By Sarah Moomaw
New men’s hockey coach Jim Madigan is still looking for his first Husky win after a tie in Friday’s home opener against the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a 6-3 loss Sunday at University of Maine, ending the weekend at 0-1-1.
Sophomore forward Braden Pimm’s goal with two seconds left in regulation on Friday gave the Huskies a chance for Madigan to win his inaugural game, but the tie went into the books.
“[Junior forward Vinny Saponari] flicked the puck in the air. I was coming in at the right time, it went off my shoulder and I whacked away as hard as I could,” Pimm said after the game. “Luckily, it crossed the line.”
Madigan said he was happy with the last minute performance by the line on the ice that forced overtime.
“I looked at our bench with 13 seconds left and the puck was outside the blue line. Sophomore defenseman Anthony Bitetto makes a great play and opens up,” Madigan said. “Most teams you’re done at 13 seconds … we got the puck in zone, flooded the net and we got a dirty, greasy goal, which is what we need to do in that situation.”
In overtime, Husky junior goaltender Chris Rawlings outsaved the Minutemen’s Kevin Boyle, 5 to 1, during 5 minutes of sudden death play. Neither team was able to sink a shot and the game ended in a tie, 3-3.
After a weak second period in which Northeastern only put up seven shots, UMass took notice that the Huskies came out strong during the last period.
“The third period was a challenge for us. Northeastern carried the play to a pretty large extent,” Minutemen head coach Don Cahoon said. “ Boyle stood up to it until the very end. We cheated on a couple of plays, trying to get pucks out of the zone, not being thorough and it cost us. That tie was well earned.”
In the first period, the packed DogHouse got into the game as junior forward Justin Daniels shot for his first career multi-goal game with two goals in less than two minutes, erasing a 0-1 lead by the Minutemen. The second was a power-play goal to tie the game.
“I know what Justin Daniels can do. He brings offense,” Madigan said. “He’s a good player. We’ve got some [talented] offensive players on this team. I know there aren’t a lot of players returning with offensive numbers, but there are some offensive players on this team.”
Northeastern’s advantage didn’t last as UMass’ Branden Gracel answered nine seconds later to tie the game at 2-2 with two minutes left in the first period on a break away goal just over Rawlings’ left shoulder as Northeastern’s power play expired.
The penalty boxes saw roughly equal time of offenders as Northeastern racked up seven penalties to UMass’ eight.
“We had too many penalties again tonight. It’s something we are going to have to address as a staff and with the team,” Madigan said.
Similar issues bogged the Huskies in Sunday afternoon’s tilt at No. 16 Maine, where the Huskies found themselves in the box 11 times, but couldn’t manage to score during eight power plays, losing 3-6.
The Black Bears used their power plays to an advantage, sinking two of six goals while up a man on the ice.
Between the Oct. 2 exhibition bout against St. Francis University, which the Huskies lost 8-5, and this weekend’s two regular season games, the attacking lines have paid 31 visits to the box.
Down by four on the scoreboard and one on the ice, Northeastern’s Vinny Saponari channeled his role in Friday night’s last minute goal, sinking Northeastern third goal of the game with just 10 seconds left in regulation – unfortunately it wasn’t enough to clear the deficit.
“I’d rather be on the Friday night side of the game, when we are scoring to get a point or two points (in the standings),” Madigan said. “But what it does show us is that we are playing a full 60 minutes and that’s what we’ve been talking about. The players have responded and we are playing a full 60 regardless of the score.”
Madigan pulled Rawlings from goal, giving playing time to sophomore Clay Witt, who blocked 11 shots in just over 11 minutes in the net, ending the game without allowing a goal. Madigan made the switch hoping to restructure the defense out in front.
“We were a little too loose defensively for my liking,” Madigan said. “Clay Witt had a good week in practice and thought it was an opportunity to get him some playing time … We will evaluate the goaltending situation from game to game, but we are pleased with the presence of all three.”
College Hockey News reported Oct. 2 junior forward Steve Quailer did not dress in the exhibition game due to serving a suspension left over from last season under ex-coach Greg Cronin. Madigan said to expect Quailer back in Friday’s lineup, when the Huskies make another go at their first win this season.
“Quailer brings experience to the lineup, he’s had success in Hockey East. He brings offense, which I think will be a vigil for us offensively,” he said.
Tomorrow, the Huskies will take on the University of New Hampshire Wildcats at Matthews Arena at 7 p.m.
