HAMILTON, N.Y. -- After locking down its first Hockey East title in program history, the No. 9/9 Northeastern women's hockey team prepares to face No. 3/3 Colgate in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament. Puck drop is set for Saturday at 3 p.m.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Northeastern prepares for its second trip to the NCAA tournament in program history and its first trip as the reigning Hockey East champions.
• NU's Hockey East title marked its first championship of any kind since winning the 2013 Beanpot.
• The Huskies reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history in 2016, receiving an at-large bid after posting a 28-9-1 record.
• In their only prior tournament appearance, the No. 8 seed (No. 6 in USCHO.com poll) Huskies fell to No. 1 Boston College at Conte Forum by a count of 5-1. Senior Kendall Coyne scored her 50th goal of the season during the third period.
WHEA TOURNAMENT RECAP
• Northeastern defeated Connecticut, 2-1, in the WHEA final to capture its first conference 'ship in program history. The Huskies lifted the Bertagna Trophy at Matthews Arena becoming the first No. 4 seed to win the WHEA title.
• Senior
McKenna Brand scored both goals in the first period, including the fastest goal to start a WHEA title game at 00:28 of the opening frame.
• Northeastern reached the title game for the second straight season after topping Maine, 2-1, in the WHEA semifinal.
Veronika Pettey and
Matti Hartman scored to propel the Huskies to the finale.
• The Huskies swept New Hampshire in the opening round of the tournament.
HUSKIES HONORED IN POSTSEASON AWARDS
• Senior defender
Lauren Kelly and freshman forward
Veronika Pettey were honored on Friday at the annual WHEA postseason banquet. Kelly was named a Second-Team WHEA All-Star, while Pettey earned a spot on the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.
• Kelly has had a career season in her final collegiate campaign with 12 goals from the blue line, including a team-high eight power-play goals (the most in the nation among defenders). Kelly is the first NU player to score 8 PPG in a season since Kendall Coyne potted 9 in 2014-15.
• With 12 goals this season, Kelly is the first NU defender since Kim Greene in 2002-03 to score at least 10 goals in a season. Greene potted 15 goals from the blue-line that year.
• Pettey has racked up 27 points so far in her rookie year, good for a tie for the third-most on the team. In the last 10 years, only three NU players have scored at least 26 points in their freshman seasons: Kendall Coyne (45),
Denisa Krizova (35) and
Veronika Pettey (26).
KRIZOVA MOVES UP SCORING CHARTS
• Senior
Denisa Krizova tied the all-time Hockey East career postseason scoring record with her 24th WHEA playoff point against UConn in the final. Â
• Her 24 WHEA playoff points have come on four goals and 20 assists.
• Krizova's five assists in the WHEA tournament also moved her into a tie for second place on Northeastern's all-time assists leaderboard with 108 in her career. She matched former linemate Kendall Coyne's career mark of 108 assists. Only Fiona Rice (118) has dished out more helpers while at Northeastern than Krizova.
FANTASTIC FRANKEL
• Freshman goaltender
Aerin Frankel has been nothing short of sensational in her first collegiate season, posting a 1.91 GAA, a .934 save percentage and three shutouts to go along with a 10-7-2 record.
• Frankel was named the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week in WHEA on Monday, and then garnered Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month accolades for February on Tuesday.
• Frankel led all Hockey East freshman netminders during the month of February with a 1.55 goals against average and a .939 save percentage. The Briarcliff Manor, New York native allowed two goals or less in five of her six appearances, and conceded one goal or fewer in four of those games, including a 34-save shutout of Vermont on Feb. 16.
• Frankel is the second freshman goaltender in program history to lead her team to the NCAA tournament, joining teammate
Brittany Bugalski who brought NU to the tourney as a freshman in 2016.
ASSISTS ARE HER HOBBY
• With 14 assists this season, freshman defender
Brooke Hobson is tied for the national lead in helpers among rookie blueliners. Hobson's 15 total points are the fourth-most in the nation among first-year defenders.
FANCY SEEING YOU AGAIN
• Senior
McKenna Brand will break the program record for games played on Saturday as she skates in the 150th career game.
• Brand leads the team in scoring with 34 points in 38 games this season. Her 111 career points represent the 24th-highest total in program history.
FIRST THING'S FIRST
• Northeastern has been a markedly better team this season when it scores the first goal in the game. The Huskies are 14-0-2 when striking first, compared to 5-16-1 when having to play from behind.
• In addition, NU is 13-1-0 this year when leading after one period, compared to 5-15-3 when trailing or tied through 20 minutes.
BATTLE TESTED
• According to USCHO.com, the Huskies have played the toughest schedule in the nation this season.
• NU is 3-6-1 against ranked teams thus far, including a win over No. 1 Wisconsin on Nov. 24, a victory over No. 2 Boston College on Jan. 12, and a tie vs. No. 1 Clarkson on Sept. 29.
SEASON SERIES VS. COLGATE
• Northeastern fell in both meetings with Colgate this season at Class of 1965 Arena. The Huskies were shutout in the series opener, 3-0, but found the back of the net twice in a 5-2 loss the next day. Â
Veronika Pettey and
McKenna Brand notched NU's only goals during that series.
