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Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Adam Gaudette scored twice and
Cayden Primeau made 28 saves for the second straight night to lead the No. 12/11 Northeastern men's hockey team (9-5-3, 7-3-0) to a 3-1 victory on the road at Merrimack on Saturday night, 3-1.
The win moves the Huskies to 7-3-0 in conference play, good for second place in Hockey East. NU has series wins against Merrimack, Boston University and UMass Lowell this season.
Special teams were the difference for the Huskies, who went 2-of-4 on the man advantage while holding Merrimack to an 0-of-3 showing on the power play. Gaudette got things started for the visitors with a power play strike late in the first period, the 26th of his career.
After Merrimack tied things up at one five minutes into the second period, Gaudette found the back of the net again with 7:14 to play in the frame with a laser from just inside the point. Captain
Nolan Stevens added some insurance with his ninth of the year in the final minute of the second, and Primeau and the NU defense did the rest in the third to secure the victory.
Merrimack outshot the Huskies 29-20 in the game while NU won 39-of-72 draws, led by
John Picking's 12-of-14 performance.
Goal descriptions
FIRST GOAL (1-0 Northeastern) – FIRST PERIOD – Adam Gaudette – 17:47
Northeastern drew first blood late in the first period on Gaudette's ninth of the season during a Husky four-on-three power play. After the Warriors were whistled for tripping, NU wasted no time in converting on the man advantage as Cockerill dished to
Dylan Sikura along the halfwall. Sikura then fired it across the zone to a waiting Gaudette at the left face-off dot for a one-timed laser top shelf for the score.
SECOND GOAL (Tied, 1-1) – SECOND PERIOD – Logan Coomes – 5:07
Merrimack tied the game at one early in the second period on Coomes first of the year, knocking home a rebound in the crease. Sami Tavernier began the play by winning a puck battle along the wall and dishing to Derek Petti in the slot. Petti's initial shot was stopped by Primeau, but Coomes was waiting on the post to tip home the rebound to make it 1-1.
THIRD GOAL (2-1 Northeastern) – SECOND PERIOD – Adam Gaudette – 12:46
Northeastern retook the lead with 7:14 to go in the middle frame when Gaudette buried his second of the game. As the Huskies regrouped in the neutral zone,
Ryan Shea fed Gaudette at center ice and the junior center did the rest, flying down the left side before wiring a shot through the legs of a defenseman and over the blocker of Vogler.
FOURTH GOAL (3-1 Northeastern) – SECOND PERIOD – Nolan Stevens – 19:08.8
The Huskies wasted no time in capitalizing on their second power play chance of the night late in the second period when Stevens netted his ninth of the year. After the Warriors were whistled for crosschecking, the Huskies buried their third of the night just 8.5 seconds into the power play as
Jeremy Davies passed to Cockerill along the wall before Cockerill sent the puck down to Stevens between the hashmarks. Stevens then quickly fired a backhand top shelf to make it 3-1 Northeastern.
Stats of the game
• Northeastern has now won six straight games against Merrimack, the longest streak since 1978. NU has also won three straight at Lawler Rink for the first time in program history.
• The Huskies have nine wins in their first 15 games; it's the quickest to nine victories since the 2013-14 season.
• Gaudette scored his 26th career power play goal on Saturday, the most of any active player in the NCAA. He's five shy of tying the school record of 31 set by Rod Isbister.
• Gaudette's first period goal snapped a five-game scoreless skid, his longest since December of 2015.
• Sikura has points in each of his last three games (one goal, two assists), while Cockerill has four assists in his last two games.
• Stevens has goals in each of his last two games, and has recorded at least one point in 17 of his last 26 games dating back to last season (16 goals, 14 assists).
• Northeastern defensemen contributed four assists, and have 50 points overall this season. The Huskies entered Saturday's game tied for third in the nation in points from blueliners.
• Northeastern is outscoring its opponents 18-6 in the first period this season, tied for the best first period goal differential in the nation entering the game.
The road ahead
• Northeastern will be back in action on Saturday night when the Huskies travel across town to battle No. 15 Boston College. Puck drop at Conte Forum is set for 7 p.m.
