Box Score  | Season Stats | Infographic | Notes | Press Conference | Highlights

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Sophomore John Picking provided the heroics as the No. 12/11 Northeastern men's hockey team (18-8-5, 12-6-5) knocked off Vermont in overtime on Friday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse, 4-3.
 
Picking's goal game less than two minutes into overtime after Patrick Schule won a puck battle below the goal line before batting it out in front of the cage. Picking, stationed below the hashmarks was there to quickly gather the loose puck and rip it inside the right post for the game winner.
 
The win secures the Huskies a bye into the Hockey East quarterfinals, and moves Northeastern to within three points of first place in the Hockey East standings with three games remaining. The Huskies are in third place, one back of Providence for second with a game in hand.
 
Northeastern led 3-1 through two periods thanks to a pair of goals from Zach Solow (one goal, two assists) and Dylan Sikura (one goal, one assist) in the first period before Adam Gaudette broke the school record for career power play goals (32) with a rocket from the slot midway through the second period to give the Huskies a two-goal cushion through 40 minutes.
 
Vermont, however, clawed back with two goals in the final frame to force the extra session, the first coming from Ross Colton on the power play with 9:20 left in regulation before Anthony Petruzzelli scored his second of the night with 28.1 seconds left in the third period to make it 3-3.
 
Both goaltenders were challenged throughout the night as Cayden Primeau (32 saves) stopped at least 30 shots for the fourth straight game while Stefanos Lekkas steered aside 22 shots.
 
The teams will meet again in the series finale at Gutterson Fieldhouse at 7 p.m.