By: Jason Mastrodonato, News Staff
There’s something about those last 20 minutes that the men’s hockey team just can’t figure out.
“To be perfectly honest, we’re trying to figure that out ourselves,” said sophomore goaltender Chris Rawlings, who has stopped more shots (193) than all but two Division I goalies in the NCAA. “It’s a lot of things. When it comes to the third period, I don’t know. I really don’t know what to say.”
Northeastern has played every one of its seven opponents to a tie after the first two periods, yet has won just one game so far this season.
The Huskies (1-2-1 Hockey East, 1-4-2 overall) dropped a pair of non-conference matches in this fashion this weekend at Matthews Arena.
They lost 4-3 in overtime to Holy Cross on Friday night, and 2-1 to Bentley in another late-game letdown on Saturday.
On Friday night, senior forward Wade MacLeod scored two first-period goals to give the Huskies the early lead.
Holy Cross potted a shorthanded goal eight seconds into the second frame to even the score 2-2.
NU senior forward Steve Silva responded later in the period, wristing a shot top-shelf to put the Huskies ahead 3-2.
Freshman forward Cody Ferriero’s third penalty of the game resulted in a Holy Cross goal late in the second. Ferriero was benched for the rest of the game and was scratched from Saturday’s game.
“You can’t take three penalties,” head coach Greg Cronin told WRBB Sports radio after the game. “That, to me, is really unnecessary. He’s a young kid, he has to a learn a lesson.”
The Huskies are 14th in the nation in penalty minutes per game (16.86).
“We want to play a physical game,” senior captain Tyler McNeely said. “That’s what Northeastern hockey is and we know that. But on the other hand we can’t take penalties, and we feel like it’s been a problem for us, and it’s just something we can’t do.”
No one scored in the third period, but Holy Cross scored off a shot from the slot just more than a minute into the overtime period to send the Crusaders home with a victory.
Rawlings stopped 21 of 25 shots on net, allowing four goals for the first time this season.
“That wasn’t Chris Rawlings’ problem, that’s Northeastern hockey’s problem,” Cronin said. “We didn’t do the little things right, right down to the face offs.”
Rawlings took a seat on the bench for a routine night off on Saturday against Bentley, making way for freshman Clay Witt to make his first collegiate start. He didn’t disappoint, stopping 32 shots in the 2-1 loss.
“Clay Witt came up big and had a lot of great saves,” McNeely said. “And we all thought he played really good in the net there. But it was a tough night all around. We didn’t give him a lot of help. He stood on his head for us and it might have been a totally different game if he didn’t play that way.”
Junior forward Mike McLaughlin scored his third goal of the season in a third-period power play. It was the second consecutive night the Huskies tallied a goal with the extra man.
“I’ve been saying for years the chemistry on the ice is what enhances the scoring chances on the power play,” said Cronin, who praised freshmen Brodie Reid and Anthony Bitetto. “We’re trying to find the right five people together.”
Despite the two power play goals on the weekend, the Huskies are just 4-for-37 with the advantage this season.
“We would think it’s a problem if we weren’t getting the chances, but we’re getting the chances,” McNeely said. “The puck just needs to get in the net. And we’re pretty confident that will come.”
The Huskies take on Niagara in another non-conference match up before they begin a string of Hockey East games the following week. The puck drops at 7 p.m. Friday at Matthews.
“I think we all need to be on the same page,” Rawlings said. “That’s one of the issues we have is we’re not all on the same page. The biggest thing is playing as a team and everyone buying into the system, and I think wins will definitely come.”
