BOSTON -- The final weekend of the regular season has arrived, and the Northeastern men's hockey team will look to lock up home ice for the opening round of the playoffs when the Huskies travel to Maine this weekend.
Playoff picture
Northeastern enters Friday's game in sole possession of eighth place in the Hockey East standings with two conference games remaining. The Huskies can finish anywhere between sixth and ninth place in the league standings, which is the difference between hosting a first-round series or going on the road.
The all-time series with Maine
The Huskies and the Black Bears will square off for the 120th time in program history on Friday night. The Huskies ended Maine's season last year by sweeping them two weekends in a row, including the first round of the Hockey East playoffs at Matthews Arena. Overall, Maine owns a 56-44-19 record over Northeastern as the Huskies look to beat the Black Bears for the fifth straight time. The last time the Huskies beat Maine five times in a row was during the 1985. Four of those wins came during coach
Jim Madigan's time as a player.
The last time Northeastern traveled to Maine was during the 2014-15 season, with the teams splitting the weekend series. Huskies won game one at the Alfond Arena, lead by
Dylan Sikura's two goals.
John Stevens also had a strong performance adding three assists.
Dylan Sikura potted one more goal the following night in the Huskies 6-3 loss against the Black Bears. Sikura, a freshman at the time, scored three of his five goals his freshman season at the Alfond Arena.
Scouting the Black Bears
Maine enters this weekend's series locked into the No. 11 seed in next week's Hockey East playoffs. The Black Bears hold a 4-14-2 record in hockey East and 10-18-4 record overall. Maine will be looking to get their first win of February, going 0-5-1 so far this month.
The Black Bears are lead by senior forward Cam Brown who leads the team in points with 35 (4-31-35), along with 31 assists that are the third most in the nation this season. Blaine Byron has also been impressive for Maine this season, potting a team high 16 goals while also adding 18 assists. Two players to also keep an eye on are Chase Pearson and Nolan Vesey who have been consistent contributors this season.
Maine's goaltending has been solid this year with sophomore Rob McGovern seeing most of the action. McGovern has posted a .916 save percentage and a 2.86 goals against average. Senior goalie Matt Morris has played nine games posting a .885 save percentage and a 4.14 goals against average.
Recapping Saturday's win vs. Connecticut
Zach Aston-Reese recorded his third hat trick of the season on the way to a four-point evening as Northeastern completed the weekend sweep on Connecticut on Senior Night at Matthews Arena, 4-1.
Northeastern bolted out to a 3-0 first period lead thanks to the play of the Aston-Reese,
Nolan Stevens (three assists) and
Ryan Rosenthal (two assists) line. Aston-Reese finished off a pair of plays from the trio within the first 7:12 of the game to give the hosts a quick two-goal edge.
Adam Gaudette would then tie the school record for power play goals in a season (14) with 7:48 remaining to extend the NU lead to three.
Out of the intermission, UConn made it a two-goal game again on Maxin Letunov's seventh of the year, but Aston-Reese regained the three-goal edge in the late stages of the final frame to close out the scoring.
Ryan Ruck steered aside 24 UConn shots throughout the evening while Rob Nichols had 25 saves at the other end as Northeastern outshot UConn 29-25.
Hobey hopefuls
Zach Aston-Reese and
Dylan Sikura, two of the highest scorers in the nation this season, have been named as candidates for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.
Fans will have the opportunity to let their voices be heard during the Hobey Baker fan vote, which opened on Wednesday and runs through March 5. To cast your vote for either player, visit
HobeyBaker.com/vote. Fans can vote once per day on all devices.
Aston-Reese, Gaudette nominated for Walter Brown
Adam Gaudette and
Zach Aston-Reese have been named finalists for the Walter Brown Award, an honor bestowed upon the best American-born men's college hockey player in New England each season.
Aston-Reese was named a semifinalist last season as a junior and his strong senior season has earned him another nomination for the prestigious award in 2017. Gaudette, meanwhile is a first-time nominee for the award and has caught the attention of the college hockey world with his play this season. The oldest nationally recognized college hockey honor, the Walter Brown Award will be given out for the 65th time this year.
Stevens named a finalist for Senior CLASS Award
Captain
John Stevens has been named a finalist for the Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) award, an honor given to senior student-athletes who excel in competition, community, character, and in the classroom.
"John is the epitome of what a captain is about in the characteristics he possesses," said head coach
Jim Madigan. "He's a quiet leader, and at times quiet leaders are the most effective because they only speak up when there's something important to say. He leads on and off the ice and is always doing the right things. As a person, he has high expectations for himself. He goes about his life trying to be the best he can be and getting better each day as a student, a person and an athlete."
In select company
Zach Aston-Reese's electric 2016-17 season is something rarely seen on Huntington Avenue. His 56 points tied for 13th on Northeastern's single-season record list, and are the most points in a season since Harry Mews (59) in 1989-90.
Over the last five seasons in college hockey, only 13 Division I players have reached 55 points in a single-season. He's also just one of three players in the last five seasons to reach 50 points in less than 30 games (Kyle Connor in 2015-16 and Johnny Gaudreau in 2013-14).
In addition, Aston-Reese is the only player to score 21 goals in his first 21 games over the last five years, and is the only Husky in the last 30 years to record three hat tricks in a season.
Aston-Reese climbing up the ranks
Senior assistant captain
Zach Aston-Reese has been one of Northeastern's go-to players during his career on Huntington Avenue. He has 23 career power play goals, which is the second most in the nation among active players, while his 13 game-winning goals are tied for second in the country.
Overall, Aston-Reese has 141 points (62 goals, 79 assists) in 139 career games, which ranks fourth in career scoring among active skaters nationally. He also became the 25th player in team history to reach 125 points earlier this season, and is currently tied for 17th in career scoring at Northeastern.
Aston-Reese is just the 15th player in team history to reach 55 points in a season.
Approaching the half century mark
Zach Aston-Reese is the first player to reach 50 points in a single-season since Harry Mews in 1989-90.
Dylan Sikura is hot on his heels, only one away from 50 points. The last time Northeastern had two players with 50 points was during the 1985-86 season when Jay Heinbuck and Rod Isbister tallied 70 and 56 points, respectively.
And should
Adam Gaudette reach 50? Only twice in the 85 years of Northeastern hockey have the Huskies had three players record at least 50 points in a season (1974-75 and 1975-76). The last time it happened: Jim Martel (66), Dave Sherlock (61) and Charlie Huck (51) during the 1975-76 season.
Filling the net
Zach Aston-Reese has been scoring goals at an alarming rate this season, and is either tied for or has the outright lead among all skaters in the nation in total goals (27), shorthanded goals (four), multi-goal games (seven), hat tricks (three).
His 27 goals are already the most for a Husky since J.F. Aube in 1993-94, and he also tied the school record of four shorthanded goals in a season, held by Bryan Esner (2006-07) and Randy Bucyk (1982-83).
He is also one of just eight Huskies to score 25 in a season since 1980-81:
•
Zach Aston-Reese (27) in 2016-17
• J.F. Aube (28) in 1993-94
• Sebastian Leplante (27) in 1990-91
• Jay Heinbuck (30) in 1985-86
• Rod Isbister (27) in 1985-86
• Ken Manchurek (27) in 1983-84
• Paul McDougall (25) in 1981-82
• Sandy Beadle (29) in 1980-81
Last weekend he became the first Husky since 1985-86 (Jay Heinbuck and Ros Isbister) to record 25 goals and 25 assists in the same season. Heinbuck went on to score 30 goals and 40 assists, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since.
40/40/40 Club
While
Zach Aston-Reese and
Dylan Sikura have given the Huskies a pair of 40-point scorers for the second time in as many seasons, having three skaters reach 40 points is much rarer.
Enter
Adam Gaudette. His 21 goals and 24 assists give Northeastern three 40-point scorers for just the 12th time in program history, and first since the 1993-94 season (Mike Taylor, Jordon Shields, J.F. Aube).
Talented triumvirate
Zach Aston-Reese (27 goals, 29 assists),
Dylan Sikura (19 goals, 30 assists) and
Adam Gaudette (23 goals, 26 assists) are all enjoying breakouts seasons, ranking in the top-six in the nation in scoring.
Aston-Reese had hat tricks in consecutive games on Dec. 18 and Dec. 30, and is one of two players in the nation (T.J. Moore, Holy Cross) to record a hat trick in two straight games, and one of only seven players in the country with multiple hat tricks this season.
Another goal from Sikura would give NU three 20-goal scorers for the first time since 1985-86.
The trio makes Northeastern the only team in the nation to have at least three skaters with 40 points or more. The three have also combined to make up half of the Huskies' total scoring this season.
It just comes natural
Dylan Sikura is tied for fifth in the country with 49 points this season, and tied for fourth in the nation with 30 assists in his first 32 games. On Feb. 10, he became the 25th player in team history to record 30 assists in a season, and first since Jason Guerriero in 2004-05.
The Aurora, Ontario native has at least one point in 25 of the team's 32 games this season. His 19 goals and 49 points in 32 games are nearly double his total from all of last season (28 points in 36 games).
On Jan. 27 at UMass Lowell, he scored three goals in the final 7:19 of regulation to lead the Huskies to a come-from-behind win, becoming the first Husky since Cody Ferriero on Dec. 29, 2012 at Harvard to score three goals in a period. Sikura's third period performance was also the first natural hat trick for a Husky since
Kevin Roy against Connecticut on Feb. 13, 2015.
Good Gaud
Adam Gaudette has been one of the top players in the nation, recording 23 goals and 26 assists in his first 31 games, which is tied for 20th on the team's single-season points list. It took him 41 games to reach 30 points last season. The Braintree, Mass. native enters the weekend with a seven-game goal scoring streak, the longest of his career.
His 79 career points in 72 games are the second most in the nation among sophomores (Brock Boeser, North Dakota).
Gaudette's goal on Feb. 10 gave the Huskies a pair of 20-goal scorers in the same season since 2001-02 season when Chris Lynch (20) and Mike Ryan (24) accomplished the feat.
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 188 points (67 goals, 121 assists) in the team's 32 games, which is fifth in the country. The 67 goals are tied for fifth in the nation while the 121 helpers are also fifth.
The straw that stirs the drink
While
Zach Aston-Reese,
Dylan Sikura and
Adam Gaudette have received most of the praise for their work in 2016-17, it's been the under the radar play of captain
John Stevens that has resulted in much of their success. Stevens provides the defensive work that allows the Huskies to transition up ice and has a strong ability to maintain puck possession in the attacking zone to distribute the puck to his linemates for scoring chances.
Stevens is averaging one point per game in a season that forced him to miss 13 games due to an upper body injury. He's also approaching 100 career points, and has 24 goals and 75 assists in 132 career games. Stevens has also reached that total without ever having recorded a multi-goal game in his collegiate career.
If he were to reach the century mark, it would be the first time since 2010-11 (Wade MacLeod and Tyler McNeely) that two Huskies reached 100 points in the same season.
With class
Despite having one of the largest senior classes in the nation, the Huskies have received production from all four classes midway the season:
Class: G-A-P (National Rank)
Freshman: 17-32-49 (37th)
Sophomore: 34-46-80 (t- 21st)
Junior: 31-61-92 (10th)
Senior: 36-60-96 (t-8th)
Power up
NU is averaging 5.31 power play opportunities per game this season, the fifth highest in the nation, and have cashed in 46 times, the most in the country, and the most for the Huskies since 1995-96 (49). Of NU's 317 points this season, 135 have come on the power play (42.5%), the most in the nation.
Their two conversions on Feb. 3 gave NU at least 40 goals on the PP for the first time since 2001-02 (43).
Eleven different Huskies have found the back of the net on the man advantage, including a team-high 14 from
Adam Gaudette, the most in the nation, as well as 12 from
Zach Aston-Reese. The 26 combined PPG between the two are equal to or more than 27 teams have total this season.
Gaudette's 14 power play goals are tied for the single-season school record, also held by Rod Isbister in 1984-85.
Get there early
After being held without a first period goal in its opening weekend series at Quinnipiac, Northeastern has potted 44 goals in the first period in the 30 games since, the most in the nation. Of those 44 opening period goals, 31 have come at Matthews Arena.
Cockerill keeping up
Junior
Garret Cockerill plays in all situations for Northeastern, and is one of the team leaders in time on ice per game. This year, though, the Brighton, Mich. native has continued to chip in at the offensive end of the ice, and is fourth on the team with 28 points (six goals, 22 assists), a new career high and the most points for a Northeastern defenseman since Jim Fahey had 46 points in 2001-02.
His 0.88 points per game are ninth in the nation, and third in Hockey East, among defensemen.
The Ruck stops here
After winning the starting job midway through last season, sophomore goaltender
Ryan Ruck left his mark on the Husky record book after his first season at Northeastern. As a freshman a year ago, the Coto de Caza, Calif. native went 20-11-4 in 35 starts, the third most single-season victories in team history and a team record 2.36 GAA.
He also cracked NU's single-season record book in games played (37; tied for third), save percentage (.909; ninth), minutes (2185:24; fifth) and shutouts (two; tied for seventh). After starting his career 0-9-2 between the pipes, he responded by going 20-2-4 in his final 26 starts and already holds the Hockey East record for career postseason victories (six).
On Oct. 7, Ruck was named to the Mike Richter Award Watch List, which is awarded annually to the top goaltender in NCAA Division I ice hockey. He is one of 20 netminders on the list.
Ruck is currently fifth on Northeastern's all-time wins list (35) and tied for sixth with three career shutouts.
Get in front of it
A contributing factor to Northeastern's low shots against total has been the shot blocking abilities of the skaters in front of their own net. NU has blocked 494 shots in 32 games, the third most in the country and good for a 15.44 per game average that ranks sixth in the nation.
Garret Cockerill, meanwhile, leads the team with 71 blocks and an average of 2.22 that is tied for 15th in the country and tied for second in Hockey East. He had a career-high six blocks against New Hampshire at Fenway Park on Jan. 14.
Killing it on the PK
The Northeastern penalty killing unit has been hard at work this year, going 120-of-141 this season. Its 85.1% success rate is 15th in the nation and fourth in Hockey East this season, and has held opponents to one goal or fewer on the man advantage in 28-of-32 games this year.
At this point last year, the Huskies were tied for 44th in the nation in penalty killing percentage (88-of-110; 80%).
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 53-4-3 (.908) when leading after 40 minutes, including an 11-1-0 mark in 2016-17.
