The second period between the Northeastern men’s hockey team and host Boston College Friday was, in a word, pathetic.
Horrid. Ugly. Laughable. Shall we continue?
First, the gruesome details:
* 18:00 remaining: BC freshman Dan Bertram pops a wrist shot that Northeastern goalie Keni Gibson nicks with his glove. The puck pops high in the air, barely evades the left post and goes inches wide.
* 17:27: NU freshman Jimmy Russo is whistled for obstruction-holding.
* 12:29: Bertram takes a feed from senior Ryan Shannon and fires a wrist shot past Gibson’s left leg to make it 2-0 BC.
* 9:40: Eagle senior Dave Spina makes a fool of Husky defenseman Brian Deeth, then attempts a tricky backhand shot that Gibson gloved.
* 8:39: Northeastern senior winger Jared Mudryk is sent to the box for slashing.
* 3:58: NU junior forward Mike Morris gets the gate for hooking. Moments later, Eagle junior Pat Eaves bears unimpeded on Gibson, who stops his shot.
* 2:18: BC freshman Brian O’Hanley snaps a high wrist shot from the point that senior Ned Havern deflects past Gibson, making it 3-0.
* 1:40: Sophomore Joe Rooney feeds fellow Eagle sophomore Brian Boyle in front of the Husky net. Gibson turns back yet another quality chance.
* :51: Finally, fittingly, NU senior defenseman Tim Judy caps the frame with a tripping penalty.
The truly sad fact is these “gruesome details” aren’t just the BC highlights from the second period. They’re the highlights — period.
The final damage? A 20-2 second period shot margin, four Eagle power plays (none for Northeastern), two goals and a downright disenchanted coach.
“They played like the number two team in the country and we played like the 102nd team in the country,” NU coach Bruce Crowder said after the game. “They took it to us. I was very disappointed with the way our desire was. I don’t think we came to play, even in the first period. In the second period they just blew it open and if it wasn’t for Keni Gibson, it would’ve been 30-to-zip after two periods.”
Two admissions: Northeastern did play a solid third period, scoring twice. Also, the Huskies bounced back into the win column with a somewhat convincing 4-3 victory over Merrimack on Monday.
However, this program isn’t trying to compete with teams like Merrimack (losers of six straight and owners of a 1-14-1 conference record). It’s trying to join the upper echelon Hockey East teams — schools like Boston College, Boston University, the University of Maine and the University of New Hampshire. And while a nice third period comeback does ease some of the concern surrounding Husky hockey, it cannot erase a lifeless, dreadful effort through 40 minutes at the Conte Forum.
Consider, if you will, the type of team Northeastern usually is.
“They work hard down low with the puck,” Merrimack coach Chris Serino said. “They’re tough to defend down low. They make you work. A lot of the penalties you get are because they work the puck down low real well. We knew they were gonna do that. They’ve done it against everybody. If you don’t compete against that team, I don’t care who you are in this league, if you don’t compete against them, they’ll put a lot of shots on net. And when the shots are going in …(grimace).”
Consider my season preview, found in the Oct. 6 edition of The News:
“Northeastern will have to outwork teams and play stingy defense in order to win games.”
Nothing has changed.
Northeastern is a team that will beat teams by out-hustling them and by playing with grit and determination. Otherwise, things can get downright lopsided. Consider Saturday’s debacle a warning. As Crowder also correctly pointed out postgame, Saturday was the first time in a long time that his team has been that undisciplined, both in effort and in taking penalties. So, like any warning, it doesn’t necessarily mean this team is doomed.
But if it’s not careful and if the effort isn’t there … (grimace).
Stephen Poogach (of WRBB fame) mentioned the Beanpot just before I went on the radio for the second intermission report Saturday. What a scary thought that is.
In the student center, people are handing out flyers for the Beanpot of Comedy.
Let’s hope the hockey team doesn’t (whether it means to or not) turn the first two weeks of February into a similar event.
After all, I think I’m out of one-liners to use on the radio.
— Jack Weiland may be reached at [email protected].
