The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

Men’s hockey tops UMass-Lowell 4-1 at Frozen Fenway

By Chris Judd, News Staff

The men’s hockey team played one of its most memorable games this season on Saturday in Fenway Park.

“I thought it was a great game,” head coach Jim Madigan said. “It was a great venue for our kids to be part of. I’ve said before we’re in the same community as Fenway Park. Our kids are over here a lot in the spring and the summertime and the fall watching games. To be able to play, it’s a great opportunity. The experience and the memory is really lasting when you win.”

The weather added to the already-electric atmosphere of the game. Instead of getting snow as you would expect in a Boston winter, the players had to contend with rain and temperatures in the mid 40s.

“It’s an amazing atmosphere,” junior goalie Clay Witt said. “It’s exciting, it’s fun to be a part of. It’s something that I’ll tell my grandkids about. The conditions, the buildup, the change in time and all the distractions that go around it, and doing it with really good guys is exciting. … [In the] first period I wished it wasn’t raining, but looking back it was way cooler that way.”

The weather forced some changes to the game. Each period was divided into two 10-minute halves and teams switched sides at the end of each. The zambonis also quickly cleaned the ice at times. The rain made it tough for long passes, so both teams focused more on making quick plays and getting the puck to the net. The fact that the game wasn’t played in typical hockey conditions made it more memorable.

The Riverhawks came out strong as they fired 20 shots on goal in the opening period. Witt stopped all their shots through the opening period and kept Northeastern in the game.

The Huskies had 13 shots on goal in the first period. Junior forward Adam Reid passed the puck from behind the net to freshman forward Dalen Hedges, who had a shot that UMass Lowell goalie Doug Carr kicked away.

The Husky depth continued to get offensive opportunities throughout the first period, as there were multiple loose pucks near the net, but they could not get past Carr before the first 20 minutes ended.

Senior forward Braden Pimm, who was just named co-captain for the Huskies, hit a post five minutes into the second period. He scored two minutes later when freshman forward Mike Szmatula forced a turnover and sped up the ice with Pimm. Pimm elected to take the shot on a two-on-one and beat Carr, giving him a five-game point streak in which he’s scored four goals in the previous two games.

“When I’m playing with players like [sophomore forward] Kevin Roy and [freshman forward] John Stevens, two great players, it opens up ice for me,” Pimm said. “And everyone seems to have their eyes on Kevin, he’s such a good player, that he opens up ice for everyone else. And [Witt] gives us big saves and momentum swings. I just stay positive, and open up my game.”

The Huskies went on the power play less than a minute later. Szmatula fired a shot from the blue line, which Carr saved. Carr could not control the rebound, and the puck laid in front of the net, where freshman Matt Benning shot it in to give the Huskies a two goal lead.

The Riverhawks had a chance to get back into the game with a power play opportunity with five minutes left in the second period. However, it was the Huskies who capitalized.

Junior forward Torin Snydeman broke up the Riverhawks play in their own zone. Junior captain Josh Manson got the puck and skated down ice. He deked past a defender, and had an open lane. He shot the puck from the left dot under Carr’s glove for his first career shorthanded goal.

The Riverhawks got some life in the dying seconds of the period when the Huskies were slow to get back on defense. Witt blocked Joseph Pendenza’s initial shot, but he passed it out to Zack Kamrass at the left dot, who one timed it over Witt’s shoulder with five seconds left.

The Riverhawks outshot Northeastern 17-7 in the third period, but the Huskies extended their lead. The Riverhawks went on a power play with just under three minutes left in the game. Down by two goals, they elected to pull Carr. Pimm broke up a play at the blue line and skated down ice with two defenders giving chase. He kept control, and put the puck in the net to give Northeastern a 4-1 lead and scored the second shorthanded goal of the game.

“My first year coaching he had 10 goals and 15 assists, so 25 points,” Madigan said. “Last year was an off year for him. We made it a point that this year was his senior year. Something happens going into your senior year. You want your senior year to be something that you’ll always remember and you want your team to do well. He dedicated himself, not September, but May to strength and conditioning. … He’s been consistent since day one. He helps us not just offensively, but kills penalties and is an all-around player.”

Although the Huskies got two shorthanded goals, the Riverhawks had 10 shots on goal in three power play opportunities. Witt faced 47 total shots in the game.

“Me and our goalie coach kind of mapped out a plan of what we wanted to do with the conditions,” Witt said. “I was basically staying down a lot, making sure nothing gets below. It was actually easy to slide around because of all the puddles but I had to stay between my posts.”

Northeastern has two home games this weekend against University of Vermont. The Huskies will square off against the Catamounts on Friday and Saturday night, Jan. 17 and 18, with both games dropping the puck at 7 p.m.

More to Discover