WORCESTER – Freshman winger Dawson Sharkey found the back of the net twice as the Huskies cruised to a 5-1 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders.
The Huskies wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Sophomore forward Amine Hajibi worked the puck along the halfwall before finding sophomore forward Jacob Mathieu sneaking toward the back door, where he buried the opening goal to give Northeastern a 1-0 lead.
Later in the period, the Huskies doubled their lead when sophomore forward Giacomo Martino found Sharkey in front of the net and buried a shot in the top corner for his first goal of the night, giving Northeastern a 2-0 lead.
The second period went scoreless as both teams traded trips to the penalty box, but neither power play could capitalize. Northeastern maintained its two goal lead heading into the final frame.
Sharkey broke the ice early in the third, taking off on a breakaway and beating two Holy Cross defenders before burying his second goal of the night to push the Huskies’ lead to 3-0.
Holy Cross answered a few minutes later on the power play when sophomore forward AJ Lecroix found space and sniped a shot into the top corner, cutting the lead to 3-1 and giving the Crusaders some life
Northeastern quickly quieted any hopes of a Holy Cross comeback when Martino set up behind the net and found senior forward Tyler Fukakusa open in the slot. Fukakusa buried the pass to restore the Huskies’ three-goal cushion and make it 4-1
In the final minutes of the third, sophomore defender Noah Jones, assisted by sophomore forward Jack Pechar, drove home the final nail in the coffin, giving Northeastern a 5-1 lead over the Crusaders.
The Huskies controlled long stretches of the game, breaking down the Holy Cross defense with an aggressive forecheck and consistently creating high-danger chances.
“We wanted to get to our forecheck right away,” said Northeastern head coach Jerry Keefe. “We wanted to play a fast, north game, use our skating ability as a team, roll into our four lines of depth, and I thought we did that for the first 20 minutes.”
Penalties disrupted Northeastern’s rhythm, forcing the Huskies to kill penalties and play extended stretches of 4-on-4 hockey.
“The game started to get away from us. The shorthanded lineup takes away from what I like the most on our team, which is our depth,” Keefe said.
Northeastern’s penalty kill was effective, but Keefe’s main concern was the players who were missing during those minutes.
“We have some really good players who are sitting on the bench too much since they’re not on penalty kill,” Keefe said.
Sharkey was one player who made the most of his ice time. The freshman kept it simple when asked about his two-goal night.
“Good to put a few in the back of the net and help the team win,” Sharkey said
Keefe was more enthusiastic about the young forward, praising Sharkey’s work ethic and shooting ability. His performance could give Northeastern another consistent scoring option moving forward.
“He plays the game the right way. He plays the game hard. He plays the game in straight lines. He can really shoot a puck,” Keefe said.
Northeastern also welcomed back senior forward Mathew Perkins, who made his season debut, and sophomore forward Mathew Maltais. Both forwards added depth to the lineup after missing time.
“Perkins is one of our fastest skaters and can really push the play,” Keefe said. He also praised Maltais for bringing a “physical presence” and being “good on the penalty kill.”
The Huskies also received some more good news on the Injury front. Senior defenseman Alex Pineau and freshman forward Trey Jefferis are expected to return to the lineup for next weekend’s matchup against UConn, giving Keefe even more depth to work with.
With the win, Northeastern now moves to 4-2 on the season and 1-2 in Hockey East play. The Huskies return on Friday, November 13, at 7:00pm to face off against the UConn Huskies. WRBB will have written coverage following the conclusion of the contest.