One Step Closer

Your Northeastern Huskies traveled to the wilds of the Nutmeg State to take on the University of Connecticut huskies in a semifinal matchup in the Hockey East playoffs. For 52 minutes this was a tense, nail-biting affair but once it was blown open and everyone could exhale, the Huskies cruised to a 3-1 victory and secured a spot in Saturday’s championship game.

Before we go any further into the recap of this game. Let me give you a tone-setter. An attempt for you to get the visceral feeling for the season at this point. Win or go home. The only way to advance is to go through the other team. Adrenaline is pumping, nerves are jangling and butterflies are doing somersaults.

You want a hype video? Do you need a hype video? Can you handle a hype video?

Buckle up Buttercup.

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Whew. I feel better. Ok, let’s get into it.

The Huskies took to the ice in their Championship Red sweaters in front of freshman sensation Lisa Jönsson in the NU cage. On the other side of the red line stood the #1 seed UConn huskies in their red, white and blue tarps. Behind them stood senior goaltender Tia Chan, who just last week was tabbed the 2025 Hockey East Goaltender of the Year.

Tonight the Huskies welcomed back Morgan Jackson to the lineup. The freshman from BC (the Canadian province, not the college in Chestnut Hill), slid right back into the lineup on The Munchkin Line and looked like she didn’t miss a beat. (This is called foreshadowing). I don’t know what kind of voodoo they’re practicing in the NU coaches offices, but they are clearly appeasing The Hockey Gods as they got Rylie Jones back last game and now Jackson? Keep on doing what you’re doing.

The opening frame felt much like a prize fight. Both sides were feeling each other out, popping jabs (metaphorically), and trying not to show any openings or make any mistakes. The pace was fast from the opening draw with very few whistles as Stripes was letting the squads play. The best chances in the first felt like they belonged to NU with both Jules Constantinople and Lily Brazis coming close, but neither could put one past Chan.

At the other end of the sheet? If you haven’t been paying attention, Jönsson was named to the All-Rookie Team and is up for Rookie of the Year for Hockey East. So was I surprised that the sides headed to the first intermission knotted at gooses? No, I was not.

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In the 2nd the play was more even as UConn seemed to catch their breath and re-committed to the forecheck. And then Stripes got on the scoresheet. First Jaden Bogden was whistled for lifting the stick? Lifting it too hard? Is that a penalty? Wait, they called that a hook? Guess I’m not the only one who majored in creative writing. And then something I haven’t seen outside of beer-league, Kyla Josifovic got 2mins for playing with a broken stick. I was talking to some of the players post game and it turns out the bench alerted the staff that Josifovic was playing with a busted twig. Good looking out ladies! Both teams also blew their challenges and forfeited their time-outs. Not an exciting few minutes of hockey.

But UConn got another spin on the power play just past midway in the 2nd, and this time they cashed in. Riley Grimley beat Jönsson to put UConn on the board and I have to be honest, the way these goalies were playing I feared a 1-0 game. A bad gap coming into the NU zone saw Christina Walker shovel a sweet feed to Grimley who dropped down the inside of the LW circle and went far-side over the glove.

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That score held until the 2nd intermission but NU was dominant for the remainder of the period, but just couldn’t solve Chan. After the game, Skylar Irving told me that the message heading into the 3rd was “just get one” and boy did NU come out with some jump.

Just past the quarter mark of the final 20, Irving put the Huskies on the board. The Mayor of Kingston (maybe that should be Mayor of Clutch-town?), as she’s done her entire career: shone brightest in the biggest moment when she knotted this one up. Irving broke up ice on the RW and went 1:5 when she put the puck wide right as she raced R to L across the slot. The puck caromed off the end wall and Irving was first on it as she tucked it home on her backhand on just an absolutely outrageous angle. My favorite part of this goal? It’s that when the puck goes in the net, on the screen is just Irving and 6 UConn players.

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And remember when I told you Jackson was back? About 6mins later, Ms. Jackson (cause that pass was nasty) gathered the puck off a face-off and curled around the RW dot and sent a laser to Irving crashing the net. Skirvs tucked it home on the backdoor and just like that, the Huskies are leading.

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As time was winding down in the 3rd, the pace picked up as did the intensity and the pleasantries on the ice. Lots of body contact, lots of stick work, but to be fair, Stripes stayed out of the way and let the squads settle it. And that’s when the pride of Hockeytown cashed in. For all the hardwork and near misses, The Nailgun deserved this. And of course, it wouldn’t be an OG goal without it being greasy.

Jackson (told you I was foreshadowing) picked off an errant pass in the neutral and carried into the zone before dropping the puck to Brazis who put a shot on net. The puck rebounded to Jackson who was driving the net and her shot rebounded to Brazis who stuffed it home. I think if you score that correctly Brazis gets a goal and an assist? 3-1 and that was that.

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UConn got Chan out of net with about 2mins to play, but this one was over. Up next for the Huskies is a tilt early Saturday afternoon (again at UConn) against Boston University who won their matchup over BC (the school in Chestnut Hill not the Canadian province). Any chance we can reach out to BU and just play this one at Historic Matthews Arena?

Either way, see you Saturday!

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Some observations from around the rink:

  • I like this rink as it’s wide open with good sight lines. I think they could easily put another few rows or maybe even a small balcony but still, a nice rink.
  • Love to see Constantinople and Kristina Allard mixing it up as time expired. Play to the final whistle. They both had their legs going tonight and were flying.
  • How tough are Lily Yovetich and Tory Mariano? Just eating pucks and giving no ducks. Big time shut down minutes and facing the top forwards shift after shift. Playing together or apart, they define tough defense.
  • With 2G tonight, Irving is sitting at 99 for her career.
  • I’m becoming a huge Bogden fan. She’s all around the puck and plays with a nice edge.
  • Speaking of edges, Taze Thompson was great on her angles tonight on the forecheck, between The Captain and MF (mistake-free) Holly Abela, this new Nailgun Line is formidable
  • Allie Lalonde had a great extended puck battle with Grimley in the NU defensive zone around the 12min mark of the 3rd. Lalonde took as good as she gave and got the puck out leading to Irving’s go-ahead goal.
  • I don’t know how you make this possible, but how great would it be to see the final four teams in Hockey East play in a best of 3 series? I know there’s a lot of logistics and other factors, but as a fan, how great would that be?
  • And lastly, can I make a plea to the PWHL, Hockey East, ECAC and WCHA and whomever else schedules women’s hockey: Let’s get together and work on some accommodating schedules. Let’s not get all these games going on at the same time. Stagger starts please!

You can read more about Brownie in his bio down below or follow him on:
Twitter: @abrow28
IG/Threads: @a_brow28
Bluesky: @abrow28.bsky.social

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Author: Brownie

A legacy that was born on the frozen rivers in Northern Saskatchewan then forged on the ponds of New England. Always living by the credo handed down by generations of beer-league beauties that came before him. Skate Hard - Quick Changes - Win the Parking Lot.

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