In a tight, chippy game that saw a slew of penalties, the Huskies managed to come away with two points Friday night after a 1-0 blanking of Massachusetts.
Sophomore goaltender Brad Thiessen recorded his second shutout of the season and sophomore forward Randy Guzior scored the game’s only goal a minute and a half into the second to give Northeastern what it needed to hold down the victory.
Guzior’s goal came on a power play as he rushed to the net and swung at a puck UMass goalie Paul Dainton had deflected into the air. The play was similar to one that occurred in the first period when the Huskies scored a goal that was eventually reviewed and disallowed. Once again referees went to review the replay, but this time the goal stood and the team was able to take the 1-0 lead.
“The goalie came out and challenged [freshman forward Wade] MacLeod, and he had a good shot, and then it just came up in the air,” Guzior said. “I was going toward the net and just whacked at it, right under crossfires. I was getting hit from behind, too.”
The lead held from there, though Northeastern had to fight off an intense UMass attack in the final few minutes of the game. The Minutemen drew three penalties in the final seven minutes, including a 5-on-3 that lasted for 40 seconds and a 6-on-4 situation for the final 30 seconds that resulted from an NU penalty and UMass’ pulled goalie.
However, the Huskies’ penalty kill unit, which had struggled in recent games, came through and was able to ward off the threat to finish off an important Hockey East win.
“I think it was an exciting game despite the fact there was only one goal scored,” head coach Greg Cronin said. “Penalty killing won the game for us. I thought Thiessen was terrific.”
Thiessen made 22 saves on the night. The effort lowered his goals against average to 2.51 for the season, and improved his save percentage to .912.
“I think tonight was our best defensive effort of the year. We played really well, real solid on [defense],” Thiessen said.
The two teams traded big hits throughout the night and came close to fighting on several occasions. There were 16 penalties called in the game, including four hit-after-the-whistle calls and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Despite the low score, the Huskies were not without their fair share of opportunities. The team hit net midway through the first, but the goal was waved off after it appeared a Northeastern player had smacked the puck in with his glove as Dainton blocked a shot into the air. Freshman forward Steve Silva also had a good chance earlier in the period to beat Dainton.
Dainton left the net open on his left side but Silva was unable to control the pass that came his way. Junior forward Joe Vitale had a chance as well on a 2-on-1 break early in the second, but he was tripped from behind and couldn’t convert the goal.
The Huskies also debuted new black alternate jerseys that appeared to be a throwback to the jerseys the team wore in the ’80s. They featured the same Husky head that graced the front of jerseys in the past with “Northeastern” above it.
NU can now look ahead to the Beanpot opening-round matchup against Harvard. Vitale said the win Friday night could help build some momentum for tonight’s game.
“Obviously it’s always good to get some momentum,” he said. “It’s a huge win. Confidence is a huge thing, especially for a young team like this.”
