BOSTON — After splitting the opening two games of the season against a nationally ranked Penn State team, Northeastern returned to Boston Friday night for a home opener against No. 10 Quinnipiac University.
Working through a schedule packed with high-level out-of-conference competition, Quinnipiac stood to serve as a measure for how prepared Northeastern is with several new pieces for upcoming Hockey East play.
In a game which saw the Huskies total 11 fewer shots on the night than Quinnipiac, the most important statistic on the score sheet fell in their favor, as Northeastern pulled away with a 4-2 win.
With 11:10 left to play in the first period, the Huskies offense was set up for success early, when junior defender Jules Constantinople drew an interference penalty. After forward Skylar Irving’s deflected shot skittered toward Quinnipiac graduate student goaltender Kaley Doyle’s left hand side, captain Taze Thompson jammed home freshman forward Éloïse Caron’s netfront pass to open the scoring 14 seconds into the power play.
Quinnipiac did not take long to respond, however, emulating the Northeastern opener, when junior forward Tessa Holk beat netminder Paige Taborski’s left hand side just 18 seconds into the Bobcats’ first power play of the night.
Although the equalizer was only the third shot Quinnipiac had registered up to that point, the goal signaled a considerable change in momentum. The Huskies were held without a shot for over four minutes after conceding, eventually trailing 10-8 in shots on goal when the horn signaling the first intermission sounded.
In spite of their dwindling presence in the offensive zone, the puck had no trouble finding the back of the net for Northeastern when a first period lead was at stake. Caron tallied her second point of the night with 3:16 to play in the first, pickpocketing the Quinnipiac defender in the Northeastern end before finishing off a developing 2-on-1 by herself with a snipe from the top of the faceoff circle. Her second career NCAA goal provided the Huskies with a crucial goal against the pace of play, contributing to a 2-1 Northeastern lead after the first 20 minutes.
After trading blows in the first frame, the second period was no dogfight. Quinnipiac dominated possession, stifling repeated Northeastern efforts to clear the puck with a well-sealed perimeter along the side boards. Neither team would score during the middle 20 minutes, but it was the ability of the Northeastern defense to sustain repeated pressure in its own zone which stood out.
Taborski smothered 11 different Quinnipiac attacks on her goal, and was especially busy during a Quinnipiac power play which kept the puck in the Northeastern zone for all but the final five seconds of the advantage.
“My whole theme this year is to just have fun … just having a blast with my teammates,” Taborski said. “I know that they’re going to do what they have to do to get the puck out of the zone.”
The senior netminder, who was making her fifth career start, appeared unphased by the role she is expected to fill and the action that has come with it.
Much to the relief of Taborski and the rest of the Northeastern lineup, the besieged Huskies of the second period got out to a quick start to begin the third. Despite losing the opening faceoff, it only took Northeastern 20 seconds to move the puck up the ice and onto the stick of Irving. The senior’s goal extended her goal streak to three-consecutive games and was the third point of the night for Caron, who registered the primary assist with her cross-ice feed.
Speaking on the first line, Northeastern assistant coach Lindsay Berman praised the chemistry which has developed among the linemates early in the season.
“They’re looking awesome. They have a lot of speed together, but they have a lot of grit. “They bounce well off each other. … The three of them together, the skill they have, the speed they have, and then you add the grit — it’s just a great combination,” Berman said.
Fans in Matthews Arena were glued to their seats as the game concluded, with the Bobcats threatening the Northeastern goal in the final minutes. After pulling the goaltender with over four minutes remaining and down by a pair, Quinnipiac drew one goal closer as graduate student defender Kendall Cooper’s shot from the point ricocheted through traffic and rippled the twine.
It was only moments later that graduate student forward Jaden Bogden would restore the two goal Northeastern lead with an empty net tally. A late penalty call gave the Bobcats an opportunity to come back into the game once more, but the Huskies came away with a 4-2 win in their home opener when the final horn sounded.
Northeastern will return to Matthews Arena to face Quinnipiac again Saturday. WRBB will have full coverage from Zeno Minotti, Max Schwartzberg, and Matty Wasserman with puck-drop scheduled for 3 p.m. .