By Matt Foster
The women’s hockey team was rested and ready to go last night, defeating Brown University 4-2 at Matthews Arena.
Junior forward Ashley Bielawski led the way with two goals, including the go-ahead goal in the third, while juniors Crystal Rochon and Amy Goodney added one goal each to defeat the Bears for the first time since December 2001.
The Huskies improved to 3-10-1 (2-7-1 Hockey East) with the win while Brown fell to 3-7-1 overall.
“This is a huge win for us,” coach Laura Schuler said. “We’re starting to have the winning feeling, every game we play we get closer. Just getting this win is huge.”
Northeastern struck first when Rochon pushed a rebound shot past Brown’s freshman goalie Nicole Stock 34 seconds into the second. Captain Amy Goodney was credited with an assist on the play on which Rochon earned her fifth goal of the season.
It would take the Bears only 2:12 of the second to tie and take the lead. Their first goal came 17:31 into the second when sophomore forward Hayler Moore sent a rocket of a shot past senior Husky goalie Marisa Hourihan, who collected 41 saves in the game. Brown took the lead 19:25 into the period when senior forward Margaret Ramsey scored her third goal of the season.
“Both Brown goals were defensive zone mistakes,” Schuler said. “The defense zone is our responsibility; we have to give the goalie a chance to make a save.”
Bielawski took over 4:24 into the third on a beauty of a goal, baffling the Brown defense with a number of fakes. It was Bielawski’s sixth of the season.
“Ashley is tremendous,” Schuler said. “When she turns it on, she’s unstoppable.”
Bielawski sealed the deal 14:09 into the third, pushing a goal into the net off the pad of Barclay, her seventh of the season and second in the game. Senior defender Jennifer Beaudoin and freshman forward Cassie Sperry were credited with assists. Goodney padded the lead 14:34 into the period with a goal, her second of the season, off an assist from Rochon.
A week earlier, the Husky squad dropped both matchups against Hockey East rival New Hampshire. The Wildcats won the first game Nov. 19, 8-2, despite goals from Northeastern’s junior forwards Jessica Coppney and Ashley Bielawski.
New Hampshire swept the two-game series, and extended their winning streak against Northeastern to 14 games, by defeating the Huskies 2-0 Nov. 22. Senior stopper Marisa Hourihan made 52 saves, 20 in the third period.
While the Husky squad can’t hang with the Wildcats now, Schuler said her team is almost there.
“The girls take to the system very well, we went to New Hampshire after losing 8-2 and played very well. We were able to make some major corrections and came prepared to play,” Schuler said.
The Huskies resume Hockey East play on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. in Matthews Arena against the University of Maine, which is 8-3-3 (1-3-2 HE). The game is the second of the season and the first of a two-game set, after the two squads tied 1-1 on Oct. 23.
