By Madeline Sattler, News Staff
Despite missing several players due to both national team commitments and injury, the Northeastern women’s ice hockey team was able to go 1-0-1 against the University of Vermont Catamounts.
“I liked our effort playing with a real short bench all weekend,” head coach Dave Flint said.
Freshman forward Paige Savage and sophomore forward Kendall Coyne were in Finland representing team USA in the Four Nations Cup. Sophomore forward Lucie Povova was also away representing the Czech Republic.
The Huskies also lost junior forward Brittany Esposito to a knee injury during Saturday’s game.
Saturday afternoon, the Huskies were aided by two goals by senior forward Casey Pickett to defeat Vermont, 4-1. The Wilmington native has 10 points in her last three games.
Sunday’s game included sophomore forward Chelsea Goll’s first collegiate goal late in the game to put Northeastern up by one. But the Catamounts were able to respond and the contest ended in a 4-4 tie.
“All things considered – down numbers and people being hurt and sick and what not – it’s a good tie,” Pickett said.
The effects of playing back-to-back games while missing several players were apparent on Sunday, especially later in the game, despite getting on the board first on goals by senior forwards Rachel Llanes and Kelly Wallace.
The momentum shifted and the Catamounts took advantage of a tired Northeastern squad, scoring three unanswered goals in the second period.
“We faced some adversity when they went up 3-2,” Flint said. “We bounced back to make it 3-3.”
Junior forward Claire Santostefano tied the game at three on a Northeastern power play. Llanes sent the puck to Pickett whose shot bounced off Catamount junior goalie Roxanne Douville. Santostefano received the puck and slipped it past the goalie for her second goal of the season.
The third period did not see any scoring changes until late in the game. With 1:26 left to play Goll picked up the puck and pushed it past Douville.
“It was a scramble in front of the net,” Goll said. “I was hoping the puck would go in; I was praying.”
With 48 seconds left in the regulation, the Catamounts pulled Douville for an extra attacker and quickly capitalized on the switch, tying the game at four and forcing overtime.
“Being down numbers at the third period, we’re rolling two lines and it’s exhausting especially when you’re not used to doing that,” Pickett said. “We usually have four lines rolling in and out.”
Wallace had the best opportunity to give the Huskies the win in overtime with a shot that bounced off the crossbar, but neither team was able to find the back of the net.
“I liked how we played in overtime,” Flint said. “For us missing as many players as we were, I thought we fared pretty well.”
Wallace was a key player over the weekend, stepping up big when the Huskies needed it. She notched a goal in Saturday’s win as well and had a goal in each of the last three games.
Wallace was named the Women’s Hockey East Association’s Athletic Republic Player of the Week after tallying two goals and two assists in the weekend series. This is the fourth time this season a Husky has received this honor.
Northeastern will get Coyne, Savage and Povova back this week and Esposito should be ready to go soon as well.
“It’ll just be nice to have everyone back,” Pickett said. “The first thing we’ll focus on is getting back to last week and what we were working on then with the full team.”
The Huskies will need their depth this weekend as they open up a home-and-home series against the Boston College Eagles. Puck drop is Friday night at 7 p.m. at Matthews Arena.
“We got shut out against [Boston College] in league play last year and we’re looking for vengeance so hopefully we can come out with two big wins,” Pickett said.
