Two seniors made the most of their final game. Just not the two you were thinking of.
Brian Sullivan scored with 5:39 to tie the game and Mike Gilhooly made 25 saves as the Huskies avenged an earlier season 1-0 loss at home to beat Merrimack, 4-1 in front of 2,292 thunderstix holding fans at Matthews Arena.
Sullivan, the unlikliest of heros, scored his first goal of the season off a face off when he ripped a slap shot from the blue line that whizzed past Warrior goalie Joe Exter and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
“I was just hoping to get it by their first forward,” said Sullivan. “coach has told us all year to do that. I’d like to think I sparked the team. But we played hard all night and he’s obviously frustrated us all year. I don’t score too many goals so when you get one at home, it’s pretty nice.”
“The guys really rallied around us, said Gilhooly. “Everyone was relaxed and wanted to have fun out there.
“I couldn’t have been happier to see that guy score a goal,” he continued about Sullivan. “I was just thrilled for him. He’s had some curve ball thrown at him the last few weeks and that’s just a great way to go out.”
“His goal was like, ‘hey we can score,'” said Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder. “I keep telling the guys to get it to the net.”
Exter had snuffed NU 1-0 earlier in the season at Matthews and beat the Huskies again, 3-1 in Merrimack a month ago.
“We finally beat Exter,” Crowder happily announced to the press after the game. “All you have to do is take him out of the net.”
Mike Morris was able to beat Exter too, just 1:44 later when a pass to Merrimack defenseman Nick Cammarata hopped over his stick and into the grasp of Morris at the Merrimack blue line that sent the talented freshman in one-on-one with Exter and he beat the senior top shelf.
With one minute remaining, the Warriors pulled Exter and Brian Tudrick jumped all over the opportunity wristing a little back hand to make it 3-1.
Not to be outdone by his senior counterparts, Mike Ryan scored an empty net goal 28 seconds later from center ice to send the Warriors home.
Lowell lost to Providence, 4-1 at Schneider Arena giving the Huskies a two point advantage in the standings. Should Lowell and NU tie tomorrow night, the Huskies would clinch the eighth and final Hockey East spot.
“It all comes down to tomorrow,” said Sullivan. “It’s not going to be x’s and o’s, it’s going to be about who wants to play next weekend.”
Keni Gibson will get the start tomorrow night in net for NU. The decision was made prior to Friday night’s contest.
“He’s been really supportive,” said Gilhooly of Gibson. “We’ve supported each other. We both want to win.”
