Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Tourney Time for Huskies Hockey




Northeastern vs. Dartmouth
Saturday’s first-round matchup of the Ledyard National Bank Classic is only the second meeting in over 10 years between the Huskies and Big Green. Northeastern and Dartmouth collided once in the decade of the aughts, and that contest came on December 9, 2000 when the Huskies outlasted Dartmouth, 3-2 in Hanover, N.H. Dartmouth owns a 31-25-0 mark over Northeastern, but the Huskies have emerged victoriously in the last four encounters, marking its second-longest winning streak against the Big Green. NU reeled off eight straight against Dartmouth from Jan. 8, 1963 to Jan. 24, 1968 whereas the Big Green’s longest winning streak against Northeastern stands at seven (Feb. 11, 1952 to Jan. 18, 1955). In 56 decisions, a tie has never made its way into the record books when Northeastern and Dartmouth played. Excluding the short series against Colorado College and Holy Cross, the Big Green is the only opponent Northeastern faces this season where a tie has not presented itself. Saturday’s game acts as the fifth time Northeastern and Dartmouth have squared off in tournament play. On Dec. 30, 1992, Dartmouth edged the Huskies, 5-4, at the UNH Tournament precluded by a Northeastern victory, 3-2, on Dec. 31, 1988 at the Auld Lang Syne Tournament (currently the Ledyard National Bank Tournament). At the ECAC Holiday Tournament, Northeastern defeated the Big Green, 3-2, on Dec. 16, 1967 while the first tournament contest was won by Dartmouth, 2-1, at the Christmas College Tournament on Dec. 28, 1957.

The Dirt on Dartmouth

Aside from the annual Beanpot Tournament featuring Harvard as one of four participants, Dartmouth is the only foe on the Huskies’ ledger that hails from the Ivy League and ECAC. The ECAC has produced some tough competition through the first part of this season, including the likes of Cornell, Quinnipiac and Yale all ranked in the top 10 while Union is making an appearance at No. 18. Unfortunately for the Big Green, it has not enjoyed as much success as Dartmouth is in last place in the league with a 1-6-0 conference record, 3-8-0, overall. Dartmouth started off the season with a six-game losing streak but saved some face with a nice three-game winning stretch over St. Lawrence, Providence and Harvard. In its last two decisions, Dartmouth was handed a tough 4-1 loss at home against Sacred Heart before nearly pulling off the upset at Vermont. The Big Green skated to the very end against the Catamounts but was dealt a 4-3 loss in Burlington. In its eight losses, the Big Green has been doubled on the scoreboard, 30-15. Junior forwards Scott Fleming and Adam Estoclet engineer Dartmouth’s offense as the third-year pair have tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively. Fleming has potted a team-high seven goals while Estoclet has doled out a club-high eight assists. Fleming is locked with rookie Dustin Walsh for the team-lead with two powerplay goals. Junior Evan Stephens directs the Big Green in penalty minutes with seven infractions for 25 minutes. Defensively, sophomore Jody O’Neill has emerged as the Big Green’s go-to netminder with a .904 save percentage and a 3.45 goals allowed average. O’Neill has stopped 302 shots on 334 attempts en route to a 3-7-0 record. Classmate James Mello has played in two contests and has made 44 saves on 48 shots (.917).

Northeastern at the Ledyard National Bank Classic
Formerly known as the Auld Lang Syne Tournament, this weekend’s Ledyard National Bank Tournament marks the 21st time the event has taken place. The four-team holiday tournament started in 1978. Saturday’s first-round matchup denotes the third time the Huskies have skated in the competition. In its first appearance, Northeastern came away with the championship by defeating Dartmouth, 3-2, in 1988. The Huskies shutout Vermont in the first round of the 1988 tournament, 4-0. In 1996, Northeastern dropped a 6-5 overtime decision to St. Lawrence, but responded with a 4-3 win over UMass Lowell the next night. Northeastern is 3-1-0 overall at the Ledyard National Bank Classic.

Last Time Out against Dartmouth
In the first and only meeting of the last decade, Eric Ortlip powered Northeastern past Dartmouth with a pair of third period goals in a 3-2 victory on Dec. 9, 2000 in Hanover, N.H. NU’s Chris Lynch answered Dartmouth’s first goal at 9:27 of the first with help from Craig Mischler. Dartmouth’s Gary Hunter gave the Big Green the advantage heading into the final period, but Ortlip notched his first and second goals of the season, just 17 seconds apart (4:12 and 4:29) for the triumph. Huskies’ goaltender Mike Gilhooly turned away 35 shots for his third win on the year as Northeastern leveled out its record to 6-6-3.

Leaders against the Ivy League

Including the first portion of this season, the Huskies have skated against Ivy League members only five times over the course of the last three and a half years, two of those instances coming against Harvard in the Beanpot. The Huskies are 2-3 in those five contests with victories against Brown (11/30/07, 4-3) and Harvard (2/12/07, 3-1). Northeastern was defeated by Princeton, 5-3 (11/28/08), Cornell, 3-2 (NCAA Tournament game 3/28/09) and Harvard, 3-1 (2/4/08). Despite the .400 winning percentage against the Ivy League, junior forward Steve Silva has enjoyed personal satisfaction against that conference with a team-best, six points (3-3-6). Seniors Chris Donovan (1-1-2) and Kyle Kraemer (0-2-2) along with sophomore Alex Tuckerman (1-1-2) are the only other three Huskies with multiple points against the Ivy League. Sophomores Drew Muench (0-1-1), JP Maley (0-1-1) and Steve Quailer (0-1-1) alongside senior Randy Guzior (0-1-1) have accounted for one point each.

Cronin against the ECAC

Since taking over as Huskies head coach at the beginning of the 2005-06 season, Greg Cronin has gone 5-7-1 against opponents from the ECAC. Out of those 12 games, nine of them have come in tournament play, including the NCAA and Beanpot Tournaments. The last outing against an ECAC foe is a bittersweet memory for the Huskies. Northeastern went ahead, 2-0, against Cornell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 28, 2009, but eventually lost, 3-2. Last season, Northeastern took part in the RPI Tournament where the Huskies lost to Princeton in the first game, 5-3, on Nov. 28, 2008 before defeating RPI, 5-1 the next night. Under Cronin, the Huskies have squared off against Harvard in the Beanpot on three occasions and are 1-2-0. NU’s win against the Crimson came on Feb. 12, 2007, 3-1 while Harvard claimed victory in the other two contests, 3-1 (Feb. 4, 2008) and 5-0 (Feb. 13, 2006). Northeastern and Colgate each have one victory as the Huskies toppled the Red Raiders, 2-1, on Dec. 29, 2007 at the Badger Showdown while Colgate beat NU, 5-2, exactly one year prior at the Toyota UConn Hockey Classic. Cronin has managed to get by Brown and Union with a combined 2-0-1 record. The Huskies tied Union, 1-1, on Dec. 8, 2007 while the two wins came on Nov. 30, 2007 (vs. Brown, 4-3) and Oct. 21, 2006 (vs. Union, 5-0). The first ECAC game under Cronin’s time was a 7-5 loss at RPI on Oct. 28, 2005 followed by a 3-0 to Cornell on Dec. 27, 2005 at the Florida College Classic.

Huskies Overall Tournament Record
Excluding the Beanpot, Hockey East, NCAA tournaments and New England playoffs, Northeastern has played in 109 tournament games from the program’s inception and has gone 40-65-4 in those instances. The first tournament the Huskies took part in was the Christmas College Tournament. Northeastern lost its first eight games in four seasons at the Christmas College Tournament, snapping its streak with a 6-0 trouncing of Brown on Dec. 28, 1960. At the Yale Holiday Tournament, the Huskies outscored AIC and Yale with a combined total of 21-3 on Dec. 18-19, 1972. Under Cronin, Northeastern is 6-5-1 in tournament action. The Huskies entered three tournaments last season, starting off with a trip to Alaska at the Kendall Holiday Classic with a tie against Alaska-Fairbanks (2-2) and a win against Alaska-Anchorage (4-2). At the RPI Tournament in late November, NU lost to Princeton, 5-3, before beating RPI, 5-1. In its last tournament before the Beanpot, Northeastern beat Western Michigan, 3-1 before losing to Minnesota in overtime, 3-2, at the Dodge Holiday Classic. The Huskies won the Badger Showdown in 2007 with wins over Bowling Green (4-3) and Colgate (2-1).

A Review of the Aughts
Northeastern’s first game of the last decade came on Jan. 7, 2000 when the Huskies overcame Massachusetts in overtime, 2-1. The final game of the decade was a 5-1 loss at Maine on Dec. 12, 2009. Including those two contests, along with the 360 games sandwiched in between, the Huskies compiled a record of 135-182-45 in the first decade of the 21st century. NU’s winning percentage over that span equaled 43.5 percent. The Huskies best overall, complete season record last decade was the 2008-09 campaign when NU tied a school-record and went 25-12-4 under Greg Cronin. In Cronin’s first season, the Huskies finished with a record of 3-24-7, indicating what kind of direction he has the program set for in the future. Northeastern’s longest winning streak from 2000-2009 was five games, occurring twice from Dec. 6, 2003 – Jan. 3, 2004 and Oct. 11 – Oct. 25, 2008. Mike Ryan (1999-2003), currently of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, was NU’s leading scorer of the decade with 113 total points. Ryan’s 24 goals in 2001-02 also stand as the highest total in the last 10 years.

Ringing in the New Year with a Bang
Northeastern has learned to utilize the holiday break over the course of its history as the Huskies have amassed a 43-29-2 record (59.5 percent) in the first game of a new year. Granted, three of the first four seasons of NU history started after New Years Day, the Huskies look to continue the trend in Dartmouth. In the first game of a new decade, Northeastern has gone 2-5-1.

McNeely’s Marker Makes it 50
Junior captain Tyler McNeely tallied Northeastern’s lone goal in powerplay fashion in a 5-1 loss at Maine on Dec. 12. Not only was McNeely’s goal his 50th-career point, but it was also the 50th total powerplay goal scored on the current Huskies lineup. McNeely now leads the Huskies with three extra-man markers and is second on the team with eight-career powerplay goals. Classmate Wade MacLeod has 10-career ppg.

Matthews Arena featured in the New York Times
As New Year’s Day grows closer and a new decade nears, one of hockey’s newest traditions, The Winter Classic, pays a visit to Fenway Park when the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers square off. Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest major league baseball stadium still in use, is two years younger than Matthews Arena, home of the Northeastern Huskies hockey team. As the sports world turns its attention to Boston for the NHL’s third-annual Winter Classic, the New York Times featured the world’s oldest indoor ice rink, Matthews Arena, which turns 100 years old on April 16, 2010. (Read the full article)

Monday, December 28, 2009

Group Photo



The Huskies on their last morning in Hawaii.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Leaving Hawaii

Northeastern is preparing to board a plane for San Francisco, leaving Honolulu after six excellent days. Although the Huskies only finished in seventh in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, they played strong basketball against some good teams. Northeastern's 73-62 win over SMU will hopefully give them momentum for next Tuesday's battle with Santa Clara.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Live blog vs. SMU

With no television today, the Huskies Insider takes over as your source for the game action. Northeastern will wrap up its Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic experience with a contest against the SMU Mustangs. With the 9 a.m. start on Christmas Day, this is the earliest game the Huskies have ever played and the first time the program has played on Dec. 25.

10:57 a.m. - The game is over as Northeastern comes away with a 73-62 victory over SMU, snapping a five-game losing streak. The Huskies were led by Matt Janning, who had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. NU now gains a little momentum heading into its Cable Car Classic matchup with Santa Clara on Tuesday. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.


10:51 a.m. - The game has come down to free throws. SMU is trying to foul its way back into the game. With 14 seconds left, NU leads 71-60.


10:39 a.m. - Adako has come up big in the later stages of this game. He hit another big jumper to put the Huskies up nine. Then after an SMU miss, Janning missed a layup, but Adako was there for the tip-in. Adako now has 10 points in the game, and Northeastern leads 67-54.


10:36 a.m. - At the final media timeout, the Huskies lead 63-54, but SMU is staging a rally. Rodney Clinkscales sank a huge three-pointer to get SMU's deficit to seven, 61-54. Manny Adako came up big with a 16-foot jumper to answer the call.


10:25 a.m. - The Huskies have hit a bit of a lull as we reach the under-8 media timeout at 7:47. They lead SMU 59-47, but the Mustangs are on a 6-0 run and NU hasn't scored since 11:38. The Huskies have turned the ball over three times in that span as SMU has gone to a full court press. Derek Williams has made SMU's last two baskets and leads the Mustangs with 16 points.


10:16 a.m. - After SMU tried to inbounds, Matt Janning knocked the ball out of bounds, triggering the under-12 media timeout. Three players are in double figures, and Janning has 12 points and six assists. Janning's career high for assists is seven.


10:14 a.m. - The under-16 media timeout finally came at 11:26. The Huskies lead 59-41 as they continue to dial up the offense. The Huskies are currently shooting 62.5 percent from the floor.


10:12 a.m. - The second half is flying as there was no stoppage of play for nearly five minutes. Matt Doherty finally had to call a timeout as the Huskies went on a big run to take a 57-41 lead.


9:47 a.m. - Halftime at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Huskies have answered the call this morning, putting up their best offensive first half of the season. They lead 40-27 after shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from downtown. Matt Janning, Nkem Ojougboh, Chaisson Allen and Mathiang Muo all have eight points to lead Northeastern. SMU has turned the ball over 10 times and that has led to  14 Huskies points.


9:36 a.m. - Matt Janning has four assists already. Defenses are keying in on him and leaving other men open. He again dribbled towards the basket, drawing a double team, but he kicked out to Mathiang Muo, who nailed the wide-open triple. Janning, Allen and Ojougboh all have eight points. The Huskies lead 35-25 with 3:12 remaining.


9:33 a.m. - Matt Doherty had to call a timeout after the Huskies picked up some momentum on Mustang turnovers. On the last play, Janning dribbled in and dished to a wide-open Bataille, who drained an easy 12-footer. NU leads 32-23.


9:26 a.m. - NU leads SMU 24-21 with 7:17 left in the first half. The Huskies put together a nice run with Bataille creating a turnover that led to a Joel Smith dunk. Allen followed with a catch-and-shoot three-pointer with a hand in his face. Bataille then made both free throws after getting fouled in the lane. The Huskies are in the bonus as SMU has racked up seven fouls already.


9:18 a.m. - The Huskies lead 15-13 after a nice dribble penetration Baptiste Bataille in the lane. He fed a wide open Mathiang Muo for an easy inside layup.


9:09 a.m. - It's a fast-paced start as the Huskies lead 11-9 at the first media timeout. Tied at 4-4, Chaisson Allen drained a three-pointer to get the team excited. He had another triple attempt that he missed, but Manny Adako grabbed the offensive rebound and Nkem Ojougboh followed with a layup. Then Matt Janning made a nifty spin move around a defender and fed Ojougboh who made an easy dunk. NU went up 11-5 before a pair of SMU baskets made it 11-9.


9:02 a.m. - The Huskies won the tip in what is their earliest game ever. Chaisson Allen scored inside to put NU up 2-0.


8:53 a.m. - Starting lineups below. Northeastern is wearing its road blacks. SMU is in its home whites.

NU
Chaisson Allen
Alwayne Bigby
Matt Janning
Manny Adako
Nkem Ojougboh

SMU
Mouhammad Faye
Justin Haynes
Derek Williams
Paul McCoy
Papa Dia

8:39 a.m. - In his interview with WRBB Radio's Willie Klaynman, Bill Coen said that it's important for his team to start a winning streak before conference play. Coen's style is to play a difficult non-conference schedule to prepare his athletes for the rigors of the Colonial Athletic Association. Well, his team has been challenged this season. Conference play begins in eight days, and the Huskies will play four conference games in a week.


8:14 a.m. - The Huskies are warming up side-by-side with SMU, whose coach is Matt Doherty. The same Matt Doherty that coached Notre Dame and North Carolina. Although the Mustangs are of the same realm as those other two teams, Doherty has this program on the rise. His two star players are Derek Williams and Mouhammad Faye, the latter a transfer from Georgia Tech.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Off Day

The Huskies had the day off in Hawaii, although they did spend the morning in practice. The team visited Hawaii's North Shore. They will be getting some rest tonight in preparation for a 9 a.m. contest against SMU Christmas morning.

SMU will come into this contest with a 4-5 record, but just two of those wins come against Div. I opponents. Nevertheless, the Huskies won't sleep on a team that resides in Conference USA.

Looking ahead, Northeastern will leave Hawaii Saturday and head to the Bay Area to play Santa Clara in the first round of the Cable Car Classic.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Western Michigan 75, Northeastern 60

The Huskies never recovered from the barrage of three-pointers Western Michigan rained down on them in the first half. Chaisson Allen valiantly scored 11 second-half points to try to bring NU back, but the team ultimately fell to Western Michigan 75-60.

NU has had some major difficulty with perimeter defense. The team has now given up 30 three-pointers over its last three games, including 10 against the Broncos.

On a positive side, the Huskies' three-point shooting did much better today, making nine, including four by Allen. Also bright spots included Mathiang Muo, who played a career-high 26 minutes and had a pair of three-pointers, and Brian McDonald, who played a career-high 12 minutes and produced a three-pointer and five rebounds.

Northeastern will have the day off on Thursday and hopes to win its final game in Hawaii. The Huskies will play either SMU or Charleston Friday morning at 9 a.m., Hawaiian, 2 p.m., Eastern.

Halftime in Honolulu again

After not making a three yesterday, Matt Janning drained a trey in the game's first possession today. However, it was Western Michigan that was raining threes in the first half. A team that came into the game shooting only 25 percent from downtown, the Broncos were 7-for-10 (70 percent) from behind the arc as they lead 44-28 at halftime.

NU is 5-for-12 from three, but just 3-for-7 from the free throw line. Janning has tried to carry the Huskies, but WMU's defense has smothered him and left him just 2-for-9 from the field so far.

Western Michigan pregame



The Huskies are playing a morning contest for the second straight day as they take on Western Michigan in the consolation bracket of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. Northeastern hopes to start a new streak after its 398-game stretch of hitting at least one three-pointer came to an end in a 78-67 loss to St. Mary's yesterday.

Notes:

• This is NU's first game against a team from the Mid-American Conference since 1993. NU is 0-2 all-time against the MAC.

• Matt Janning is 10 points away from tying Marcus Blossom (1997-01) for eighth all-time in points at Northeastern. Janning comes into the game with 1,465 points.

• Manny Adako passed Jim Conors (1972-75) for 36th all-time at NU in scoring with 20 points yesterday.

• Northeastern is looking to avoid its first five-game losing streak since posting a six-game skid between Dec. 22, 2006 and Jan. 8, 2007.

• Western Michigan is 1-0 against the CAA this season, beating VCU on Nov. 18, 83-67.

• Western Michigan is shooting 25.3 percent as a team from three-point range. Only three of the team's 13 players are shooting better than 30 percent from behind the arc.

Through one round

Through one round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, St. Mary's, USC, UNLV and Hawaii are still alive for the tournament championship. Northeastern, Western Michigan, SMU and Charleston will battle in the consolation bracket.

Northeastern will face Western Michigan today at 3 p.m., Eastern. The winner will play the SMU-Charleston winner Friday at 4:30 p.m., Eastern. The loser will play the SMU-Charleston loser Friday at 2 p.m., Eastern.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Huskies lose to St. Mary's



The 78-67 score does not dictate how close the game truly was, but the Huskies fell short against St. Mary's in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

Unfortunately for the Huskies, three-point and free throw shooting again was the problem. NU was 0-for-8 from behind the arc and just 11-for-16 from the charity stripe. The 0-for on three-point shooting is the first time in 13 years that NU hasn't made a three, a span of 398 games.

Meanwhile, St. Mary's was 10-for-21 from three and hit them all at the right time.

If you take away St. Mary's three-pointers, the score would have been Northeastern 67-48. Take away only three of those three-pointers and if NU makes just one or hits all its free throws, and the Huskies would have won.

NU will play either USC or Western Michigan in the consolation bracket Wednesday at 3 p.m., Eastern, 10 a.m., Hawaiian.

Halftime in Honolulu

It's halftime at the Stan Sheriff Center, and Northeastern trails St. Mary's 35-31. The Huskies have held the potent Gaels offense to 44.8 percent shooting, but St. Mary's has knocked down five three-pointers while NU is 0-for-3 from downtown.

Manny Adako has 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Matt Janning has 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Chaisson Allen has four points, five rebounds and four assists.

St. Mary's is led by Omar Samhan with nine points.

Warming up before St. Mary's



The Huskies are at the Stan Sheriff Center warming up for their 3 p.m., Eastern game against St. Mary's. It's five hours earlier in Honolulu, thus making this a 10 a.m. contest, one of the earliest starting times ever for Northeastern.

The starting lineup will remain the same: Chaisson Allen, Alwayne Bigby, Matt Janning, Nkem Ojougboh and Manny Adako.

Huskies fans can catch all the action on television on ESPNU with Jon Sciambi and Jay Williams. Folks who do not get ESPNU can listen live on WRBB Radio, 104.9 FM, or at wrbbsports.com. Jason Lavine and Willie Klaynman will call all the action.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Greetings from Honolulu



The Huskies have invaded the nation's 50th state, arriving in Hawaii late Sunday night. The team is currently practicing in a gym on the campus of the University of Hawaii. Later in the day, the Huskies will shoot around at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Huskies will tip off the inaugural Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Tuesday against St. Mary's at 10 a.m., local, 3 p.m., Eastern.

Stay tuned to the Huskies Insider for more updates and photos.

Friday, December 18, 2009

This list is pretty long


Devin Petta earned another honor this week, taking home ECAC Rookie of the Year. Petta, who in just one season has made a major impact for Northeastern women's soccer, has a whole slew of honors that recognize her incredible talent.

In the 18 games of her freshman season, Petta scored 14 goals and recorded seven assists for a total of 35 points. She broke the long-standing Northeastern record for points in a season, as well as matched the single-season records for goals and assists. Petta also had seven game-winning goals, the most in a single Northeastern season, and only two shy of the program’s career benchmark.

Petta finished the regular season second in the nation is scoring among freshmen, and her points per game average (1.94) was 11th overall among Div. I players. She led the CAA this year in goals, goals per game, points, points per game and game-winning goals.

Below is her list of achievements:

CAA Co-Rookie of the Week, Aug. 31, 2009
Nike Invitational All-Tournament team
CAA Rookie of the Week, Sept. 28, 2009
Top Drawer Women’s Soccer Team of the Week, Sept. 28, 2009
Student Athlete of the Week, Sept. 29, 2009
Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd, Oct. 19, 2009
CAA Rookie of the Week, Oct. 26, 2009
CAA Rookie of the Week, Nov. 2, 2009
All-CAA Rookie team, Nov. 5, 2009
All-CAA first team, Nov. 5, 2009
CAA Rookie of the Year, Nov. 5, 2009
CAA Player of the Year, Nov. 5, 2009
TopDrawerSoccer.com All-Rookie team, Nov. 12, 2009
NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region first team, Dec. 4, 2009
NSCAA All-America second team, Dec. 8, 2009
NEWISA All-New England first team, Dec. 7, 2009
ECAC Rookie of the Year, Dec. 17, 2009
Soccer America All-Freshman second team, Dec. 17, 2009

Tuesday, December 8, 2009




Northeastern vs. Maine
Saturday’s contest in Orono marks the final regular season contest between Northeastern and Maine. The Huskies have not ventured to Alfond Arena since the weekend of Oct. 24-25, 2008 where Northeastern swept the Black Bears by respective counts of 5-0 and 2-1. Northeastern’s success in Orono dates back to two seasons ago when the Huskies walloped Maine, 7-3, on Jan. 4, 2008. Lopsided games have presided in recent history throughout this series, particularly this year when Northeastern and Maine met at Matthews Arena in mid-November. Aside from the 2-1 victory on Oct. 25, 2008, the only close game in the last six was last year’s overtime contest on Dec. 5, 2008 when Louis Liotti sealed the deal in 2:29 of overtime. This year, Maine marched into Matthews Arena on Nov. 13 and put a six-spot on the board, marking the most goals Northeastern has surrendered this season. The Huskies responded the next night with a 5-2 victory in which 10 different NU skaters tallied one point in the win. The 6-2 loss on Nov. 13 represented the 100th game between these two institutions, as the Black Bears own a 49-37-15 overall record over Northeastern. Not only will Saturday’s match-up act as the rubber match for the three-game league series, but will break a 5-5 tie over the course of the last five games. The Huskies make the voyage to the Pine Tree State with a 16-23-9 regular season record at Alfond Arena. Greg Cronin revisits familiar territory as NU’s coach had three stints with the Black Bears, including interim head coach for the 1995-96 season. Since taking over on Huntington Ave., Cronin is 6-9-0 against his old club while Maine’s skipper, Tim Whitehead, is 8-8-11 all-time against the Huskies.

Black Bears Beat

Since giving up three powerplay goals in a 5-2 loss to Northeastern on Nov. 14, Maine has surged to a 4-1-1 record and is now receiving eight votes in this week’s latest USCHO.com poll. After the two-game stint in Boston, Maine hosted Boston College on Nov. 20-21, losing the first game, 4-3, and tying in the backend, 3-3. Since then, Maine has won its last four contests, outscoring its opponents by a 15-goal margin, 19-4. The large gap in goal differential can be attributed to a 10-1 rout of St. Lawrence on Nov. 28 at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland. Brian Flynn had two goals and three assists while Tanner House chipped in with two goals and two assists. Robby Dee contributed two goals and an assist, while Gustav Nyquist chalked up four points with a goal and three assists. Maine also won on the road at UMass Lowell before sweeping Providence at home. In those three Hockey East victories, Maine won each game by a 3-1 final. With its recent winning spell, Maine has mounted the Hockey East standings and is currently alone in third place, one point behind Boston College and three points behind New Hampshire. Gustav Nyquist continues to avoid a sophomore slump as the second-year forward has taken charge for Maine, scoring a team-best 11 goals and 13 assists, totaling 24 points. Nyquist’s 1.50 points per game is currently tied for fifth best in the country and second in Hockey East behind Massachusetts’ James Marcou (5-20-25). Maine’s nucleus of sophomores follows closely behind Brian Flynn has registered 16 points (4-12-16) while Spencer Abbott (4-9-13) and Will O’Neill (4-9-13) have accounted for 13 points apiece. Junior Tanner House is tied with rookie Adam Shemansky for second in goal scoring with seven tallies. Second-year netminder Scott Darling has started 13-of-16 games, earning an 8-3-1 record, allowing 2.59 goals per game with a .909 save percentage. Darling has surrendered 32 goals in 14 games played. In Maine’s four-game winning streak, Darling has stopped 91-of-95 shots he’s faced.

Last Time out against Maine
Northeastern’s powerplay unit erupted for three goals on eight chances in a 5-2 victory against Maine in front of 4,323 at Matthews Arena on Homecoming weekend. Despite Maine outshooting Northeastern by one attempt, the Huskies tied a season-best 35 shots on net to create their numerous scoring opportunities throughout the evening. Ten different Huskies notched a point in the 5-2 throttling, also tying a season-high. Senior Kyle Kraemer notched his first powerplay goal since March 20, 2009 against UMass Lowell while sophomore Matt Lipinski made his way into the NU annals in his seventh-career game by netting Northeastern’s final goal of the game in powerplay fashion. The first 40 minutes of action was virtually deadlocked across the board. Both teams registered 15 and 10 shots, respectively, in the first and second periods and were pitted with a 1-1 stalemate heading into the third period, but the final stanza had a season-high four goals in store for the Huskies. Maine drew first blood when Mike Banwell redirected a blast from Kyle Beattie in front on NU netminder Chris Rawlings at 15:34 of the second for the 1-0 edge, but newcomer Robbie Vrolyk quickly erased the deficit with a beautiful one-time goal from the stick of classmate Drew Ellement at 17:49. Right before the second concluded, Vrolyk was called for obstruction interference at 19:36, giving the Black Bears the powerplay at the beginning of the third. Senior defenseman David Strathman had other thoughts as he hampered MU’s attempt by breaking up a play low in Northeastern’s zone. Strathman cleared the puck to junior Tyler McNeely in the slot who then redistributed to Strathman on the far post. The senior blue liner faked out front of the crease, coaxing Scott Darling to his knees for the empty-netter at 1:12. Flynn locked it up 7:38 with a wrister over Rawlings glove after freshman Chris Student was sent away for intereference at 6:49, but Tuckerman’s tenacity yielded the game-winning goal at 8:34. Tuckerman stole the puck at NU’s blue line, dodged his way by one Maine defender and let loose a rifle of a wrist shot right in front of Flynn as it sailed past Darling for the unassisted goal. The Huskies piled on by taking advantage of a 5 x 3 opportunity offered at 11:13 of the third as NU was given 1:13 of a two-man edge. Seven seconds into the 5 x 3, freshman Garrett Vermeersch let a rocket go from the top-left point after a feed from Steve Silva, but Darling made the initial block. Kraemer charged in from the slot, corralled the puck and lifted it in. As an added bonus, Lipinski cashed in on the second powerplay offering with a pinpoint wrist shot from the slot after junior Mike Hewkin dished out his third assist in four games at 13:10 for the 5-2 win.

Huskies’ Leaders against the Black Bears
Of Northeastern’s 25 skaters, excluding its three goaltenders, 19 of the Huskies have scored against Maine in their careers. Junior Wade MacLeod’s three goals and five assists (3-5-8) leads all NU players while classmate and captain Tyler McNeely has scored six points (2-4-6) in 10 games. Seniors Greg Costa (3-2-5) and Kyle Kraemer (1-4-5) have tallied five points in 10 games while classmates Randy Guzior (3-1-4) and David Strathman (2-2-4) have accounted for four, apiece. Fourth-year blueliner Jim Driscoll (0-3-3), junior Steve Silva (1-2-3) and sophomore Alex Tuckerman (2-1-3) represent three points against the Black Bears while five Huskies have tallied two points, including Mike Hewkin (1-1-2), Steve Quailer (0-2-2), Dyland Wiwchar (0-2-2), Drew Ellement (0-2-2) and Garrett Vermeersch (0-2-2). Chris Donovan (1-0-1), Justin Daniels (1-0-1), Robbie Vrolyk (1-0-1), Matt Lipinski (1-0-1) and Drew Muench (0-1-1) have all scored one point in the Maine series.

King of the Mountain
The month of December got off to an interesting onset, as freshman goaltender Chris Rawlings was a game-time decision to not play at Merrimack on Dec. 4. Rawlings, who started every game for the Huskies this season, was scratched due to a minor injury that occurred earlier in the week. Classmate Bryan Mountain was informed he was to start his first collegiate game, on the road, about 15 minutes prior to puck drop. The Bryn Mawr, Pa. native lost his first start at Merrimack, 3-1, turning aside 14 shots on 17 attempts on Friday night. In a more familiar setting, Mountain was opted for over Rawlings at Matthews Arena, and this time, the freshman goaltender exuded a great confidence that guided the Huskies to a much-needed victory over Merrimack, 2-1. Rawlings stopped 24-of-25 blasts that came his way to earn his first collegiate victory on Dec. 5, 2009. The last time two different goaltenders earned a decision in the same season for Northeastern was the 2007-08 campaign when Mike Binnington was dealt the loss in favor of Brad Thiessen. The Huskies lost, 5-2, at Providence. In 2008-09, Thiessen started every contest for NU.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Senior Kyle Kraemer had manufactured a seven-game pointstreak, stretching from Nov. 7 to Dec. 4. Kraemer’s seven-game stint was the longest-career pointstreak of any current skater on the Huskies’ roster. The St. Louis native got his streak underway with a goal at Boston College and backed it up with a helper and tally in the respective Maine games. Against Providence, Kraemer posted his first two-point performance with a goal and an assist and then sent in a powerplay tally at Providence. Kraemer continued his success against Vermont with another goal before sealing the pointstreak with a helper at Merrimack. Within the seven-game stretch, Kraemer had a four-game goal-scoring streak, also marking a career-high amongst any current Huskies’ icers. The next longest pointstreak on Northeastern’s roster was Alex Tuckerman’s six-game spurt in his rookie campaign last year. His scoring sequence lasted six straight contests. Kraemer accounted for eight points in that seven-game run and he is currently tied with Wade MacLeod for the second-most points on the club (5-4-9). Kraemer is tied for 16th in Hockey East with 0.36 goals per game.

Strathman to the Rescue

Senior defenseman David Strathman registered his 10th-career goal on Saturday and it could not have come at a better time. Strathman buried the game-winning tally in a much-needed win for the Huskies as NU defeated Merrimack, 2-1. The defenseman’s goal marked his second-career game-winning goal, but interestingly enough, they’ve been against the same opponent. Strathman’s other game-clinching goal also came against Merrimack when the Huskies shutout the Warriors, 3-0, on Jan. 2, 2008. To cap it off, the Tempe, Ariz. native finished the Merrimack weekend with a +2 rating.

No Powerplay, No Problem
Northeastern’s powerplay unit has not been as productive as it was earlier in the year, evidenced by NU going 0-10 with the extra man against Merrimack. Despite that figure, Northeastern’s 2-1 victory against Merrimack marked the Huskies first win of the season in which they were shutout on the poweplay. The Huskies have potted a powerplay goal in 11 of their 14 contests.

Score First, Win Later
Of the six games in which Northeastern has scored first, the Huskies have come away with four victories. The Boston College (5-1, L) and Providence (3-3, T) games were the only two outings Northeastern did not win when drawing first blood. Northeastern’s victories in which it attacked the scoreboard first came against Colorado College (4-3, Oct. 10), Boston University (1-0, Nov. 6) and Providence (4-1, Nov. 20).

Clutch When It Counts
Northeastern has gone into the third period tied with its opponent on three occasions this year. In all three instances, the Huskies emerged victoriously. The first triumph came against Boston University as both squads skated to a scoreless 40 minutes before Wade MacLeod lit the lamp to dash BU’s bid. In the Maine victory, the Huskies erupted for three third-period tallies as NU and MU were locked at 1-1 heading into the final stanza. The most recent occurrence happened against Merrimack as both squads opened the third period owning one goal. David Strathman ended the drama with his second-career game winner.

All-Set
The two-game Merrimack set was Northeastern’s fourth series of the season. In the backend of each set, the Huskies have yet to relinquish a decision. Northeastern beat Colorado College (4-3) Maine (5-2), and Merrimack (2-1). The only game NU did not win in the second game was a tie at Providence (3-3).

November Recap

NU went through a rollercoaster of emotion in the month of November, but the whole ride evened out with a 3-3-1 record (.500). November started off with a mountain of thrills against its arch-rival, Boston University. In front of a flawless performance by rookie goaltender Chris Rawlings, NU claimed its first Hockey East victory of the season against the seventh-ranked Terriers, 1-0, in front of a sellout crowd of 4,666. Rawlings becomes the Huskies’ second-ever netminder to shut out Boston University and the Huskies can stake their claim to ending BU’s five-year run of not being shutout on the road. Friday night’s triumph marks NU’s first win over its Commonwealth Ave. foe since Feb. 28, 2007. The rollercoaster came to a screeching halt due to a 5-1 loss at Boston College the following night. Kyle Kraemer scored his first goal of the season in Chestnut Hill, igniting a current six-game pointstreak, but NU’s six-game powerplay scorintg streak was snapped in the setback. A two-game home series against Maine started off with a 6-2 loss on Nov.13, but freshman Drew Ellement and senior Dylan Wiwchar earned their first and second-career points, respectively, on Justin Daniels’ second-career tally. The Huskies were cited for 38 penalty minutes in the stumble. Northeastern responded with a 5-2 triumph against the Black Bears as the powerplay unit erupted for three goals on eight chances. A season-best 10 different Huskies notched a point in the 5-2 throttling, including sophomore Matt Lipinski’s first-career goal in powerplay fashion to cap NU’s scoring. Senior David Strathman pounced on the penalty kill, scoring Northeastern’s only shorthanded goal of the season to this point. NU climbed back to .500 with a 4-1 win over Providence at Matthews Arena on Nov. 20. In the rematch at Providence, Northeastern squandered a 3-2 lead to the Friars and earned its first draw of the year, 3-3, on Nov. 21. Senior Greg Costa scored his first goal of the season, 15th of his career, with help from freshmen brothers Drew and Justin Daniels. It was Drew Daniels’ first-career point and marks the first time this season the sibling connection recorded a point on the same play. In the final game of November, the Huskies endured a tough 3-2 loss on Nov. 27 to Vermont at home, 3-2. Despite the loss, Kraemer extending his goal-scoring streak to four games and overall pointstreak to six. Sophomore blueliner Drew Muench turned in his first-career two-assist game. The last time Muench secured a pair of points was a two-goal effort against Vermont on Jan. 19, 2008. The Catamounts jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the initial period. The Huskies answered twice to cut it to one on two occasions, but David Pacan’s lamplighter at 10:10 of the second proved to be the game winner.

Kraemer Tapped as Student-Athlete of the Week
On Nov. 24, Kraemer was selected as Northeastern’s Student-Athlete of the Week after registering three points, including one powerplay goal, in a weekend series against Providence. Kraemer was the first delegate of the men’s hockey team to surface as the Northeastern Student-Athlete of the Week.

Restrained Huskies
Ever since Northeastern’s 38 penalty minute-outburst against Maine on Nov. 13, the Huskies have been more weary of racking up penalty minutes; particularly in its game against Vermont.  Freshman Drew Ellement’s hooking call at 8:19 of the first period was the only violation Northeastern was cited for. Friday night’s rare occurrence was the first time Northeastern was whistled for only one penalty since Jonathan Koop was called for obstruction interference at 16:36 of the first period in a 2-1 loss at UMass Lowell on Jan. 8, 2005. In its first game of the year, Northeastern gave Colorado College only two powerplay chances on Oct. 9. In the last four seasons, NU has been called for two penalties on only four occasions: UMass (2/15/08), Merrimack (1/11/08), Colgate (12/29/07) and Providence (9/14/06).

Defensively Minded
Although the Huskies have endured some pitfalls offensively this year, it’s Northeastern’s defense that has kept NU right around the .500 mark. Northeastern is tied for fourth with Massachusetts in scoring defense, surrendering only 2.86 goals per game. That mark is also tied for 28th in the country. Only UMass Lowell (2.47), Providence (2.60) and Boston College (2.77) have given up less goals through the first third of the season.

Maley Makes His Way Back
Sophomore J.P. Maley saw the ice for the first time against Vermont this season since registering an assist on Louis Liotti’s goal in the NCAA quarterfinal matchup against Cornell on March 28, 2009. Maley did not record a point, but blocked a team-best three shots against the Catamounts. Maley’s first-career goal came in the last game against Merrimack on Feb. 6, 2009.

Muench Dishes It Out
Sophomore Drew Muench turned in his first-career two-assist game against Vermont on Nov. 27. The only other multi-point game Muench registered was a pair of goals the last time NU faced the Catamounts on Jan. 19, 2008. The Martensville, Saskatchewan native is tied for T-32nd with 0.50 points per game amongst all HEA defensemen.

MacLeod Makes His Way to 100

Junior Wade MacLeod leads all Huskies in current career points as the Coquitlam, B.C. just broke the 70-point plateau with his 42st assist against Merrimack. MacLeod now has 71 career points. Only five others in Hockey East have the inside track to MacLeod in the race to 100 points, Ben Smith (BC 98 pts.), Bobby Butler (UNH 90 pts.), Nick Bonino (BU 88 pts.), Kory Falite (UML 84 pts.) and Joe Whitney (BC 75 pts.).

Newton Notches Four-Game Streak
Freshman defensman Jake Newton crafted a four-game pointstreak from Nov. 20  - Dec 4, capped by his second collegiate goal at Merrimack. Newton’s streak was ended at home against the Warriors, but is tied for 16th amongst defensemen in Hockey East with 0.50 points per game.

Greenhorn Governing the Way

Freshman Garrett Vermeersch has risen to the top of Northeastern’s scoring list with 10 points (4-6-9), thanks to his fourth goal of the seasona against Merrimack and a recent four-game scoring streak. Two of his four tallies and five of his six assists have come on the powerplay, denoting that 70.0 percent of his output is generated with the extra skater. The Macomb, Mich. native is tied for 17th in the NCAA and third amongst freshmen in the Hockey East with 0.77 ppg. Vermeersch is one of two incoming skaters in the conference to lead his club in scoring. Merrimack’s Stephane Da Costa has assembled a scoring line of 8-10-18 and is tied for fifth in the country, overall, in scoring with 1.50 ppg.

Multi-Point Performers
Eight Huskies have chalked up a multi-point game this season as Wade MacLeod leads the charge with three under his belt. MacLeod’s most recent two-point outing was at home against Providence (1-1-2). Garrett Vermeersch has registered a pair of multi-point games, with his last coming at PC on 11/21/09 (1-1-2). Jake Newton (1-1-2), Kyle Kraemer (1-1-2), Steve Silva (1-1-2), Tyler McNeely (1-1-2), Drew Muench (0-2-2) and Chris Donovan (1-2-3) have all notched one multi-point performance. Donovan’s three points at Colorado College (1-2-3) remains a team best.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Freshmen twin brothers, Justin and Drew Daniels, both recorded their first-career assist for Northeastern in a 3-3 tie at Providence on Nov. 21, but it was done so in unique fashion. Both twins earned credit on the help for senior Greg Costa’s first goal of the season, marking the first assist for both brothers on the same play. For Drew, the assist stood as his first-career point while Justin has potted two goals already this season. The Daniels brothers also finished with a +1 rating in that game.

Northeastern Iron Men

On a roster stacked with 28 skaters, only seven Huskies have managed to play in every game thus far. Of the newcomers, defensemen Chris Student and Jake Newton are the only Huskies to have competed in every game since day one. Mike McLaughlin is the lone sophomore to have taken part in every fray while Steve Silva is the sole ironman delegate of the junior class. Seniors Kyle Kraemer, David Strathman and Greg Costa have donned the black in red in every contest this season, as well.

Costa Cashes In

Senior forward Greg Costa scored his first goal of the season, 15th overall in his career, at Providence on Nov. 21. Costa became the last Husky to have skated in every game this year to score a point. Costa has tallied 32 points throughout his career (15-17-32).

Happy to be Home

Northeastern is 5-2 at Matthews Arena this season, dispatching Bentley, Boston University, Maine, Providence and Merrimack along the way. The Huskies have outscored their opponents within those wins, 15-4. Last year, Northeastern went 12-3-2 at Matthews Arena, including a 2-1 record in a defeat of Massachusetts in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Career Milestones
Saturday’s game marks Kyle Kraemer’s 100th-career game while Drew Muench will have skated in his 50th tilt for the Huskies. Steve Silva skated in his 75th-career contest against Vermont on Nov. 27 while Wade MacLeod registered his 70th-career point that same night. In the Providence tie Greg Cronin earned his 20th-career tie while at Northeastern. The Providence tie also marked his 20th-tie, overall in his career, throughout Hockey East play. Also, the next powerplay goal scored by any Husky will count as the 50th-total powerplay goal for the current roster.

Plus/Minus Performance

Five current Huskies own a positive plus/minus rating through 12 games. Garrett Vermeersch leads with a +3 rating while Jim Driscoll has remained at +2 despite being injured. Alex Tuckerman, David Strathman and Drew Muench are the other current Huskies to own positive ratings.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Photos from the Jay Carisella Track & Field Dedication Ceremony

Saturday’s event was rededicated to Jay Carisella, a talented Northeastern’s track & field star whose life was cut short by tragedy. On Saturday, the Northeastern athletics department honored Carisella by renaming the Husky Winter Carnival the Jay Carisella Track & Field Invitational. Dec. 5, 2009 marked the first annual Jay Carisella Track & Field Invitational.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Pictures from the First-Annual Jay Carisella Track & Field Invitational




The first-annual Jay Carisella Track & Field Invitational was a rousing success at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury as the men’s team picked up 16 top-10 finishes, including senior captain Nate Hunter returning to his old habits by claiming the shot put title with an NCAA provisional-qualifying toss of 18.19m.

Saturday’s event was rededicated to Jay Carisella, a talented Northeastern’s track & field star whose life was cut short by tragedy. On Saturday, the Northeastern athletics department honored Carisella by renaming the Husky Winter Carnival the Jay Carisella Track & Field Invitational.

Hunter’s captain counterpart, classmate Jonathan Hall picked up a second-place showing in the 500-meter dash with a mark of 1:04.90.

The distance team set the precedent for this winter with senior Brian Kennedy’s time of 4:20.95 in the mile while sophomore Daniel Grant captured ninth with a clip of 4:27.11. Kennedy was pegged second for his run.

Senior Ryan Miling continued the distance team’s success with a second-place run of 1:58.18 in the 800-meter while second-year harrier Sebastian Putzeys was awarded second, as well, in the 1,000-meter for his tempo of 2:34.10. Classmate Teddy Vrountas went the distance in the 5,000-meter challenge for 10th place in 15:20.36.

Turning to the field, senior Adrian Li got off on the right foot with second and eighth-place performances in the long jump and high jump, in respectively. Li cleared 6.98m in the long jump and 1.93 in the high jump. Newcomer Tejorn Davis finished directly behind Li in ninth with a leap of 1.88m for ninth. Davis was also tabbed ninth in the long jump with his spring of 6.45m. Junior Brendan Bergson hopped 6.61m for eighth in the long jump.

Fourth-year vaulter Jordan Thull soared over 4.71m for second place while junior Brian Daly claimed sixth with a spring of 4.26m. Rookie Rafael Rodriguez vaulted 4.11m for eighth place.

Joining Hunter in the field was junior Alex Iannetta’s sixth-place pitch of 15.48m in the weight throw.

The women’s team picked up 24 top-10 finishes. Northeastern won four events including: a 55-meter dash victory by senior Cosandria Walker in 7.26, a winning heave of 17.57m by junior Althea Charles in the weight throw, a 5K triumph by senior Brittany Moriarty in 17:39.72 and an 800-meter win by rookie Eryn Wheeler in 2:19.06.

Sophomore Saleena Abdur-Rashad claimed fifth in the 200-meter dash by bolting for 26.34. Abdur-Rashad also took second in the 55-meter hurdles while senior Katie Sherman dashed for fourth in 8.44.

The Huskies performed well in the distance game as sophomore Christina Izzicupo crossed the 500-meter dash line in 1:12.15 for seventh while junior Annie Scully was awarded sixth in the mile run after turning in a time of 5:19.24.

Along with Wheeler’s victory, classmate Laura Coyne finished in seventh in 2:25.28 in the 800-meter while junior Christina Gallagher crossed in 2:25.28 for eighth.

In the 1,000-meter race, junior Seri Gordon emerged from the Huskies pack with a third-place showing of 3:01.32 while classmate Courtney Mortimer finished closely behind in 3:04.98 in sixth.

Junior Kristen Martin and sophomore Jess Barton recorded fourth and fifth-place finishes with respective times of 10:15.66 and 10:15.75. Following in Moriarty’s footsteps in the 5,000-meter run, sophomore Meegan Joly was clocked in 19:30.93 for ninth.

In the field, Sherman and sophomore Regan Cleminson cleared 1.57m and 1.52m, in that order, for seventh and 10th place. Walker made the top three again in the long jump with a leap of 5.48m.

Newcomer Jillena Decateret made the podium in third place with a mark of 3.35m in the pole vault. Senior Kristen Hafford cleared 3.20m for fourth while classmate Rachel Cassata finished in eighth with a mark of 2.90m.

Along with her weight throw victory, Charles claimed fifth in the shot put with a lob of 12.09m. Rookie Julie Westover joined Charles in the weight throw with a  top-10 toss of 14.27m for seventh place.

The Huskies compete locally next weekend at the Harvard Open starting on Dec. 12.