Game-day information: Game 14 at Merrimack (4-11-1, 2-7-0)
When	Saturday, December 8  |  7 p.m.
Where	North Andover, Mass. |  Lawler Rink  |  Directions  |  Parking
Broadcast and stats	Live Stats  |  Watch  |  Listen  |  Tickets
Notes and media guide	Game Notes  |  2018-19 Media Guide
Social media	@GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey instagram.com/GoNUmhockey  Use #HowlinHuskies

BOSTON – Riding a five-game winning streak, the fourth longest active streak in the NCAA, the No. 13/12 Northeastern men's hockey team will look to close the first half of the season on a high note Saturday night when the Huskies travel to Merrimack for a 7 p.m. puck drop at Lawler Rink.
 
Primeau and Madden named to WJC preliminary roster
For the first time in team history, Northeastern will send two players to the United States National Junior Team camp after Cayden Primeau and Tyler Madden were named to the U.S. preliminary roster on Wednesday. 
 
The camp, which runs from Dec. 15 to Dec. 17 in Everett, Wash., will serve as part of the selection process in determining the final Team USA roster for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.
 
In addition, Northeastern associate head coach Jerry Keefe will serve as an assistant coach on the United States staff.
 
Madigan and Keefe sign contract extensions
Athletic director Jeff Konya announced on Nov. 29 that Fernie Flaman Men's Hockey Coach Jim Madigan and associate head coach Jerry Keefe have agreed to contract extensions that will keep them at Northeastern through the 2022-23 season.
 
"Coach Madigan has guided our men's hockey program to new heights during his eight seasons," said athletic director Jeff Konya. "Under his leadership, along with Coach Keefe and the rest of the coaching staff, Northeastern is known as one of the top men's hockey programs in the NCAA and one built for a national title run."
 
"Moreover, their student-athletes' performance in the classroom and presence in the community is something we are extremely proud of," added Tim Duncan, deputy athletic director for external affairs and the men's ice hockey sport supervisor. "We're ecstatic to have Coach Madigan and Coach Keefe part of the Northeastern Family moving forward."
 
All-time series with Merrimack
Northeastern holds a 57-43-10 lead in the all-time series with the Warriors, and is unbeaten in the last eight meetings (7-0-1). Merrimack hasn't defeated NU since the 2015 Hockey East Opening Round, and Northeastern has held the Warriors to two goals or fewer in each of the last nine meetings. 
 
Hitting their stride
The Huskies were 5-1-1 in November, the most wins in that month since the 2008-09 season. A victory on Saturday would give Northeastern 10 victories before Christmas for the second straight season and fourth time in the last 10 years.
 
Primeau goaltending
Cayden Primeau, the Hockey East Goalie of the Month for October, is 9-3-1 in 13 starts this year.
The win vs. UMass Lowell on Nov. 10 marked the 25th of his young career. Only five goaltenders in team history have won at least 25 games into their first two collegiate seasons:
 
• Ryan Ruck - 38
• Bruce Racine - 30
• Marc Robitaille - 28
• Chris Rawlings - 27
• Brad Thiessen - 27 
 
After just 47 starts, Primeau is already tied for ninth in career wins (28), and in sole possession of fourth on Northeastern's all-time shutouts list (six).
 
His 342 saves this season are the 11th most in the NCAA, while his nine victories are tied for third and his two shutouts tied for eighth in the country.
 
Here's your hat
Last week's win against Merrimack was highlighted by Zach Solow's first collegiate hat trick. The sophomore scored an even strength goal, power play goal and shorthanded goal to pace the Huskies to a 9-1 victory, which hasn't been done since Zach Aston-Reese on Dec. 30, 2016 against Clarkson.
 
Before Solow's performance, Northeastern's last 13 hat tricks were scored by just five players: Adam Gaudette, Nolan Stevens, Dylan Sikura, Aston-Reese and Kevin Roy.
 
Going streaking
Four players enter Saturday's game at Merrimack riding career-long point streaks: Brandon Hawkins (six games: 3-6--9), Zach Solow (five games: 6-2--8), Jordan Harris (two games: 0-3--3) and Tyler Madden (two games: 1-1--2).
 
On the plus side
Defenseman Ryan Shea was a game-high +6 last Friday against Merrimack. Since 2002, the only players to come close to that were Garret Cockerill (Nov. 28, 2015 vs. Colgate) and Jason Guerriero (Dec. 29, 2003 vs. Mercyhurst), both of whom were a +5.
 
Access Grant'd
One forward who has stood out in particular for the Huskies this season is junior Grant Jozefek, who is tied for fifth in the NCAA with nine goals.
 
Jozefek is one of just three Huskies since 2012 to score nine goals in his first 13 games of the season, joining Zach Aston-Reese (2016-17) and Kevin Roy (2013-14). Aston-Reese went on to score 30 while Roy potted 19.
 
Offensive onslaught
Northeastern's nine goals last Friday were the most since on Feb. 13, 2015 vs. UConn (9-0). The Huskies also potted nine on two other occasions (Oct. 11 vs. UAH, Dec. 2 at Notre Dame) since scoring 10 on Oct. 11, 2002 vs. UConn.