Your Northeastern Huskies took a trip out of town for a Hockey East matchup vs. Boston College (The Chestnut Hill Eagles?) at Conte Forum last night. It was the first of a home and home that are playing on a Friday at 2pm?? And then on a Sunday at 2pm?? Some odd puck drop times for sure but who am I to argue with the schedule makers at Hockey East.
So it was a bit of a “romantic reunion” for the two squads who haven’t seen each other since opening night of the Beanpot (in case you forgot: a 4-2 Huskies win). There’s nothing better than spending a holiday night with old friends.
Unfortunately for the Eagles: Roses are red and the weather could be better, but there’s no beating the Huskies when they’re wearing their red sweaters.
Things could have started out better for the Huskies in this one, as they found themselves down VERY early. BC hung 2 on our heroes before the 3 minute mark of the opening frame. Now that’s what I call a tough way to start a matinee.
First a too many players put the Huskies on an early PK and the Eagles took advantage. Gaby Roy got a puck on Jade Arnone’s point shot and deflected it past Lisa Jönsson in the Huskies net. Sick hands by Roy to get her blade on this one and put it past Jönsson.
Just 1:01 later BC doubled up their lead. A NU turnover in the neutral zone sent BC away 3:2 coming down the left side of the slot. Abby Newhook gathered the puck and carried into the NU zone and her pass led Katie Pyne down the LW. Pyne put it back against the grain to Tricia Piku trailing the play and Piku put it home through a screen. 2-0 Eagles and ruh-roh.
Up by 2, the Eagles hit another gear. BC was pushing the pace of the game and the nastiness started to ramp up, as there were get togethers after every whistle. Taze Thompson drew a tripping call behind the BC net and the Huskies PP rolled over the boards. I mean we’re only about 5 and a half minutes into this one and it’s extremely early, but am I crazy or did this seem like a must-score power play?
Skylar Irving followed up her shot from the slot and put the puck to Jules Constantinople at the top of the umbrella. Constantinople found Éloïse Caron who was parked off the right post at the bottom of the RW circle. Elo gathered the puck in, dusted it off and put it 5-hole past Grace Campbell to get the Huskies on the board. Gotta love that Caron was jousting at the face-off before scoring this goal. That’s the perfect blend of getting under your opponent’s skin and silky mitts.
The teams took their 1-goal game into the rooms for the first intermission. To start the 2nd period, the nastiness ramped up and Stripes started to put their fingerprints on the game. The Huskies were awarded an early power play and Lily Shannon tied it up. Tuva Kandell carried the puck out of her own end and came down the LW before dishing a backhand to Morgan Jackson at the LW circle. The defenders slid to Jackson and she smartly laid the puck across to Shannon walking down Main Street all alone. Shannon put it 5-hole and we have a tie game. Great vision from Jackson to find Shannon trailing.
Just 2 mins later, the Eagles got back out in front. A BC win at the face-off dot in the Huskies zone found the puck up top with Kate Ham who walked it across to the top of the zone. Ham’s heavy wrister was deflected 2x before bounding past Jönsson to put BC up by a goal.
And then, before anyone in the building could catch their breath, The Mayor of Kingston entered the chat. Jaden Bogden corralled the puck on the far boards in the BC zone and found Lily Yovetich at the right point. Yovo put the puck down to Shannon below the RW circle and (as she sent a defender’s stick up into the lights), Shannon found Irving laying in the weeds in the BC zone. Irving tossed her own rebound over Campbell’s shoulder to tie the game again.
6 goals on a combined 34 shots on goal in the opening 10mins of the middle frame and this game is not what we were expecting going in! Just past midway of the period, the Huskies got their first lead of the day. Allie Lalonde carried the puck into the BC zone before laying a backhand to Ella Blackmore at the inside of the RW circle. The Honey Badger flipped to backwards while maintaining possession of the puck and dropped it perfectly to Caron trailing. Caron walked into this one and got all of it going bardown over the blocker.
In the third, both teams took a breath for the opening few minutes as the play was kept to the perimeter. And then, Stripes put their fingers on the scale again. The teams combined for 4 penalty calls in the opening 5 minutes, but neither side could cash in.
With roughly 6mins gone, the Eagles tied this one back up. Two Husky defenders collided on the backcheck and chaos ensued. The puck sat in the slot and even though Jönsson made the first 2 saves, the Eagles put it home on their third bid. Sammy Taber with the look-what-I-found gift in the NU slot put the puck past Jönsson into the open side. Tie game again.
Despite some grade-A chances as the clock was run down in regulation, neither side could put one home and the teams were headed for extra hockey. I mean, how else did you expect this one to go but to overtime?
In the extra frame, the teams traded chances but it was Jönsson’s save of Julia Pellerin’s bid that loomed the largest. Jönsson made (what looked like a) casual glove save and held on for the whistle. Off the ensuing face-off, the Huskies called game. Tory Mariano dug the puck out of the corner in her own zone and found Irving swooping back by the NU blue line. Irving hit a tight circle with possession and fed Shannon at the opposing blue line and sent her into the BC zone with one defender to beat. Shannon kept the puck on her backhand and set her edges, shielding the puck from the defender as she dragged it across Campbell’s blue paint. Her first shot was denied, but Shannon stayed with it and put home her own rebound for the dub.
And then the elite celly. I mean she hit a heartbreaker on Valentine’s Day? Perfection.
Some observations from the couch:
- Love to see Tuva Kandell with the physicality right at the horn for the first period. Let Newhook know what she’s in for the rest of the game. Nicely done.
- Jaden Bogden with another one of those plays that won’t show up on the scoresheet. Right before Shannon knotted the game at 2, Bogden hunted the puck all the way back into her own zone on the backcheck during the NU power play. She eventually got the puck back to a Husky teammate before subbing out, such a great hustle play by Bogs.
- Love to see the jam from everyone on the squad today. The OG Nailgun Lily Brazis had a net drive in the first that got her dumped in front of the BC goal. Just Brazis making friends out there again. And who was right there to get in the face of the BC defender? Holly Abela proving it’s the size of the fight in the dog and not the size of the dog in the fight. Great tandem work from these 2 around the BC net all day.
- Taze Thompson played some big-girl minutes today. She didn’t show up on the score sheet but good grief did she put her stamp on the game. The Captain drew 2 penalties along with taking some serious abuse in the BC blue paint. Stripes shouldn’t have called her early in the third as Taze was just giving back what she was getting.
- Stick taps to the broadcast crew at BC for the product they had on ESPN+. The puck was kept in frame and the camera movements were smooth and from the right angle. And the play by play call was top-notch from Luis Sanchez. If I’m going to bash the coverage when it sucks, then I have to give credit when it’s good.
- This win puts NU in a 3-team tie in the Hockey East standings (with BC and PC) which could lead to a home game (or maybe games??) at Historic Matthews Arena for the playoffs. Big rematch tomorrow vs. BC. Let’s Go!
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