Union/RPI Recap

It was a great weekend for the Huskies as they traveled to NY to compete against Union and RPI. They won both games by a score of 2-1, playing the type of game that Dave Flint has wanted to see from this team.

Kelly Wallace had a goal in each of the games, scoring Saturdays game winner, while Paige Savage and Maggie DiMasi each contributing to the winning effort. Chloe Desjardins played extremely well, stopping 22 shots on Friday, and 33 on Saturday. The Huskies have now improved to 3-1 as they move on the face Cornell in Ithaca, NY this upcoming weekend.

Cornell will be a test of how well the Huskies handle playing against one of the best teams in the country. It will be crucial for them to continue the momentum they have gained so far as this is their last non-conference weekend. Desjardins will be the key to keeping the Huskies in the game; they need to know that they can count on her to be there to support and guide them. The score of both games needs to stay low in order for this to be a successful weekend for the Huskies. Two close games against a tough team will be more beneficial for Northeastern in the long run. 

To read the GoNU.com recap of Union, click here. To read the GoNU.com recap of RPI, click here. 

Syracuse/RIT Recap

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Ahearn Photography

The Huskies started out the season on a sour note, falling to Syracuse 4-1. Overall, the team looked nervous, and even scared at some points; they weren’t connecting on passes, didn’t shoot as much as they could, and scrambled in their defensive zone. Maggie Brennolt was the lone scorer for the Huskies, with the goal coming off of a slapshot from the top of the circles. Execution was the main reason the Huskies couldn’t find the back of the net; they had plenty of chances but they had trouble finishing. Chloe Desjardins had the start in net, but she didn’t play up to her potential. Desjardins is an aggressive and agile goalie who likes to come out of the net to play the puck. On Friday night, she was all over the place. One of the big mistakes was passing the puck up the boards to the stick of an incoming Syracuse defensemen. Those types of mistakes are alright when playing a team like the Orange, but teams such as BC and BU will capitalize on all of these mistakes.

A brand new system of playing with three defensemen and only two forwards, was also a factor in the loss to Syracuse. The system overall is a great idea for this team with so many strong defensemen. In this system, the forwards will have many more passing outlets, as well as the ability to crash the net. The system also gives the defense more of a role in the offense. With the loss of Kendall Coyne, Casey Pickett, and Rachel Llanes, it’s important for this team to find the scoring touch from all the players on the ice.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Ahearn Photography

Even though this system caused some confusion during Friday’s game, the team looked in their element during Saturday afternoon’s game vs. RIT. Right from the start, passes were crisper, and communication was much improved, especially in the defensive zone. The Huskies scored their first goal on the penalty kill, with Chelsey Goldberg taking the first shot of the game on Ali Binnington and putting the puck in the back of the net. She would go on to score another shorthanded goal later on in the game. Although the Huskies looked like much more of a team in Saturday’s game, they let RIT stay in the game for much too long. Desjardins got her second start of the year, and unfortunately did not play up to her potential. RIT’s first goal came off of a breakaway by Jess Paton as her penalty expired, and took a great shot to Desjardins glove side for the goal to tie the game. Although the Huskies defense should have gotten back to cover Paton as she got out of the box, Desjardins should easily be able to save a breakaway. Throughout the game, Desjardins made some good saves, but didn’t communicate enough with her teammates, and was, again, a little too aggressive around her crease.

The whole weekend, the Huskies were plagued by penalties. After the Orange had made it 3-1 in the third period, the Huskies started to take penalties out of frustration. If they want to be competitive in the league, they need to stay out of the box for the rest of the season.

To see the Northeastern recap and highlights from the Syracuse game, click here. To see the Northeastern recap and highlights from the RIT game, click here.

Huskies vs. Cuse Preview

The Huskies are 2-0-1 against the Orange in the past three seasons; this Friday, they will meet again in Matthews Arena. This game should be a good test for the Huskies to see how well they can work their systems against a maturing Orange team.

Kallie Billadeau will be the biggest challenge for the Huskies. Last year, the goaltender posted a .940 save percentage over 25 games, with a win-loss record of 16-9. If she continues her success this year, the Orange should be able to keep their position in the CHA standings.

Courtesy of NCAA.com

A common theme for the Huskies this season will be finding the back of the net without Kendall Coyne, Casey Pickett, and Rachel Llanes. Claire Santostefano scored the lone goal in their 1-0 win over McGill this past weekend; she could be one of the breakout players this season. Kelly Wallace and Brittany Esposito, who both had great years last year, will be counted on to contribute right away to the Husky offense. Paige Savage and Katie MacSorley round out the top returning scorers for this years squad, Savage being the potential breakout star of the upcoming season after a successful time at the US Development Camp in June. Rookies Hayley Scamurra and Hayley Masters are two strong and agile forwards who add great depth to the Husky offense. Both played well in the exhibition vs. McGill and should have two great games this weekend.

If there’s one area where the Huskies will be strong from the start, it is their defensive core. With the senior leadership of Maggie DiMasi, who amassed 23 points on 21 assists last season, and Colleen Murphy, the Husky defense should be stable and steady during Friday’s game. As long as they support Chloe Desjardins, the Husky defense should be successful against the Orange.

The Huskies in September

September was a busy month for the Huskies. They started out with a few days of testing followed by captains practices before falling into the hands of coach Dave Flint. It’s going to be an interesting year for the Huskies, with the departure of Kendall Coyne to the US Olympic team, and Casey Pickett and Rachel Llanes to graduation. As Flint stated in a USCHO article, the Huskies are “ just going to have to play more of a team game this year and not rely on one line so much.” The Huskies have a few games to find that scoring touch before they face their toughest competition in Cornell, BU and BC.

The Huskies played their first exhibition game against McGill this past weekend and they played well, holding out for the 1-0 win. The lone goal came from Claire Santostefano from a pass by Katie MacSorley. All three goaltenders had a chance to see some action, with Foss coming up big in the last few minutes to keep the 1-0 lead.

In other news, the Huskies have been picked to finish 3rd in the Hockey East preseason poll. Other ranking systems have them in fourth, but in all of the situations, the Huskies are right behind BC and BU. They also received votes in the USCHO poll, coming in at number 10.

Overall the team looks poised to come out with two wins at Matthews this weekend. They play Syracuse on Friday at 7pm, followed by RIT on Saturday at 3pm.
To read the article from USCHO.com, click here.