Northeastern’s Szmatula leaves school, says ‘time for a change’

On his Twitter account Friday, Northeastern forward Mike Szmatula announced he is leaving the Huskies’ program.

The school later confirmed the news in a press release.

“Mike was a solid contributor to the program, and we wish him the best of luck in his hockey career and beyond,” said Northeastern coach Jim Madigan in the release. “Moving forward, we’re excited for the core that we have returning in 2015-16 as well as the incoming student-athletes joining our program in the fall. The coaching staff and I are very eager for the upcoming season and we are confident that the leadership in our locker room will help set the tone for a successful year.”

In 2014-15, Szmatula scored 13 goals and 29 points in 36 games, good for third in team scoring, and as a freshman in 2013-14, tallied 15 goals and 39 points over 37 games to finish second on the Huskies.