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LOWELL, Mass. – Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, the Northeastern men's ice hockey team (9-13-5, 4-8-4) outshot No. 8 UMass Lowell (17-5-5, 10-3-4) 19-6 in the final frame and tied the game on a power play goal from Mike McMurtry to force a 2-2 tie against the River Hawks on Friday night at the Tsongas Center.
 
Trevor Owens also scored for the Huskies, who move into a tie with Vermont for sixth place in the Hockey East standings with 12 points. Ryan Ruck made 24 stops in goal for Northeastern, including the final 15 he faced to help the Huskies extend its conference unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1).
 
Evan Campbell and Joe Gambardella both scored first period goals for the River Hawks while Kevin Boyle made 30 stops in goal. Northeastern outshot UML 32-26 in the game as both teams scored on the man advantage (NU 1-of-2, UMass Lowell, 1-of-4).
 
Goal descriptions:
• UMass Lowell drew first blood with 13:07 remaining in the first period on Evan Campbell's fifth of the season as the River Hawks capitalized on a turnover in the Northeastern zone. With the Huskies in control of the puck, A.J. White picked off a clearing bid from a NU defenseman. White then shoveled it across to Campbell in the slot, who buried it past Ruck for the score.
 
• The Huskies would answer just 1:28 later, however, as Owens netted his first of the season. Following extended zone time for Northeastern in the attacking zone, Brendan Collier controlled the puck behind the goal line and spotted Owens speeding in from the point. Collier feathered a pass up to a cutting Owens, who sent a one-timer past Boyle to make it 1-1.
 
• With UMass Lowell on the power play late in the first period, the River Hawks went back on top on a goal from Joe Gambardella. Ryan Ruck would make an initial stop on a shot from C.J. Smith between the hashmarks, but the puck was left alone in the crease, and Gambardella was able to dig it under the pad of Ruck amid a slew of bodies near the cage. The goal was reviewed but stood as called.
 
• It wasn't until midway through the third period that Northeastern leveled the score at two as McMurtry hammered home his fifth of the year on a rebound with the Huskies on the power play. As NU transitioned through the neutral zone, Colton Saucerman fired a cross-ice pass to Dylan Sikura. Sikura then sped into the attacking zone and fired a slap shot that Boyle got a pad on. The rebound, however, popped right out to McMurtry, and he made no mistake in tying the game at two.
 
Stats of the game:
• Northeastern is now 42-59-10 all-time against UMass Lowell, and moves into a tie for sixth place in the league standings with six conference games remaining.

• NU is 4-0-2 in its last six true road games, and hasn't lost a true road game since Nov. 20 at Providence.

• The Huskies are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games, and are averaging 3.40 goals per game in that span.

• Friday marked Northeastern's fifth tie of the season, which is tied for the fifth most ties in program history.
 
• Ruck has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last eight games. He is 6-1-1 with a 1.61 goals against average and .938 save percentage in those games

• McMurtry has four goals and 11 assists in his last 11 games.
 
• Sikura has seven points (six goals, one assist) in his last six games.
 
• Owens' goal was his first of the year, and first since Feb. 14, 2015 at Connecticut, a span of 27 games.
 
• UMass Lowell's power play goal in the first period snapped a string of 13 straight successful penalty kills for the Huskies.      
 
The road ahead:
• Northeastern will play in the Beanpot consolation game on Monday afternoon against No. 7 Harvard. Puck drop is slated for 4:30 p.m.