By: Josh Brown
BOSTON – If you are looking for a signature moment to cap off Adam Gaudette’s Hobey Baker resume, look no further than Friday night at Matthews Arena.
Down 4-3 with 40 seconds remaining in the third, Gaudette was left all alone at the left dot in the Northeastern offensive zone. In what looked like an almost effortless motion, fellow Hobey Baker nominee Dylan Sikura fed Gaudette with a one-time opportunity from atop the right circle that he fired past Providence goalie Hayden Hawkey.
Tie game.
Not only did Gaudette’s goal salvage a 4-4 tie for the Huskies, but with Boston College’s loss to UMass-Lowell the Huskies now own a share of first place in Hockey East.
The game-tying tally was Gaudette’s 19th goal of the season and fifth game-winning strike. Gaudette, who also had a goal at the 8:04 mark of the third, now has an NCAA leading six multi-goal games.
Cayden Primeau got the start in net for Northeastern (15-6-4, 11-4-2), making 29 saves on the evening. Hawkey, a fellow Montreal draft pick, saved 20 shots for the Friars (16-8-3, 9-5-3).
Although Northeastern carried the momentum early, Providence got on the board first courtesy of Scott Conway. At the 9:58 mark of the opening frame, Conway collected a rebound off a shot from Brandon Duhaime and jammed it past Primeau.
The Huskies responded on the power play with just 1:53 remaining in the period. After Gaudette forced the defense down low, he hit Davies with a one-timer at the point that beat Hawkey glove side.
The Friars tacked on two goals in the second period to take a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. Conway scored his second of the game at the 17:49 mark on the power play and Ben Mirageas answered with one of his own 1:56 later.
Although the Huskies cut the deficit to 3-2 on Gaudette’s first goal of the night, Providence scored just 26 seconds later when Vimal Sukumaran drew Primeau out of his net on a breakaway opportunity and netted his seventh of the year at the 8:30 mark of the third.
Eric Williams helped Northeastern cut the deficit back to one less than three minutes later on his third goal of the year. Zach Solow won a faceoff at the left dot that was corralled by Matt Filipe. The sophomore dished the puck to a wide-open Williams, who took a couple strides back to the dot and beat Hawkey five-hole.
With the Huskies pressing in its offensive zone late in the third, Gaudette finished off the comeback with 40 seconds remaining.
Northeastern and Providence will meet again Saturday night at Schneider Arena in the rubber game of the series. WRBB will have complete coverage, with pregame beginning at 6:45 p.m.
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