Still buzzing after their historic Beanpot win, your Northeastern Huskies rolled up 93N to take on the Merrimack Warriors for the first half of a home and home at Lawler Arena. The Queens of the Beans dominated MC and at the end of 60, the Huskies proved to be too much, winning 4-0 and it wasn’t as close as the final score made it seem.
In net for the Huskies was (checks notes) Paige Taborski, making her first NCAA career start in place of Gwyneth Philips (I guess even Superman needs a day off). Roughly 180 feet away was sophomore Calli Hogarth manning the pipes for the Warriors. The Huskies were on it from the opening draw, bottling up MC and generating scoring chances while barely allowing any play in their own end. MC’s first SOG didn’t come until 7mins played, but Taborski was tested late and proved up to the challenge. I mean first start and first shutout…. say it with me, not a big deal.
Kristina Allard drew a trip when she dropped down the wall in the MC zone (more of this please) and NU cashed in on the PP. Katy Knoll won the face-off back to Megan Carter at the left point and The Captain drove the LW corner before finding Knoll at the top of the umbrella. The Premier Power Forward in Women’s Hockey Today laid the puck over to Jules Constantinople walking in from the right point and her one-timer beat Hogarth over the glove and proved to be the game-winner.
In the middle frame, MC had a bit more zone time to open up due to an early power play, but once that penalty expired? All NU. The Huskies hit another gear from the first, must have been some of that TD Garden magic, and doubled their lead in the first 5 minutes. This time it was the Honey Badger herself, Ella Blackmore with her 3rd of the year. The Nailgun Line made their presence felt up on the North Shore (must be due to the proximity to Hockey Town IFYKYK), and this goal summed them up perfectly. First it was the OG Lily Brazis who kept the puck in deep before Mia (still no nickname) Langlois knocked it loose behind the MC net on the fore-check. The puck trickled to Carter at the left point and she put it to Blackmore who buried it upstairs over the glove. Honest, hardworking hockey all around.
That score held through the period and the sides opened up the third with MC looking to get back into this one. Everything was working for them, for 12 seconds. That’s when Knoll buried them. Petyon “The Matrix” Anderson put a wrister on net from the RW dot and Skylar Irving got a piece of it on the way by. The Mayor of Kingston’s re-direct rebounded right to Knoll at the left post and she tucked the backhander to complete the Gordie Howe women’s hockey hat-trick (1G 1A 2PIM).
After Knoll’s tally, the physicality really ramped up as the frustration grew on the MC side of the ice. Lily Shannon took on 3 MC players in the corner and was the first up from the pile barking back at the Warriors the whole way. Love to see a fired up Lily Shannon! I’m predicting a goal for her tomorrow right now! Anderson was sent off for matching roughs with Emily Oosterveld, I mean Anderson skated with Knoll and Skirvs tonight – to be honest she would have been my last pick for a rough, no offense. It was at this point that I started to regret that I agreed to a paint your own pottery night with the wife tomorrow because it should be a time at Historic Matthews Arena! But at least I got to see Todd tonight, so that made me feel better.
In the third – insert my surprised face – MC started getting physical chippy cheap dirty with all kinds of nonsense behind the play and the ever popular “I fell as I tackled you into the boards, it was an accident I swear” type of plays. Abbey Marohn is too good of a skater to just fall like that, watch some game tape Stripes.
It was all worth it though as Knoll fought through 2 MC players to send Anderson away with a perfect backhand pass for an ENG and at that point the MC band packed up and left. They actually didn’t, but it did finally shut up the tuba player who clearly didn’t get accepted to Northeastern. Too bad so sad.
Some thoughts from around the rink:
- Taborski looked supremely comfortable in her first collegiate start. Tracking the puck well, calling out the defensive shifts and with great lateral movement, she should be careful going to the bench as I’m sure she’s now on Mattie Robitzer‘s hit list too.
- I have a witness before the opening face-off that I predicted a 3pt night for Knoll.
- Speaking of defense. C’mon. How much of a luxury is it for HC Dave Flint and staff to have these beauticians on the back end? Carter, Lily Yovetich, Marohn, Tory Mariano, Constantinople, Rylie Jones and Allard? The Magnificent 7 make it that no one deserves to sit and everyone deserves to play. Do you know how many NCAA coaches would sell a child to get this D corp? LFO – that’s Lights Freaking Out in case the NCAA is reading.
- Coach Carp was kind enough to hop on the most recent podcast with Ked and myself. This was taped the night after the Beanpot and we talked about it from different perspectives. It was great as Carp and I surprised Ked and he (of course) had no idea. And as always, Carp came in hot, with notes for both us. Some guys never stop coaching.
- Some key plays I noticed that should carry over into tomorrow’s tilt:
- Taze Thompson was fighting through MC players all over the ice and took a board (guess the refs missed it) late in the game. You know what they say about payback.
- After being hauled down in the MC end, Langlois took it upon herself to get even with a quick cross to the back. I mean that’s the way MC plays, down by 4, less than a minute left in the game and Langlois got ridden into the boards. Dangerous play for no reason, glad to see Langlois was more mad than hurt.
- The Huskies were up by 3 when a MC fore-checker tried to pull Constantinople’s stick out of her hand. You crazy? Constantinople tossed that other twig nearly to the blue line. Have you seen her shot? You don’t touch Thor’s hammer and you don’t mess with Constantinople’s wand.
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