ORONO, ME — Northeastern came into the Alfond Arena unbeaten in conference play and left with another win, taking down Maine 3-1 on Friday night. With the victory, the Huskies move to 11-2-0 overall and 8-0-0 in Hockey East, extending a strong first half that’s been built on depth scoring, sharp goaltending, and one of the best special teams units in the country.
While Northeastern entered with a perfect conference record, Maine sat at 4-8-1 and 2-3-1 in league play but carried a reputation for being a tough out at home. The Huskies hadn’t won in Orono since 2022.
Once the game started, Northeastern wasted no time taking control. Just 35 seconds in, senior captain Lily Shannon opened the scoring off a quick feed from behind the net. The puck stayed alive on the forecheck, the pass hit the slot cleanly, and Shannon snapped it home before Maine’s defense could reset.
“My line said before the game, ‘Let’s go out there and score right now,’” Shannon said. “The puck stayed loose behind the net, the pass came out, and I was just waiting in a soft spot for it.”
A few minutes later, Northeastern doubled their lead on the power play. With Maine sophomore defender Brenna Curl in the box for interference, a pass from the far side found its way through traffic and sophomore forward Morgan Jackson redirected it in.
By just four minutes in, the Huskies were up 2-0, but the rest of the period swung heavily toward Maine. The Black Bears outshot Northeastern 13-5 and pushed long shifts in the offensive zone, forcing Huskies sophomore goaltender Lisa Jönsson to come up with several key stops to protect the lead.
Maine kept up the pressure in the second, but Northeastern countered with more structured play. The Huskies generated 14 shots in the frame and gradually tilted the ice back in their favor. Both teams took turns in the penalty box, and neither side could break through the other’s penalty kill. It stayed a tight, physical, stop-and-start period with Northeastern holding the same 2-0 lead through forty minutes.
For Associate Head Coach Nick Carpenito, the early inconsistency stood out.
“They make this a tough place to play,” Carpenito said. “They don’t quit, they try to wear you down. We had some good stretches, but it wasn’t a full effort. We need to find a way to put together a complete sixty tomorrow.”
The third period brought even more whistles. Maine took a major penalty 4:32 into the frame and another minor shortly after, giving Northeastern a long chance to put the game away. The Huskies generated shots but couldn’t convert, continuing a night where both penalty kills outplayed the opposing power play.
Although the Huskies did come up with a goal on the power play, that was just one in eight opportunities. He was just as direct about the power play.
“We were trying to be the Harlem Globetrotters, and we’re not,” Carpenito said. “Our power play works best when we keep things simple and move the puck quickly. The first one looked great, but after that we started forcing plays that weren’t there.”
Even with the missed chances, Northeastern controlled the period. They outshot Maine 16–5 and piled up 35 attempts, slowly wearing down the Black Bears. The insurance goal finally came with 2:12 left when Shannon hit the empty net for her second of the night.
Maine got one back in the final minute on a goal from junior forward Mikayla Boarder, but the outcome wasn’t in doubt. Northeastern closed out a complete road win built on early scoring, steady defending, and another strong performance from its penalty kill.
The Huskies may have come away with the win, but it certainly wasn’t a pretty victory.
“There were moments where we needed to move the puck faster,” Shannon said. “We were trying to make the hard pass instead of the simple one. Tomorrow, we need to be cleaner with our puck movement and setups.”
Through the ups and downs, senior defender Jules Constantinople stood out as a key piece of the win, keeping up the exceptional pace she has set this season. She is sitting just over a point per game as a blue liner has turned into one of Northeastern’s most reliable drivers of offense from the back end.
“She’s always had an offensive touch,” Carpenito said. “She’s physical, she’s got a heavy shot, and she finds lanes. She’s someone we rely on every day at both ends.”
Northeastern is right back at it tomorrow for game two of the series on the road against Maine. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m., with Armaan Vij live for the call on 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.