NCAA Quarterfinals: No. 3 Northeastern (27-5-5) vs. No. 6 Cornell (23-5-6)
When	Saturday, March 16  |  1 p.m.
Where	Matthews Arena
Broadcast and stats	Live Stats  |  Live Video
Game Notes	PDF
Pre-Game Event	The Howlin' Huskies Fund encourages fans to join us for a fun pre-game reception, which will begin 90 minutes before faceoff at Conor Larkin's Grill & Tap on campus. To RSVP click here.
Social media	@GoNUwhockey   facebook.com/GoNUwhockey instagram.com/GoNUwhockey Use #HowlinHuskies

BOSTON – For the first time in program history, the Northeastern women's hockey team will host an NCAA tournament game as the No. 3 Huskies welcome No. 6 Cornell to Matthews Arena on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a ticket to the Frozen Four on the line. 

QUICK HITS

• This will be Northeastern's third NCAA tournament appearance in the last four years. The Huskies traveled to Boston College in 2015-16 (lost 5-1) and Colgate in 2017-18 (lost 3-1). The Huskies are looking for the program's first-ever NCAA tournament win (and Frozen Four appearance) on Saturday.

• Both the Huskies (27-5-5) and Big Red (23-5-6) won their respective league regular season titles. Northeastern set new program records for most wins (21) and points (45) en route to claiming the Hockey East regular season crown with a 21-3-3 league record. Cornell won the ECAC regular season title with a 17-3-2 league mark.

• The Huskies claimed a second straight Hockey East championship on Sunday, March 10 with a dramatic 3-2 overtime win over Boston College. Senior Kasidy Anderson scored the game-winning goal and sophomore Aerin Frankel made 30 saves en route to tournament MVP honors.

• Frankel was named the Hockey East Championship MVP for the second straight year to become the fourth two-time MVP in league history. The Hockey East Goaltender of the Year also improved to 8-0-0 all-time at the competition and moved to 21-3-3 on the year.

• Frankel's .833 winning percentage ranks third in the NCAA this season, her 1.77 GAA ranks eighth nationally, her .934 save percentage ranks ninth in the NCAA, and her six shutouts are tied for the third-most in the nation.

• Frankel's 21 wins this year are tied for the third-most in a single season in program history: Chanda Gunn won 23 games in 2001-02, Erika Silva won 22 games in 1999-00, and three other netminders have won 21 games in a year, including current senior Brittany Bugalski in 2016-17.

• Northeastern is 27-9-1 all-time against Cornell, however since NU joined Hockey East in 2002, the teams have met only three times with the Big Red winning all three matchups. The most recent meetings came on Oct. 19-20, 2013 as Cornell swept a home series by scores of 6-2 and 3-0. NU's last win over Cornell came on Jan. 19, 2002 – a 2-1 overtime victory at Matthews Arena.

• This will be Northeastern's 12th game against a top-10 opponent in 2018-19. The Huskies are 6-3-2 against ranked opposition so far, including a 2-1-1 mark against ranked teams from the ECAC. Northeastern has played the fifth-toughest schedule in the nation this season according to USCHO.com

• With a 27-5-5 overall record, NU has compiled one of its most successful seasons in program history. The Huskies' 27 wins are tied for the second-most in a single season since the inception of the program in 1980. With one more win, NU would tie the 2015-16 team (28-9-1) for the most wins in a season in program history.

• In addition, Northeastern's five losses are the fewest in a single season for the program since the 1991-92 Huskies finished with a 20-5-2 overall record.

• The Huskies have been tough to beat at Matthews Arena all season long, owning a 15-2-0 record at home in 2018-19. Northeastern won 12 straight home games earlier this season, which is the third-longest single-season home winning streak in program history.

• Northeastern has been good on both sides of the puck this year, ranking first in Hockey East and sixth nationally in scoring offense with an average of 3.49 goals per game. The Huskies have scored at least three goals in 29 of 37 games.

• Defensively, Northeastern ranks seventh nationally with a 1.95 team goals against average. The Huskies have earned seven shutouts this season – the most for the program since posting eight shutouts in 2011-12 – and boast the No. 1 penalty kill in the NCAA at 89.0 percent.

• Northeastern is tied for fourth nationally with 44 goals scored during the first period. The Huskies are 23-1-1 this season when scoring first and 17-2-1 when holding a lead after the first period.

• The Huskies lead the nation in goals scored during the final two minutes (18:00 - 20:00) of a period with 27. Only Northeastern, Colgate (26), Clarkson (24) and Boston University (23) have scored more than 20 goals in the final two minutes of periods this season.

• After beating Boston College, 3-2, in overtime to win the Hockey East championship, Northeastern improved to 4-0-5 this season in overtime games. The Huskies are tied for the NCAA lead (with BC) for the most overtime wins (4) in the nation this season.

• Freshman forward Alina Mueller notched her team-leading 21st goal and 51st point of the season on Sunday vs. BC. The Patty Kazmaier top-10 finalist and WHEA Rookie of the Year is only the second freshman in program history to record at least 50 points, joining Vicky Sunohara who put up 74 points during the 1988-89 season.

• Mueller leads all WHEA freshmen in goals (21), assists (30), points (51), power-play points (14), game-winning goals (5), plus/minus (+34), shots on goal (131) and faceoff wins (353). The two-time Olympian has notched at least a point in 32 of 37 games this season, including all 11 contests against ranked opponents.

• Sophomore defender Skylar Fontaine ranks second in the NCAA in scoring among blue-liners with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 37 games. Fontaine is one of only three defenders in the nation with 11 or more goals this season, joining BC's Megan Keller (19) and Robert Morris' Emily Curlett (11).

• A First Team Hockey East All-Star and two-time WHEA Defensive Player of the Week, Fontaine has put up the most points (35) of any Northeastern defender in a single season since Kim Greene racked up 41 points in 2001-02.

• Freshman forward Chloe Aurard put up three points last weekend against Providence and BC to become the fifth NU player with at least 30 points this season. The Huskies are the only team in the NCAA with five 30-plus-point scorers this season.

• A Second Team WHEA All-Star, Brooke Hobson ranks fourth in Hockey East and eighth nationally among defenders with 27 points this season. Hobson's 10 power-play assists are tied for the fourth-most in the NCAA among defenders this season.

• A Third Team WHEA All-Star, senior forward Kasidy Anderson is Northeastern's active career leading scorer with 101 collegiate points. Anderson is the 30th player in program history to score at least 100 points, and is one of only six WHEA skaters with at least 21 goals this season, joining teammate Alina Mueller.

• Senior forward Tori Sullivan is also approaching the 100-point mark for her career. In 153 games at both BC and NU, Sullivan has racked up 97 points.

• A WHEA Honorable Mention All-Star, sophomore forward Veronika Pettey is tied for second nationally in power-play goals with seven this season. Pettey has scored 11 of her 17 total goals at home this season, tied for the team lead with Kasidy Anderson.

• Head coach Dave Flint was named the Hockey East Coach of the Year after guiding Northeastern to both the WHEA regular season and tournament crowns.

• Since taking over the program in 2008, Flint has guided NU to five seasons with 20 or more wins, three NCAA tournament appearances (2016, 2018, 2019), two WHEA regular season titles (2012, 2019), two WHEA tournament crowns (2018, 2019), and two Women's Beanpot championships (2012, 2013).