AMHERST — Northeastern’s volatile season came to an end Saturday night with a 4-1 loss to No. 15 Massachusetts in the Hockey East Quarterfinals. Despite matching their production for most of the game, the seventh-seeded Huskies were not able to overcome the second-seeded Minutemen, led by Hockey East Goaltender of the Year Michael Hrabal.
Northeastern looked strong in the early stages of the first period, moving the puck cleanly in the offensive zone, and generating several quality shots. Unlike their Wednesday night win over New Hampshire, though, this time it was the Huskies who fell first.
Just three and a half minutes into the frame, UMass defender Larry Keenan fired a shot from the left side of the blue line, which found its way between the left pad and glove of junior goaltender Lawton Zacher, and into the back of the net. Screened in front, Zacher was unable to track the puck, giving UMass an early lead.
Northeastern persisted despite letting up the early goal, but UMass would match every effort the Huskies put forward, establishing physical dominance in their own attacking zone as the period went on. This led to a golden Minutemen opportunity with 13 minutes remaining in the opening period, when freshman forward Václav Nestrašil had an open shot on the doorstep. Despite Nestrašil getting off a clean shot, Zacher was able to move quickly across the crease to make a heroic glove save, sparing Northeastern from an early two-goal deficit.
The Huskies continued to build on their offensive presence throughout the frame, putting up a total of 13 shots in the first period compared to 10 from UMass. It was the final shot of the period that found the back of the net for Northeastern, as sophomore forward Griffin Erdman was able to collect a loose rebound off a shot from sophomore forward Joe Connor, putting it through the five-hole of Hrabal to tie the game at one apiece.
The second period featured a much slower pace of play, highlighted by extended time between the blue lines, both sides struggling to maintain long shifts in the offensive zone. By the late stages of the period, the game seemed as if it had reached a stalemate, the upcoming intermission looking to provide a reset for both sides.
The outlook changed in the final 30 seconds of play, however, as UMass gained entry and settled into its attacking zone. Junior forward Jack Musa tried to center a pass, but freshman defender Dylan Compton blocked it with his skate. Musa collected his own rebound and caught Zacher off guard with a quick release, putting one through to give UMass a 2-1 lead as the middle frame came to a close.
This late goal created an uphill battle for Northeastern in the final period of regulation, as they were now desperate to climb back against a UMass team that was 14-0-0 up to that point when leading after two periods. Their uphill battle got even steeper early in the frame, as Compton made an ill-advised no-look pass in his own defensive zone. The puck ended up on Musa’s stick, the junior finding a wide-open Nestrašil, backhanding the puck past a desperate Zacher to give the Minutemen a 3-1 lead.
With a two-goal buffer, UMass shifted its focus to clamping down in the defensive zone, making it difficult for Northeastern to get any sustained opportunities to target Hrabal’s net.
“They played a really structured, defensive game,” said Northeastern head coach Jerry Keefe. “[Hrabal] is obviously pretty good. They’re comfortable playing that way in front of him.”
The Minutemen defense continued to stand strong, limiting Northeastern’s chances to only loose pucks in front of the net for the remainder of the game. It was only once they pulled Zacher with three minutes remaining that they were able to cycle the puck around in the offensive zone.
During the six-on-five, Northeastern fought hard to keep UMass out of the empty net, including two cases where senior defender Vinny Borgesi had to display a strong back check to protect the vacant crease. Despite the captain’s best efforts, UMass iced the game through junior forward Cam O’Neill, putting the puck in the empty net on an uncontested breakaway with just under half a minute remaining.
The goal put the game out of reach for good, the clock wound down to zero, and Northeastern’s season officially ended, UMass securing its spot in the Hockey East Semifinals at TD Garden.
The loss marks the end of the college hockey journey for Northeastern’s three seniors, defenders Dylan Finlay, Austen May, and team captain Vinny Borgesi. Northeastern heads into the offseason awaiting decisions from players who receive offers to play at the next level, as well as some who may decide to enter the transfer portal.
Barring those changes, Northeastern should expect to see a mostly similar forward core next season. The defense, however, will look very different, as many new additions are projected to come in from the QMJHL for the upcoming season.
While consistency was an issue for Northeastern in the back half of the season, they battled hard to keep their season alive. Unfortunately for the Huskies, they could not find an answer for the defensive effort, and ultimately fell short.
Northeastern men’s hockey will be back in action in fall 2026, with WRBB providing full coverage of the 2026-27 season.
Kabir Singh is a second-year student at Northeastern University. He is a hockey writer and broadcaster for WRBB Sports. Read all his articles here.