The Northeastern Huskies scored their 14th first-period goal of the season just 6:57 into the contest, but it took a resilient effort, scoring three of the game’s final five goals, to steal a hard-earned point from No. 4 Boston University with a 4-4 tie Friday night at Matthews Arena.
BU sophomore Jordan Greenway and freshman Clayton Keller found the back of the net in the third period, but the hosts leveled the score for good with just 55.6 seconds left in regulation as senior Zach Aston-Reese tipped home freshman defenseman Ryan Shea’s point shot.
“I told our kids I liked our effort,” Northeastern coach Jim Madigan said of the 228th meeting between the city rivals. “I thought we were resilient and we worked hard, particularly through that third period battling back. They’re a good hockey club. (Jake Oettinger is) a good goaltender and we were able to get four on him.”
Junior defenseman Garret Cockerill’s wrister on a two-man advantage gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead, but the visitors responded quickly with Keller and Patrick Curry scoring on Northeastern sophomore Ryan Ruck before the end of the first period.
With senior John Stevens and junior Nolan Stevens both out due to injuries, the Huskies needed contributions elsewhere on offense. As he has done all season long, sophomore Adam Gaudette did just that, scoring a wrist shot through traffic 2:22 into the third period.
“We knew it was going to be a battle the whole game,” said Gaudette, who has scored goals in five consecutive games. “We fell behind, but we didn’t get discouraged. We just stuck to our game plan and grinding it out. We knew we needed to get pucks in deep and pucks on net, and it ended up working out.”
Gaudette’s goal was Northeastern’s second of the night on a power play. The Terriers were 41-of-43 on the penalty kill entering Friday.
Junior Dylan Sikura, who was elevated to the top line with Aston-Reese and sophomore Patrick Schule in the absence of the Stevens brothers, responded to Greenway’s goal with a wrister over Oettinger’s blocker at 12:15.
“(Gaudette’s) in a good zone, Sikura’s in a good zone offensively, and Aston-Reese is contributing for us,” Madigan said. “We need those three guys, and they were all on the score sheet tonight.”
Keller scored with BU at a man advantage at 15:44, but Aston-Reese’s fifth goal of the season gave the 3-2-3 Huskies their first Hockey East point of the season.
Oettinger was the only goalie tested in overtime, stopping all six shots he faced.
“It was a point,” Madigan said. “I’m sure BU is looking at it the same way. There’s an opportunity for one of us to get a three-point weekend, and that’s how we’re approaching it going into tomorrow night.”
Hockey East roundup
Boston College 6, at Maine 1
At Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine, senior alternate captain Austin Cangelosi scored goals in three different fashion, on the power play, short-handed, and at even strength, for his first hat trick as an Eagle. BC improved to 3-0-1 in Hockey East play with the win, in which five other Eagles posted multi-point games and freshman Joe Woll made 22 saves. Maine did take a 1-0 lead at the 13:04 mark as Dane Gibson scored first goal of the season.
Connecticut 2, at Massachusetts 2
Kurt Keats scored 6:25 into the third period as UMass erased a quick two-goal deficit to earn a point on home ice at Mullins Center. Freshman goaltender Ryan Wischow made 10 of his 20 saves in the opening period for the Minutemen, despite allowing UConn’s Max Letunov to score his third goal of the season just 55 seconds in.
Massachusetts-Lowell 3, Vermont 1
With much thanks to junior C.J. Smith’s third two-goal effort of the season and 24 saves from freshman Tyler Wall, the River Hawks won their Hockey East opener at Tsongas Center. Jake Kamrass opened the scoring for Lowell 8:47 into the second period before Smith added tallies in the final two frames. Mario Puskarich scored his first goal of the season for Vermont.
New Hampshire 2, Sacred Heart 2
At Whittemore Center, the Pioneers were 28 seconds away from their second win of the season against a Hockey East foe until UNH freshman Liam Blackburn drew the score even with an extra-attacker goal. Danny Tirone made 27 saves on the evening for the Wildcats, including four in overtime.
Merrimack 5, Mercyhurst 1
Ten different players recorded points as the host Warriors earned their fourth win in six games, scoring three power-play goals along the way. Mathieu Tibbet and Brett Seney each notched a goal and an assist for Merrimack, while defenseman Alex Carle contributed three assists to tie his career-high point total.
