WALTHAM — From the opening faceoff Friday night against No. 12 University of Connecticut, Northeastern was a step behind.
Connecticut dictated the pace, controlling possession, winning battles, and preventing Northeastern from generating any sustained offensive pressure in a game that never truly tilted back the other way. Northeastern’s offensive struggles continued, failing to score in their 2-0 loss to UConn at Bentley Arena.
The opening period set the tone early. While Northeastern had a few looks in transition to start the game, clean zone entries were hard to come by, and UConn’s forecheck quickly suffocated any momentum. At the 11:34 mark, the visitors broke through when sophomore forward Ethan Whitcomb slipped a centering pass into the slot that fellow sophomore Ethan Gardula tapped home from point-blank range, giving UConn a 1-0 lead.
The goal only amplified the uphill climb. Northeastern struggled to respond, often turning pucks over in neutral ice or getting forced into dump-ins that UConn’s defense calmly handled. By the end of the first period, shots were already favoring UConn, and the flow of play suggested that even a one-goal deficit felt larger than the scoreboard indicated.
The second period brought more of the same. Northeastern continued to have trouble sustaining offensive-zone time, while UConn remained patient and opportunistic. With just over 12 minutes remaining, the lead doubled when senior forward Tabor Heaslip threaded a pass across the slot to freshman forward Alexandre Blais. The back door was left wide open after yet another defensive collapse by the Huskies in front of junior goaltender Lawton Zacher, and Blais finished cleanly to make it 2-0.
That goal effectively put the game out of reach. Northeastern managed just 16 shots on the night, rarely forcing UConn goaltender Tyler Muszelik into difficult saves. Muszelik finished without a blemish on his record for his second career shutout, stopping all 16 shots he faced, while UConn continued to clog the middle of the ice and eliminated second-chance opportunities.
Faceoffs were one of the few bright spots for Northeastern, who won 27 of 49 draws, but those wins rarely translated into meaningful possession. UConn quickly closed lanes, disrupted passing options, and forced turnovers before Northeastern could generate anything dangerous.
Compounding Northeastern’s offensive woes was the absence of leading scorer Dylan Hryckowian, who missed the game with an injury. Without the junior in the lineup, offensive creativity was limited, and there was a noticeable lack of finish when chances did appear. Northeastern finished the night 0-for-1 on the power play, with its lone opportunity failing to swing momentum in the second period.
“We didn’t respond,” said Northeastern head coach Jerry Keefe. “It felt like a mountain to come back tonight when it was 1-0, never mind 2-0.”
Keefe pointed repeatedly to puck battles and execution as the difference. UConn consistently came up with loose pucks and turned small advantages into clean exits and controlled entries, while Northeastern struggled to string together passes or generate speed through the middle of the ice.
“We weren’t clean at all,” Keefe said. “We know how they play. You need puck support through the neutral zone, and we didn’t have it. When we did, we didn’t execute. We’re capable of executing at a higher level, but we didn’t get there tonight.”
The third period played out much like the first two. Northeastern pushed but never truly threatened, while UConn protected the lead with structure and discipline. Faceoffs tilted slightly in Northeastern’s favor, but that advantage didn’t translate into meaningful offense.
By the final horn, the numbers told the story. UConn outshot Northeastern 24-16, blocked lanes effectively, and never allowed the game to open up. It marked another frustrating result in a stretch where scoring has been hard to come by.
“We’ve got to pick ourselves up here,” Keefe said. “It’s a big game going back to the Garden. We need to respond.”
Northeastern returns to action on Monday in the Beanpot consolation game against Harvard at TD Garden. Puck drop is set for 4:30 p.m., with Luke Graham, Zeno Minotti, and Amelia Ballingall 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.