Box Score   | Season Stats | Infographic | Purchase championship gear | Press Conference | Highlights

BOSTON – For the first time in nearly three decades, the Huskies are champions of Hockey East. In a thrilling back-and-forth contest, the No. 14/14 Northeastern men's ice hockey team held off No. 8/8 UMass Lowell, 3-2, in front of 14,018 fans at TD Garden to win the 32nd annual Hockey East Tournament. The title is Northeastern's first since 1988 and its second all-time.

With the win, the Huskies earn an automatic berth in the 2016 NCAA tournament, which will mark their first appearance since 2009. The tournament field will be announced Sunday at noon on ESPNU.

Zach Aston-Reese scored the game-winning goal with 8:57 remaining in the third period after the River Hawks twice came back from one-goal deficits to tie it. Adam Gaudette potted his second goal of the postseason to open the night's scoring, and Nolan Stevens scored his team-leading 19th goal of the season to put the Huskies up 2-1. Ryan Ruck made 21 saves to secure the win.

Goal Descriptions:
• Northeastern struck first just 1:12 into the game on a beautiful passing play by Sikura, McMurtry and Gaudette. After shrugging off a defender in the neutral zone, McMurtry gained the UML line with speed and dished a feed to Sikura on the left wing. Sikura promptly returned the feed to the slot for McMurtry, who quickly dispensed the puck to the right wing for Gaudette to tuck home.

• UMass Lowell responded just 2:13 later when the puck caromed hard off the boards behind Ruck and bounced into the low right slot for John Edwardh to snipe home from a difficult angle. 

• The Huskies reestablished the lead at 2-1 with a power-play goal at the 13:30 mark of the first period when Nolan Stevens redirected a John Stevens point shot over the blocker of River Hawks netminder Kevin Boyle.

• The River Hawks tied the game at 2-2 with 6:26 remaining in the second stanza when Adam Chapie dug out a loose puck behind the NU net and scored on a wrap around, whipping the disc over the shoulder of Ruck at the left of the cage. 

• Aston-Reese put NU in the lead for good at 3-2 with 8:57 remaining in the third with another power-play goal. After John Stevens broke his stick on a shot from the point, the puck trickled toward the net, allowing Aston-Reese to gobble up the loose disc and roof a backhand from the low slot. 

Stats of the Game:
• Northeastern is back in the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in team history, and first since 2009. 

• Northeastern was only the third six-seed to reach the Hockey East championship game - and it is the first six-seed to capture the title.

• Tonight's game marked the Huskies' first appearance in the title game since 1988 and only their second overall. They are now 2-0 all-time in Hockey East championship games.

• The Huskies extended their program-best winning streak to 13 games with their win tonight. In that span, the Huskies have scored at least three goals in every game. They are also on a 14-game unbeaten streak (13-0-1), also a program-best. Saturday marked Northeastern's 22nd win of the season, the third most in team history.

• The Huskies have scored at least three goals in 13 consecutive games.

• Ryan Ruck is 20-1-2 in his last 23 starts with a 1.85 goals against average and .926 save percentage. His 20 wins are the third most in team history.

• Adam Gaudette's first-period goal gives him two goals and five total points in the 2016 postseason. 

• Northeastern got off to a hot start in nearly every game of the postseason. With two goals tonight, the Huskies scored a total 10 first-period goals in the Hockey East playoffs.

• With a pair of power play goals tonight, the Huskies finished the 2016 playoffs 7-for-20 on the man advantage.

Up Next:
The Huskies will await the results of the NCAA selection show on Sunday. The bracket will be revealed at 12 p.m. live on ESPNU.