NORTH ANDOVER, MA — Northeastern battled through a slow start and leaned on their special teams, depth scoring, and stellar goaltending from Lisa Jönsson to come out on top with a 4-1 win against Merrimack. The win demonstrated the team’s ability to maintain their energy and focus through a demanding stretch of the schedule.
Despite a sluggish start, assistant coach Lindsay Berman praised the team’s resilience.
“We weren’t happy with our start. We didn’t want to work our way into the game, but we really liked the way we finished,” she said. “Merrimack came out hot, and Lisa held us in there, so thankful for her. But yeah, we put it together at the end, and six games in 12 days—we’re happy with the way this ended.”
The Huskies struck first just over five minutes into the opening period. Senior forward Skylar Irving buried a crisp feed from defender Kristina Allard to give Northeastern the 1-0 lead.
However, Merrimack responded late in the first frame. At 15:40, sophomore Emma Pfeffer capitalized on a setup from junior Alex Ferguson, beating Jönsson to tie the game at 1-1.
In the second period, Northeastern’s improved power play proved decisive. With the Huskies up a skater, senior Tory Mariano unleashed a blistering shot from the point at 13:38 into the frame to restore Northeastern’s lead. Mariano’s goal marked a critical turning point, as the Huskies began to take control of the game.
Once Northeastern found its rhythm, the offensive contributions began pouring in, with the fourth line continuing its impressive recent form highlighted.
Just 3:50 into the third period, fourth-line forward Holly Abella extended the Huskies’ lead to 3-1, finishing a beautiful passing play from linemates Katie Davis and Ellie Mabardy. Abella, who has been a standout energy player all season, credited her linemates for creating the opportunity.
“Honestly, it was a great team effort by both my linemates,” Abella said. “I happened to be jumping up in the play, and [Calli Hogarth] had been scored on all weekend high blocker, so I went there, and it went in.”
Coach Berman also commented on the effort that the fourth line has been displaying,
“That group has been dialed,” Berman said. “They’ve been getting quite a few shoutouts in the room because they’ve just brought it every day, whether it be practice or game. So we hoped they’d be rewarded for all their work, and they finally are. It’s great to see.”
The Huskies sealed the win with 8:46 left in the third when Éloïse Caron found the back of the net with assists from Allie Lalonde and Tuva Kandell extending the lead to 4-1. The goal marked Caron’s second of the weekend, and capped off a dominant final frame for Northeastern.
After such a demanding schedule, the Huskies showed resilience in maintaining their energy and focus, a point Abella highlighted.
“We had a crazy week this week with Beanpot, obviously, and we showed up for these final two games still and grinded through it,” she said. “I’m really proud of this group, and it’s gonna do us good going forward.”
With their depth players stepping up, special teams clicking, and Jönsson providing outstanding performances in net, Northeastern looks poised to carry their momentum into the final stretch of the season.
Northeastern returns to action on Friday, Jan. 31 in a home contest against Vermont. Emma Sullivan, Chase Alexander, and Armaan Vij will have the call on WRBB Sports+. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m.