Your Northeastern Huskies slogged up to the wilds of Vacationland this weekend for a pair against the University of Maine Black Bears. The Huskies took care of business in tonight’s game dispatching UMaine 6-1. I mean they didn’t drive all this way to not score goals.
The play was choppy to open up with both teams trading ineffective power plays and a fairly even split in zonetime. In the early going the best bid to break the ice was Alina Müeller shorthanded, but it was Megan Carter who finally solved UMaine’s netminder Brooklyn Oakes. With just over 6 minutes to play in the opening frame, Carter dropped in from the LW and split the UMaine defenders as she drove the slot. Carter let a wrister go from about 15 feet and followed the shot to the net. The puck caught the inside of the pipe and bounced back off Oakes and then back into the net for the early lead. Just like Carter drew it up for her first of the year.
That score held until just past midway of the second period until the line of Mueller, Chloe Aürard and Maureen Murphy cashed in with an Aürard goal. Just watch this sequence on a loop. Talk about a line that knows exactly where each other are going to be and how they compliment each other out there. I’m talking perfect triangle hockey that is unstoppable. If you’re scoring from home, that’s a Tic-Tac-Goal from the top line. What this clip doesn’t show you however, is just before this rush, Mueller busted her butt to get back to her defensive zone and deny a UMaine 2:1 bid. That’s Bergeron-esque type hockey. That apple also put Muller over the top as the all-time assist leader in Hockey East play. Is that good?
Some sloppy puck management from the Huskies let UMaine on the board just over a minute later. Gwyneth Phillips had no chance on a redirect from the top of the paint, as the NU defenders didn’t tie up the UMaine sticks down low. Luckily for NU, UMaine was content to coast into intermission as a sloppy clearing play by UMaine led to Mueller with a dagger late in the period. Mueller picked off the outlet and then hit the defender with a little inside out move before putting a wrister over the glove of Oakes.
Coming out for the third it was time for The Premier Power Forward in Women’s Hockey to do her thing. “I came her to chew bubble gum and dominate, and I’m all out of bubble gum” is what Knoll (probably) said after the 2nd intermission.
First, with just about 4 minutes gone, Knoll gathered the puck down on the LW wall and carried out to the high slot where she dog-walked three UMaine defenders before sticking a dart over Oakes’ shoulder far side.
Then while on the power play, Knoll circled the zone and beat Oakes’ on the blocker side for her 2nd of the game. If you haven’t had the chance to listen to my interview with Knoll you can find the podcast here. Knoll has become a favorite of The Daughter of Brownie since she was so nice to her when we went to a recent game. The down side of this fandom? When Knoll scores my daughter breaks into a “Ka-ty Ka-ty Ka-ty” chant that goes on… and on… and on… and on.
The Huskies weren’t happy with the 5-spot as Lily Shannon had a wicked snipe from the high slot that beat Oakes low on the blocker side. Shannon made it look so easy on this play. She wins the draw forward to the corner and then finds a soft spot in the seam and just uncorks a wrister that Oakes didn’t see until the replay.
The Huskies are back at it tomorrow at 2pm. #HowlinHuskies
Game Notes:
- After a sloppy start the NU defense dialed it in and closed out the game strongly. That’s something to build upon for tommorow.
- Maureen Murphy with 3 apples on the night. Wait until they start playing her to pass, there’s going to be no stopping that top line.
- Nice to see the Anderson sisters (big sis Peyton and little sis Avery) get out there together with Alyssa Antonakis at the pivot. Peyton was all over the ice tonight, skating hard and involved in all facets. She probably didn’t want little sis to see her coasting. Antonakis also got her first NCAA point on Carter’s goal.
- Gwyneth Phillips had another strong outing in net. As long as she’s not handing it to the other team she looks so calm and cool back there.
- The Bully Line of Knoll, Taze Thompson and Skylar (Queen of the South Shore) were dominant early on when the Huskies were sleepwalking to open the game. Thompson and Irving are so close to cashing in, when it happens the points are going to come in bunches.
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