By Sara Shaker, News Correspondent
The Northeastern women’s ice hockey team started its season with a 1-0 victory in its exhibition game against McGill University on Sunday at Matthews Arena.
Both teams came out strong, keeping the shots on goal fairly even throughout most of the game. Northeastern was shorthanded when senior forward Claire Santostefano scored from the left side of the net with an assist from senior forward Katie MacSorley for the game’s lone goal.
“I saw [MacSorely] out of the corner of my eye and I kind of just poked the puck to her,” Santostefano said. After receiving a pass from Santostefano, MacSorley then passed it back. “The goalie was committing to [MacSorley], so I was screaming for the puck and she slid it over.”
The goal came midway through the first period and the Huskies were able to keep the lead through the rest of the game.
“It was a hard working goal,” head coach Dave Flint said. “[Santostefano] works hard and she gets rewarded every once in a while, and that’s what we needed. I was really pleased with the way she played.”
With much of last year’s starting lineup having graduated, the team now has six freshmen they are hoping will step up. This was the first time playing in a college game for the freshmen players.
“With having freshmen come the nerves,” Flint said. “They don’t want to mess up. I felt like they all competed really hard today and that was our main goal going in.”
The incoming freshmen are bringing bigger size to the team than in previous years, according senior captain Maggie Brennolt.
She said she hopes the team can use that to their advantage.
“I’m very pleased with their efforts and I think they’ll fit in well,” Brennolt said.
The Huskies put freshman goalie Sarah Foss in for the third period, for her Northeastern women’s ice hockey debut.
McGill put on a lot of pressure in the third period, but Foss made 12 saves, blocking numerous rebounds.
“Nothing like pressure,” Flint said. “She gets put in in the third period of a 1-0 game.”
Two other freshmen to look out for are forward Hayley Scamurra and defenseman Heather Mottau.
“[They] impressed me right off the bat,” Flint said. “But I think that all of our freshmen are going to play and they are going to be kids we are going to count on.”
Last year during the 2012-13 season, the team won the Beanpot title. The players hope to be just as successful this season.
“We’d be lying if we said we weren’t trying to,” Brennolt said. “[It’s] still in the back of our heads right now. We definitely still have stuff to work on that’ll come from practicing together.”
Along with another shot at the Beanpot title, the Huskies hope to get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament, according to Brennolt and Santostefano.
“You always have those goals,” Flint said. “We have to take small steps this season. We don’t have the depth we had last year.”
After only a few practices, the team looks forward to building more chemistry amongst the players.
“It’s not easy to do right away necessarily,” Brennolt said. “So it’s good to get a game down under our belts.”
The Huskies kick off the regular season against Syracuse University Friday at 7 p.m. at Matthews Arena.
“We have a good group,” Flint said. “As long as they keep working hard and they’re invested in what we are doing, I think we’ll be successful.”
