By: Dan McLoone
BOSTON – It may have been a new day, but it was the same story for the Northeastern hockey team.
The Huskies (18-15-5) were swept out of the Hockey East Quarterfinals by BU on Saturday night thanks to blowing their second consecutive 2-0 lead. The Terriers (23-10-3) didn’t need overtime tonight, completing the comeback in the final period in the 3-2 win.
With their backs against the wall, the Huskies came out firing once again in the first period. Biagio Lerario scored his first career goal just 2:23 into the game and Nolan Stevens doubled the lead nine minutes later with his tenth tally of the year.
The Terriers were well verses in coming back from a 2-0 deficit, having beaten Northeastern 3-2 in overtime on Friday, and got right back to work on offense when Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson cut the lead in half with 5:22 left in the second period.
Leading 2-1, the Huskies played with much more offensive pace throughout the final two periods than they did the night before but just couldn’t solve BU netminder Jake Oettinger (24 saves) for a third time. Ryan Ruck (25 saves) stood on his head at times for Northeastern to preserve the lead, but the relentless Terriers offense finally broke through.
Nick Roberto tied the game up just three minutes into the third period. For the second consecutive night, the referees reviewed the goal for a potential offsides call on BU, but the tally was upheld after a long review. Head coach Jim Madigan only talked for 47 seconds after the game, as he did not want to get suspended for commenting on the two offsides calls or how they influenced the series.
The Terriers mounted offensive pressure on Ruck down the stretch and were rewarded with a power play opportunity with just 1:34 left in the game after Garrett Cockerill was called for hooking. Ruck made a handful of spectacular saves during the kill effort, but Chad Krys broke through with 24.9 seconds left in the game hand the Huskies their second straight heartbreaking defeat.
The Huskies finish the season with no chance for an NCAA at-large bid. The loss also ends the Northeastern playing careers of seniors Zach Aston-Reese, John Stevens, Brendan Collier, Sam Kurker, Tanner Pond, Mike Jamieson, Ryan Rosenthal, Garrett Cockerill and Jake Schechter. The Terriers advance to the Hockey East Semifinals, where they will take on either Boston College or Notre Dame.