n/a
Social media	@GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey instagram.com/GoNUathletics  Use #GoNU and #RedBlackOnePack

BOSTON -- After an 11-day layoff, Northeastern returns to the ice on Friday night as the Huskies take on Clarkson for the first time since 2002. Friday will close one of the most successful calendar years in program history. To date, Northeastern has won 25 games in 2016, tied for the fourth most in the nation, while Zach Aston-Reese leads all scorers with 56 points in that span. Ryan Ruck, meanwhile, has all 25 of NU's wins, the second most among all netminders.
  
The all-time series with Clarkson
It's been 14 years since the Huskies and Golden Knights have shared the ice. They last met on Nov. 30, 2002 in a game Northeastern won on the road, 3-1. Prior to that victory, the Huskies skated to a 4-1 win over Clarkson at Matthews Arena on Nov. 23, 2001. 
 
Though NU enters Friday's game with a two-game winning streak against the Golden Knights, Clarkson holds an all-time record of 14-6-1 in their history with Northeastern. Clarkson won eight of the first nine meetings between the two clubs, but the last 12 games of their all-time series have been split evenly.
 
Scouting the Golden Knights
The Golden Knights skate into Matthews Arena with an overall record of 9-7-3 and an ECAC record of 5-3-1. Though they've only won four times at their home rink, Cheel Arena, they boast a 5-1-1 record on the road. In seven games against teams from Hockey East, Clarkson has notched a 4-2-1 record, most notably defeating Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. to win the Shillelagh Tournament. Entering Friday's matchup, the Golden Knights are on a two-game losing skid after dropping consecutive games to Harvard and St. Lawrence. 
 
Senior Jordan Boucher and freshman Devin Brosseau have been at the front lines of the Clarkson offense this season. Boucher has posted 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) while Brosseau has picked up 15 points (five goals, 10 assists). Senior Troy Josephs has found the back of the net eight times this year, the most goals of any Golden Knight. He's also dished out five assists. 
 
Freshman goaltender Jake Kielly has controlled the crease for the majority of Clarkson's games this year. He holds a record of 8-6-3 and has picked up one shutout on the year. 
 
Home sweet home
Northeastern returns to Matthews Arena for the first time in nearly a month on Friday. The Huskies are 5-3-2 at home this year, and is averaging 3.80 goals per game in those contests, which is tied for 10th in the country. It's 27.3% conversion rate on the power play at home (15-of-55), meanwhile, is sixth in the nation.
 
Northeastern is 14-3-3 in its last 20 games at Matthews Arena, dating back to last season. NU is also 7-0-1 in its last eight non-conference home games. 
 
Madigan at 200
Tonight marks the 200th game with head coach Jim Madigan at the helm of the Northeastern hockey program. He is 85-88-26 in five-plus seasons behind the bench, and his .492 winning percentage is second only to Herb Gallagher for a Northeastern coach in his first 200 games. Take a look at how NU's former coaches have fared in their first 200 contests:
 
Coach: W-L-T (Pct.)
Herb Gallagher: 100-97-3 (.508)
Jim Madigan: 85-88-26 (.492)
Greg Cronin: 78-97-25 (.452)
Bruce Crowder: 73-107-20 (.415)
Fernie Flaman: 78-114-8: (.410)
Jim Bell: 79-119-2 (.400)
 
Recapping the win at Michigan State
A hat trick from Zach Aston-Reese and a 3-of-7 night on the power play sent Northeastern into the holiday break on a high note at Michigan State, 6-2.
 
The Huskies netted the game's first two goals, both off the stick of Aston-Reese before the Spartans fought back with goals from Mason Appleton and Patrick Knodorenko within two minutes of each other in the second period. From there it was all Northeastern as Brendan Collier answered with a goal of his own just 10 seconds after Michigan State tied the game before NU added three more in the final frame.
 
Adam Gaudette and Patrick Schule also scored for Northeastern, which received points from 10 different skaters, while Ryan Ruck was solid in goal with 24 saves, his biggest coming on a two-on-zero on the first period with a post-to-post denial. 
 
Talented triumvirate
Zach Aston-Reese (14 goals, 15 assists), Dylan Sikura (10 goals, 27 assists) and Adam Gaudette (nine goals, 13 assists) are all enjoying hot starts to the season, ranking in the top-25 in the nation in scoring.
 
The trio makes Northeastern one of only three teams in the nation (Union and Robert Morris) to have at least three skaters with 20 points or more. The three have also combined to make up 51% of the Huskies' total scoring this season.
 
Streaking
Zach Aston-Reese (eight goals, seven assists) and Dylan Sikura (six goals, eight assists) both carry six-game point streaks into Friday's contest, the longest such streaks for any Northeastern skater this season. It is the longest streak of Sikura's collegiate career, while Aston-Reese is two away from tying his longest career streak.
 
Aston-Reese climbing the charts
Senior assistant captain Zach Aston-Reese has been one of Northeastern's go-to players during his career on Huntington Avenue. He has 11 career game-winning goals, which ranks in a tie for third in the nation among active players. 
 
Overall, Aston-Reese has 114 points (49 goals, 65 assists) in 124 career games, which ranks seventh in career scoring among active skaters nationally. He also became the 48th player in team history to reach 100 points earlier this season, and is currently 33rd in career scoring at Northeastern.
 
Aston-Reese leads the team with 29 points this season (14 goals, 15 assists). He is the quickest Husky to reach 20 points in season (13 games) since Jim Fahey in 2001-02, who also accomplished the feat in 13 games.
 
He's Sik
Dylan Sikura's four-assist night against Bentley on Oct. 15 marked the first for a Husky since Kevin Roy had four helpers on Feb. 22, 2014 against Maine. Sikura is tied for seventh in the nation with 17 assists in his first 17 games, and tied for seventh overall in scoring with 27 points. 
 
The Aurora, Ontario native has at least one point in 14 of the team's 17 games this season, and is currently riding a six-game point streak (six goals, eight assists), a new career-long. His 10 goals in just 17 games match his total from all of last season (36 games).
 
Good Gaud
Sophomore center Adam Gaudette has been one of the top players in the nation through the first three months of the season, recording nine goals and 13 assists in his first 16 games. It took him 28 games to reach 20 points last season. The Braintree, Mass. native had a five-game goal scoring streak snapped on Nov. 5 at Boston University, the longest of his career. 
 
Aston-Reese picks up second Warrior Player of the Week honor
After recording a four-point effort, including his second career hat trick, Northeastern assistant captain Zach Aston-Reese was named the Warrior Hockey Player of the Week on Dec. 19. The Staten Island, New York native played a part in four of Northeastern's six goals en route to a 6-2 victory at Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. 
 
Aston-Reese has established himself as one of the most dynamic players in the nation in 2016-17, and finishes the first half of the season with a team-high 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 17 games, which is fifth in the nation. He's also tied for second in the nation in goals and tied for 17th in assists. He's also tied for second in the nation in power play goals (seven) and fourth in power play points (15). 
 
Veterans carrying the load
Northeastern, with 14 juniors and seniors on the roster, is tied for the ninth most upperclassmen on NCAA rosters this season. The two classes have combined for 92 points (34 goals, 58 assists) in the team's opening 17 games, which ranks in a tie for 11th in the country.
 
Killing it on the PK
The Northeastern penalty killing unit has been hard at work this year, going 79-of-91 midway through the season. Its 86.8% success rate is eighth in the nation this season, and has held opponents to one goal or fewer on the man advantage in 15-of-17 games this year. 
 
At this point last year, the Huskies were 52nd in the nation in penalty killing percentage (45-of-59; 76.3%).
 
Power up
NU is averaging 6.41 power play opportunities per game this season, the third highest in the nation, and have cashed in 24 times, also the third most in the nation. Nine different Huskies have found the back of the net on the man advantage, including a team-high seven from senior Zach Aston-Reese, tied for the second most nationally.
 
Tough after two
Opponents who find themselves down to the Huskies through two periods of play haven't fared well in recent years. Over the last four seasons, Northeastern is 47-3-3 (.915) when leading after 40 minutes, including a 5-0-0 mark in 2016-17.
 
The road ahead
Northeastern continues its tour of the ECAC on Tuesday when the Huskies travel to New Haven, Conn. for a date with Yale at 7 p.m. It will be Northeastern's first trip to Ingalls Rink since Nov. 26, 1995.