Northeastern gets a wild last-second goal in regulation to come back and tie UMass on opening night at Matthews arena.
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Thursday, October 69:00 p.m. – Hockey East This Week
Guest panelist: Joe Meloni (College Hockey News)
Friday, October 73:00 p.m. – Dog Pound Sports Sound
Interview: Jim Madigan (Northeastern hockey head coach)
6:45 p.m. – Northeastern Hockey Pre-Game
7:00 p.m. – Northeastern Hockey: Huskies vs. UMass Minutemen
with Alex Faust, Jared Shafran, and Ben Horner
from Matthews Arena
12:45 p.m. – Northeastern Hockey Pre-Game
1:00 p.m. – Northeastern Hockey: Huskies at Maine Black Bears
with Alex Faust, Jared Shafran, and Ben Horner
from Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine
Our Hockey East previews roll on as we take a look at the UMass Minutemen
Last Season: 6-23-6 (5-16-6), Finished 8th, Lost in 1st Rd to Boston College
What Happened: The Minutemen lost a lot of talent from their 2009-2010 team, including James Marcou, and the losses were very evident. Umass went 3-0 against Umass-Lowell and 2-16-6 against the rest of Hockey East and finished the season on a 14 game winless streak. They were 9th in the conference in power play and penalty kill, as well as goals allowed per game (3.49). There were, however, some bright spots for the Minutemen. Michael Pereira came in as a freshman and was one of three 25 point scorers for the Umass-Amherst (along with Daniel Hobbs and T.J Syner), and the team qualified for postseason play for the fourth consecutive season as the 8th seed in the Hockey East playoffs but were dispatched in two games by Boston College.
Key Losses:
Key Returners:
2011-2012 Outlook:
The Minutemen did not lose much in terms of scoring, as they return 9 of their top 10 scorers, or in terms of defense. The biggest question mark facing the Minutemen this season will be how they replace four-year starting goalie, Paul Dainton. If the Minutemen can find some consistency between the pipes, and their sophomores such as Pereira, Joel Hanley, and Adam Philips all continue to improve, then they will find themselves back in the Hockey East playoff picture for another year.
Mike McMahon from the Eagle Tribune posted on Twitter earlier today that Fenway Park and Hockey East are exploring another doubleheader this winter, but the two games will not include one of the closest schools to Fenway: Northeastern
Source indicates UMass vs. Maine and UNH vs. UVM will be an outdoor double-header at Fenway Park this January. Unsure of date.4 hours ago via TweetDeck 
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Mike McMahon
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Reaction so far has been mixed, with some excited for the return of outdoor college hockey, others questioning why schools closer to Fenway such as Merrimack College (which went to the NCAA tournament this past season) and one of Fenway’s advertising partners, Northeastern University, are to be left out.
Participation by Maine and UNH was originally reported by the Bangor Daily News last week.
22nd Annual Baseball Beanpot – Consolation Game
3:15 p.m. – Huskies Pre-Game
3:30 p.m. – Northeastern Baseball: Huskies vs. UMass Minutemen
from Fenway Park in Boston, Mass.
with Patrick McHugh, Dan Groob, and Kainani Stevens
2:50 p.m. – Huskies Pre-Game
3:00 p.m. – Northeastern Baseball: Huskies vs. William & Mary Tribe
from Friedman Diamond in Brookline, Mass.
with TBA
Backed behind two strong performances from sophomore goaltender Chris Rawlings, the Northeastern men’s hockey team earned three points from their weekend series with the UMass Minutemen.
Rawlings held the Minutemen scoreless on Friday in a 3-0 Huskies victory for his third shutout in four games and then made 39 saves in a 2-2 tie the following night when the team traveled to Amherst.
Friday night the Huskies took the lead in the second period when freshman center Braeden Pimm came down the left side, moved right in front of UMass goaltender Paul Dainton, and made a perfect deke to free up the right side and put the puck in the open net.
NU broadened their lead to 2-0 when freshman forward Rob Dongara wristed one over the right shoulder of Dainton and into the net for his fifth goal of the season.
The Huskies buckled down in the third period as the defense played well in front of Rawlings and clamped down on the UMass chances, not allowing any type of comeback.
“The team’s playing well and it’s making my job easier,” Rawlings said. “The second half of the season is huge, especially the last three weekends. It’s nice to be on a roll like we are, heading into those last weekends because they’re huge and it’s such a tight race.”
Minutemen head coach Toot Cahoon elected to pull his goaltender with just over two minutes remaining and senior captain Tyler McNeely capitalized by hitting the empty netter and sealing the game for NU.
“I think our back-checking has gotten more intelligent about how they’re coming back,” Husksies head coach Greg Cronin said. “That communication is critical and they’ve kind of figured it out.”
The next night, things evened out as no goals were scored in either the third period or overtime and the teams skated to a 2-2 tie.
“I told our guys that we were lucky to get out of here with a point,” Cronin said after the game at the Mullins Center on Saturday night. “The last time we were here our power play looked like the Vancouver Canucks power play and tonight they did a great job shutting it completely down.”
Rawlings made 39 saves in the win, and kept the team in the game in overtime, making eight saves in the extra period.
“Their first goal they got was a bad goal,” Cronin said. “I don’t know what happened but a year ago that would’ve rattled (Rawlings), he might’ve struggled for a little bit. This year he just put it past him and he was good the rest of the way.”
After the game on Friday night, Rawlings said he is feeling more comfortable between the pipes this season.
“It’s not my first year this year, I’m used to every rink,” Rawlings said. Everything about college hockey is nothing new to me and I’m definitely more comfortable.”
The offense came quickly in the second game of the series as senior forward Wade MacLeod scored just 33 seconds into the contest, giving the Huskies the early 1-0 lead.
The Minutemen wasted no time in responding, as Chase Langerrap tied the game a minute and 16 seconds later.
UMass then took their first lead of the weekend when Michael Perriera notched his tenth goal of the season, beating Rawlings to the top right corner of the net.
The Huskies tied it on MacLeod’s second of the night and thirteenth of the season 3:01 into the second period.
On a night where most of the Huskies offense came from their number one line composed of three seniors, Cronin spoke about how important they are to his team.
“We’re blessed to have them because not only are they good players, they’re good people,” Cronin said. “Those guys are critical and they were good tonight.”
Northeastern improved their record to 8-10-7 overall and 7-7-6 in Hockey East play, good for sixth place in the standings and widening their lead to five points over UMass.
The Minutemen drop to 6-13-5 overall and stay in seventh place in Hockey East with a mark of 5-8-5.
Northeastern has one more game left before the Beanpot as they’ll host No. 12 Merrimack at Matthews Arena on Friday night at 7 p.m.
NU will play Harvard in the first round of the annual Monday night tournament at the TD Garden. The puck drops at 5 p.m. and the game will be televised by NESN.
Greg Cronin talks about his team’s effort Saturday night in Amherst:
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Meanwhile, Don “Toot” Cahoon praised his team for coming out with a stronger effort on Saturday night.
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In a fast, physical game, the Minutemen come away with a tie at home 2-2, with NU taking 3 points on the weekend.
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