The Northeastern Huskies have been all about defending the home of their Frozen Fenway encounter with UConn on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Fenway was a technically impartial web site however the Huskies took a house ice angle into their dramatic 4-1 victory within the opener of the Hockey East doubleheader on Lansdowne Street.
“It felt like a home game,” mentioned NU senior captain Aidan McDonough of Milton. “We had the band right here and we had a giant pupil part and after we scored it bought fairly loud.
“We could have walked here so I think it felt like a home game to us.”
Northeastern was a workforce in determined want of a significant victory. NU had dropped six of the final seven and opened the New Year with a loss to Harvard.
NU coach Jerry Keefe hopes beating the second-place workforce within the convention in a showcase match inside an iconic sports activities venue may very well be the leaping off level for a second-half run. NU improved to 9-9-3 general and 7-4-3 in Hockey East.
“They came in with the confidence we were looking for and they knew this was a big stage and it was a big opportunity for our team,” mentioned Keefe. “We have a lot of guys who have won and there is a confidence and sometimes it is just a case of finding a way to win.”
Northeastern was busy defending its two-goal lead earlier than a scoring frenzy took maintain within the third. UConn made it a one purpose recreation on a tally by Matthew Wood at 12:26. Sophomore ahead Chase Bradley fired a shot via a display that Wood slipped previous Devon Levi (29 saves) for his eighth of the season.
Northeastern responded with a improbable rush by sophomore ahead Justin Hryckowian that made it 3-1 at 13:01. McDonough and Lund have been credited with the assists. UConn had a purpose at 13:31 disallowed by goaltender interference.
“That goal was absolutely huge, a big-time player making a big-time play,” mentioned Keefe. “You want your greatest gamers to make performs like that.
“It was 2-1 and with the things that had gone on with our group, you might fall back on your heels a little bit so it was a huge lift for us.”
Freshman ahead Jack Williams of Biddeford, Maine put the sport away with a tally at 16:44. Williams broke down proper wing, minimize via the low slot and scored on a backhander to make it 4-1.
“He (Williams) has sneaky speed, he is strong and he can skate,” mentioned Keefe.
Northeastern jumped to a 2-0 lead within the first interval. McDonough, a 6-2, 200-pound senior proper wing, opened the scoring at 10:36 with freshman ahead Cam Lund and senior defenseman Tyler Spott credited with the assists.
Liam Walsh, a graduate switch from Merrimack, scored the second purpose with the assists going to Williams and sophomore proper wing Matt Choupani. Levi saved UConn off the board for 2 durations earlier than the fireworks went off within the third.
Source: www.bostonherald.com