In its second-to-last game in Matthews Arena, No. 6 Northeastern women’s hockey (13-4, 9-1 HE) took a tough 4-3 loss in overtime to the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (9-7-2, 5-4-1 HE).
The loss broke the team’s undefeated streak at Matthews Arena and in conference play. Head coach Dave Flint didn’t mince words post-game.
“Terrible effort, terrible execution,” Flint said. “We didn’t deserve to win the game, so we got what we deserved … Nobody impressed me. We were bad through the whole lineup.”Northeastern started off strong with the first two goals but wasn’t able to shake UNH’s trailing, ultimately being surpassed in overtime.
New Hampshire head coach and Northeastern Hall of Famer Hilary Witt was honored with a ceremonial puck drop, a fitting end for the last match between the teams in Matthews. The ceremony also increased the stakes for the Wildcats to win their final game in the historic arena.
To kick off, senior forward Holly Abela chased a puck down the ice, taking control and scoring against junior goaltender Sedona Blair just six minutes in. It was her second goal of the season.
Flint has been testing out freshman goaltender Renna Trembecky against less competitive teams this season. This was her fifth game of the season, and it was rocky for the freshman, who let in three goals but made 24 saves to keep Northeastern in the game. It’s likely that the typical starter, sophomore Lisa Jönsson, will be in the net come this weekend.
“I don’t think it was [Trembecky’s] best game. But, you know, she’s young. She had some nice saves, but we didn’t give her a ton of support either. It’s a team game,” Flint said.
It didn’t take long for captain and senior forward Lily Shannon to find the net. A minute after Abela, she slipped the puck under Blair’s pads for a 2-0 scoreboard. Shannon is currently ranked sixth in the NCAA in goals per game with an average of .75.
The teams went back and forth with even shots on goal by the end of the first period. UNH’s junior defender Sadie Makokis received a major for elbowing that bled into the second period. The call was initially a minor but was challenged by Witt.
Unfortunately for the Huskies, less than a minute into the third period and with three minutes left in the Huskies’ power play, UNH’s freshman forward Nina Rossi scored a shorthanded goal, cutting the Northeastern lead in half for a 2-1 game.
After sophomore defender Tristan Thompson took a penalty for cross-checking 10 minutes in, the Wildcats seized the opportunity to tie the game. Freshman forward Josie Linn took a shot to the left of the net. The Wildcats had nine shots on goal in the second period to the Huskies’ six, with several hitting the post.
The Huskies took control of the game once again when sophomore forward Morgan Jackson took a shot to the upper corner of Blair’s net off an assist from junior forward Allie Lalonde.
Northeastern came in hot in the third period, immediately attempting four close shots on goal before both teams earned themselves penalties in the fourth minute. The game heated up as the teams went shot-for-shot at a rapid-fire pace. In the 10th minute, a near goal by Shannon bounced off the rim, further building the tension.
Players were hitting the ice left and right as the minutes ticked down. A penalty on senior defender Jules Constantinople with just four minutes to go proved fatal for the Huskies. Despite being the highest-ranked penalty kill unit in the NCAA, just seconds in, the Huskies gave up the equalizer, making the score 3-3. Sophomore forward Addison Spitz passed back and forth with Linn before she nailed a shot into the upper net.
The game went to overtime, where Northeastern took five shots on goal to UNH’s two before senior forward and captain Kelly Harty finished the game for the Wildcats with a shot over Trembecky’s pads.
Northeastern will take on Boston College Eagles (9-7-1, 7-2-1 HE) for a double header Dec. 5 and 6 that will mark the end of the team’s time in Matthews Arena.
“[The team] better figure it out pretty quick, or it’s going to be an embarrassing weekend against BC, because BC’s better than UNH,” Flint said.
