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BOSTON – Trailing by a goal with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation, the No. 12/13 Northeastern men's hockey team (7-3-1, 5-1-0) struck twice in the final 8:10 of the game to down Vermont (3-8-1, 1-4-1) on Friday night at Matthews Arena.
A pair of defenseman did the work in the offensive zone for Northeastern, which moved to 5-1-0 in Hockey East for the first time since 1985-86 with the victory on Friday, as
Ryan Shea tied the game with a shot through a screen before
Jeremy Davies put the hosts up for good with 2:12 to go in regulation.
It was a goaltending battle for much of the evening as Vermont's Stefanos Lekkas (25 saves) stymied the Huskies for most of the game before the nation's top offense broke through. At the other end, freshman
Cayden Primeau was also strong, making 20 stops and allowing just one goal to Alex Esposito early in the second period.
The Huskies held a 27-21 edge in shots on goal for the game while winning 30-of-59 face-offs. Neither team could capitalize on the man advance as Northeastern went 0-of-3 and the Catamounts 0-of-1.
Goal descriptions
FIRST GOAL (1-0 Vermont) – SECOND PERIOD – Alex Esposito – 1:14
Vermont drew first blood early in the second period on Esposito's first collegiate tally. After the Catamounts won a puck battle in the neutral zone, Derek Lodermeier chased down a rebound after a wide shot from Esposito. Lodermeier then tossed a backhand on goal that Primeau stopped, but Esposito was there to tuck home the rebound.
SECOND GOAL (Tied 1-1) – THIRD PERIOD – Ryan Shea – 11:50
The Huskies leveled the score at one with 8:10 remaining in regulation on Shea's first of the season. As Northeastern controlled the puck in the attacking zone,
Grant Jozefek fed the puck up to
Eric Williams at the point. Williams then slid it to his left across to Shea, who wired a low shot through a slew of bodies, including
Matt Filipe who took away Lekkas' eyes, for the game-tying goal.
THIRD GOAL (2-1 Northeastern) – THIRD PERIOD – Jeremy Davies – 17:48
Northeastern took its first lead of the night with 2:12 left in regulation on Davies' second in as many games. As the Huskies worked the puck out of the defensive zone,
Dylan Sikura slung the puck across the neutral zone into open space. Davies quickly caught up to it, sprinted around a defenseman and ripped a shot off the left post and in for the 2-1 lead.
Stats of the game
• Northeastern moves to 5-1-0 in Hockey East for the first time since the 1985-86 season.
•Friday marked the Huskies' first victory over Vermotn since Jan. 16, 2015, snapping a five-game winless skid (0-3-2). It's also Northeastern's first home win against the Catamounts since Jan. 17, 2014.
• The Huskies have now won seven straight home games against Hockey East opponents, dating back to last season.
• Davies now has points in three straight games (two goals, one assist).
• Sikura moved into a tie for 41st on Northeastern's all-time scoring list with 107 points (42 goals, 65 assists). He has 100 points since the start of his sophomore season.
• Friday was the second time all season that Northeastern was kept off the scoresheet in the first period (at RIT, Oct. 14). The Huskies have outscored opponents 15-2 in the opening frame this season.
The road ahead
The Huskies will be back in action on Saturday night when Northeastern hosts Boston College at 7 p.m. Saturday is White Out Night at Matthews Arena, and all fans are encouraged to wear white to the game. Tickets are available by visiting tickets.GoNU.com
