By Julianne Desjardins, news correspondent
The Northeastern University (NU) women’s hockey team had a rough start to their season, losing two games to the St. Lawrence University Saints over the weekend.
Friday, Sept. 30 started out on a high note when the Huskies unveiled a banner in Matthews Arena honoring Kendall Coyne for receiving the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which is given to the top women’s hockey player in Division I. Coyne, who graduated last year, scored 50 goals in her senior season for NU.
The Saints quickly spoiled the mood and scored three goals in the first period, two of which came from senior center Brooke Webster. She continued to haunt the Huskies in the second period and scored once again. In the third period, St. Lawrence scored a third goal.
The Huskies remained quiet for the entire game and ended up being shut out.
Head coach David Flint told his players after the game that their execution “just wasn’t there,” and they had to put in more effort on Saturday.
The Huskies did just that in game two.
They trailed going into the second period once again and the Saints continued to pound on them with a total of three goals a few minutes into the period.
The Huskies finally broke through with their first goal of the regular season scored by senior forward Hayley Scamurra, with assists from freshman defenseman Codie Cross and junior forward Denisa Krizova after a holding penalty was called on Kirsten Padalis of the Saints.
NU then came within striking distance when freshman right wing Kasidy Anderson scored with an assist from freshman forward Bailey Coyne.
After the Saints scored once more in the second period to take a 4-2 lead, the Huskies came right back as junior forward McKenna Brand scored to bring them back within one point with assists from Krizova and senior defenseman Heather Mottau.
The two teams continued to battle back and forth in the third period as St. Lawrence scored at 7:31, but Brand, assisted by Mottau and Coyne, and Krizova, assisted by Hayley Scamurra and junior forward Halle Silva, each scored to tie the game at five points apiece with a little over eight minutes left in regulation.
The rest of the third period was a dogfight, with each team trying to break through but coming up short.
The game looked like it was about to head into overtime when junior forward Hannah Miller of the Saints scored the game-winning goal with just eighteen seconds left.
Despite their improvements on Saturday, Flint realized that the team still has a long way to go.
“They need to learn to execute, and they need game management,” he said. “Monday we’ll get back at it and prepare for next weekend.”
The Huskies will face off against the Lindenwood Lions in Wentzville, Missouri for two games on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8.
Photo by Jerry Yu.
