BOSTON — After starting the season with four games of non-conference play, Northeastern and crosstown rival Boston University met at Matthews Arena for the Huskies’ long-awaited first Hockey East matchup of the season. The 4-0 Northeastern win, characterized by a chippy atmosphere and offensive firepower, did not disappoint.
The Huskies entered the contest with a 2-2-0 record after facing two nationally ranked teams in No. 12 Penn State and No. 10 Quinnipiac, winning the first game of each schedule pairing. BU sported a 1-2-0 record before the game on Friday, a record created by a resounding 7-1 home victory over Merrimack, and two ensuing losses at No. 2 Minnesota.
Following a week which saw senior forward Skylar Irving earn Hockey East Player of the Week honors, and freshman linemate Éloïse Caron tally five points through her first four NCAA games, the Northeastern pair carried their hot streak into Friday.
The Huskies got the scoring starting just 5:25 into the first period, when Irving’s looping pass into the neutral zone was controlled by Caron and fired home. The first line, completed by graduate student forward Jaden Bogden, has turned heads by amassing 15 points in the opening four games of the season. And it’s shown no intention of slowing down.
“Starting the game fast has kind of been our achilles heel for the last couple years,” said Northeastern head coach Dave Flint, who was pleased with the quick work of his top line. “It’s nice to see that we’re starting games fast and doing a good job of that.”
While the quick start may have added confidence to the Northeastern lineup, it did not add any more goals. When the horn signaling the first intermission sounded, Caron’s third goal of the season was the sole difference in a 1-0 lead for the home team.
Goaltender Paige Taborski played her role in the first period shutout well, turning away eight shots on goal and helping boost the stats of a Northeastern penalty kill that entered the showdown successful in 11 of their last 13 shorthanded spells.
As the second period unfolded, the Huskies suffered a similar experience to the home opener against Quinnipiac. For the second consecutive Friday, the momentum from the quick start in the opening 20 minutes dissipated into a defensive battle which saw the Huskies fend off repeated attacks in their own zone for significant portions of the middle frame.
Although little was to be shown in the goal column for a large part of it, the second period was packed with action. Taborski amassed seven saves of her own as the Northeastern defense stepped up to intercept a further five Terrier attempts.
When BU sophomore forward Alex Law hit the post with six minutes to play in the middle period, the clang off the iron was not the only collision the game had seen. The two teams combined for three penalties in the final ten minutes of the period, the last of which was called for a heavy hit laid by graduate student forward Lindsay Bochna on Northeastern forward Holly Abela with 3:40 left in the period.
Curled up along the boards, Abela found herself caught in the most physical part of a second period where the visiting Terriers only looked to be gaining momentum. But two minutes later, it seemed the heavy hit may have been just what the Huskies needed to move the needle.
In her next shift, Abela proved she has no short memory and made her presence felt. Picking up a puck in the slot, the junior ripped a shot high above senior netminder Callie Shanahan’s glove to ripple the twine and extend the lead to 2-0.
Reflecting on her timely goal, Abela credited the team’s preparation.
“We’ve had a huge emphasis on making sure we have someone high supporting the puck and being defensively responsible,” Abela said. “I happened to capitalize.”
Before Abela’s goal could even be announced to the 1,203 fans in attendance, the Huskies struck once more. The infamous first line was at the center of the action again, with Bogden releasing a stretch pass into neutral ice that Caron delicately slid five-hole for her second goal of the game.
Despite significant time spent in its own zone, Northeastern entered the third period with a growing lead. Flint credits a complete team effort that refused to break when it bent.
“The defense was really solid… if we’re going to be successful this year, everybody’s got to contribute,” Flint said. “Defense has got to be solid, and it was today, and goaltending was solid, and that’s where it starts. The offensive piece; we took advantage of the opportunities we got.”
The chippy atmosphere of the second frame continued into the third, with five penalties taking place in just 23 seconds’ worth of play.
The Huskies maintained their composure, adding one more goal past sophomore goaltender Mari Pietersen, who replaced Shanahan at the start of the third period. The goal was scored by sophomore forward Ella Blackmore, who deposited freshman forward Morgan Jackson’s between-the-legs pass from beneath the red line for her first goal of the season. Blackmore’s placement on the second line was a new change entering the game on Friday, after graduate student Katie Davis filled the role over the first four games.
“We were relying a little too much on our first line for some goals… [Blackmore] stepped up in that role and did a nice job today,” Flint said.
When all was said and done, the level-headed Huskies came away with a 4-0 victory. Taborski made 26 saves in her first shutout of the season, and Northeastern etched its first win in Hockey East for the year.
Northeastern will travel to Agganis Arena to face BU again Saturday. WRBB will have full coverage from Max Schwartzberg and Jackson Goodman with puck-drop scheduled for 3 p.m. on WRBB Sports+.