WORCESTER, MA — After earning the extra point from a 2–2 tie with a shootout win Thursday in Boston, No. 6 Northeastern traveled west down the I-90 for the back half of a home-and-home twirl with No. 13 Holy Cross. Behind two power-play goals against the nation’s top-ranked penalty kill, the Huskies earned a 2–1 win Saturday night at the Hart Center and secured three Hockey East points.
Holy Cross entered the night killing penalties at 93.2%, while Northeastern’s power play sat 17th nationally. By the final horn, the Huskies had flipped that script, converting twice on four opportunities against a Crusaders unit that rarely bends, let alone breaks.
Northeastern turned to backup freshman netminder Renna Trembecky for her eighth start of the season, and Holy Cross countered with Abby Hornung, head coach Katie Lachapelle’s bread and butter in net. In the opening minutes, both teams wrestled for control in neutral ice and limited early chances. Northeastern held a narrow 3-1 edge in shots before the game’s first penalty.
With 11:34 remaining in the first period, sophomore forward Kenzee Hope went to the sin bin for tripping and sent Northeastern to its first power play. The Crusaders began the kill aggressively, pressuring up ice and limiting offensive zone time. Briefly after the first Northeastern advantage expired, officials flagged Holy Cross’s Alexia Moreau for roughing, and the Huskies learned from the mistakes of their first five-on-four.
With 8:20 remaining in the opening stanza, a strong power-play forecheck from Northeastern’s freshmen pinned Holy Cross deep, and after a failed clearing attempt, forward Stryker Zablocki held the puck in at the blue line and fed defender Ella Lloyd in the slot. Lloyd’s wrist shot flew top shelf over Hornung’s blocker to give the Huskies a 1–0 lead. The goal marked Lloyd’s fourth of the season and her second in three games.
“Stryker made a great play to hold the puck in and I yelled for it,” Lloyd said. “[Zablocki] got the puck over and I saw the lane.”
Northeastern carried the momentum through the remainder of the frame, outshooting Holy Cross 9-4 in the period. Lloyd alone accounted for four of those shots, and her tally continued a notable trend, as Northeastern’s last five goals over three games had all come from the blueliners despite the absence of freshman defender Alessia Baechler as she gets set to compete in the Olympics.
“It helps that [us defenders] are confident all over the ice not just in the o-zone but in the d-zone as well,” Lloyd said. “It always feels good to score and have production.”
Holy Cross responded with a much stronger second period, turning up its forecheck and spending extended time in the offensive zone, compounded by 10 faceoff wins to Northeastern’s six. However, with 4:23 remaining, sophomore forward Amanda Aslan went to the box for slashing, sending Northeastern to its third power play of the night. At that point, the Crusaders held an 8-6 edge in shots in the period.
As the penalty expired, momentum swung again when Holy Cross began its first five-on-four after officials called senior forward Lily Shannon with 2:20 remaining. Trembecky and Northeastern’s penalty kill, checking in at 88.6% and No. 4 nationally, held firm, with Zablocki nearly doubling the lead on a shorthanded chance in the final minute.
Special teams defined the final frame. Just 2:30 in, the Crusaders started a five-on-four following graduate forward Jaden Bogden’s cross-checking penalty. Trembecky made save after save, including grand larceny going post to post to rob junior forward Emily Crovo at the doorstep.
“[Trembecky’s] was awesome and made the saves she was supposed to make,” said assistant coach Nick Carpenito. “That one nice post to post save, left to right was great.”
After a successful kill, Holy Cross’s sophomore defender Sarah Rowe went to the box for high-sticking to set up the Huskies fourth power play.
Thirteen seconds in, Northeastern struck again after entering the zone on a two-on-one, with Zablocki centering a pass to sophomore forward Morgan Jackson, who snapped a shot glove side past Hornung to make it 2–0. Lloyd picked up the secondary assist on the play, her second point of the night.
Holy Cross continued to push, earning its third power play with 8:01 remaining after an interference call, but Northeastern’s penalty kill erased the chance without issue. With 2:30 left, the Crusaders pulled Hornung for the extra skater, and the gamble paid off instantly. Junior forward Reghan Chadwick buried a rebound at the back door to cut the deficit to one with 1:53 remaining.
Holy Cross again pulled its netminder and won an offensive-zone draw with 35 seconds left, but Northeastern closed out the final sequence to secure the win.
“Great win against a really well coached team,” Carpenito said. “Holy Cross is one of the most detail-oriented teams and is really impressive to watch. Five points against them this weekend.”
Northeastern hosts Maine on Thursday at Walter Brown Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 pm with Daisy Roberts, Mike Kaminsky, and Max Schwartzberg on Sports+.
Max Schwartzberg is a junior at Northeastern and covers hockey, basketball, and baseball. He is also a Cape Cod Baseball League announcer for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. You can read his articles here and follow his Instagram here.