AMHERST, Mass. — Northeastern did just about everything needed to win on Friday night at the Mullins Center except finish chances, and it cost them in the end.
Despite outshooting UMass 44-27 and generating wave after wave of quality looks, the Huskies fell 3-2 in overtime after a defensive breakdown allowed freshman forward Justin Kerr to end it with 21 seconds left in the extra frame.
The matchup came with the teams moving in opposite directions, as UMass arrived ranked 21st in the NPI and carrying a five-game win streak, while Northeastern checked in at 29th following a weekend sweep at the hands of Merrimack.
The opening period was fast and physical, with UMass setting the tone early and forcing Northeastern to defend for long stretches. The Huskies struggled to cleanly gain the zone, while the Minutemen generated the better chances off sustained pressure.
Despite UMass controlling the play through the opening stages, Northeastern struck first midway through the second period. With just over ten minutes remaining, senior defenseman Austen May stayed with a rebound in tight after the initial shot was turned aside, snapping the loose puck bar-down to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead.
That advantage didn’t last long. Just over three minutes later, UMass sophomore defenseman Larry Keenan answered with an individual effort that flipped the game’s momentum. Keenan weaved through four Northeastern skaters untouched, broke in alone, and finished forehand to backhand to tie the game at one.
The Minutemen struck again late in the period. With just over a minute remaining before the intermission, junior forward Jack Musa was left alone in the slot and beat Northeastern goaltender Lawton Zacher blocker side to give UMass a 2-1 lead heading into the third.
The Huskies responded in the final period with sustained offensive pressure, hemming UMass in its own zone for long stretches. That pressure paid off just over four minutes into the period when junior forward Dylan Hryckowian buried the equalizer.
From there, Northeastern pushed for the go-ahead goal, peppering the UMass net while Zacher continued to give the Huskies a chance at the other end. Regulation ended with Northeastern firmly in control, setting the stage for an overtime period that felt like it could end at any moment.
Overtime was all Northeastern.
The Huskies generated chance after chance, including numerous looks from directly in front of the net. Hryckowian alone had three attempts from the doorstep, while multiple other Huskies all had opportunities to end it. Several of those looks came on odd-man rushes, including 2-on-1s and even a 3-on-1, but none found the back of the net.
Then, suddenly, it was over.
After Northeastern failed to convert yet another chance, UMass went the other way, and Kerr capitalized on a defensive misread to slip behind coverage and beat Zacher, sealing the win.
After the game, Northeastern head coach Jerry Keefe didn’t mince words.
“A frustrating loss, a bad loss,” Keefe said. “Extremely frustrated right now.”
Despite liking much of his team’s play, Keefe pointed to the same issue that has plagued the Huskies in recent games.
“It’s getting frustrating not being able to finish,” he said. “You can’t win games scoring one or two goals. We had plenty of looks. We didn’t execute on some 2-on-1s, 3-on-1s. You’ve got to score to win.”
The failure to convert left the door open, and UMass needed just one clean look to capitalize and end the game moments later.
“Just a terrible read,” Keefe said of the winning goal. “We had two guys go to one guy that was not a threat. Twenty-two seconds left in the game, you’ve got to make a way smarter read in that situation.”
The loss sends Northeastern into a quick turnaround with the Beanpot looming on Monday night. Keefe acknowledged the urgency but made clear the focus remains on correcting mistakes.
“We’ll break this game down tomorrow, skate, and then flip the page,” he said. “We’ve got to get ourselves ready.”
Northeastern returns to action on Monday in the Beanpot semifinal against Boston University at TD Garden. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m., with Amelia Ballingall, Luke Graham, and Zeno Minotti on the call for WRBB Sports.
Armaan Vij is a third-year student at Northeastern University and a broadcaster and writer for WRBB Sports. He has covered Northeastern hockey, baseball, and rowing both on-air and in print for the past two years. Read all his articles here.