UMass skates to victory over Northeastern

A four-goal second period outburst, propelled by multiple-point efforts Mitchell Chaffee (goal, assist) and Matt Kessel (goal, assist), catapulted No. 3 UMass to a convincing 6-3 victory over No. 7 Northeastern in front of a noisy Matthews Arena.

John Leonard led the visitors with a pair of goals, including an empty-netter at 17:35 of the third. It was Leonard’s fourth career multiple-goal game. Oliver Chau chipped in with a pair of assists, and Filip Lindberg backstopped the win with 27 saves.

The game was a rematch of the Oct. 15 meeting won by host NU, 3-1.

“We hadn’t won a game in here since I’ve been coach (at UMass) but we came in with a good mindset. Guys were playing good, fast hockey. They scored a goal off a turnover and set us back but give the guys credit for playing smart hockey,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “The three-goal lead, we started to protect the lead and allowed Northeastern to get the third goal but then we settled down. I’m proud of our guys.”

NU (4-2-1, 1-1-0 HE) broke on top with a power play goal by graduate transfer Brendan van Riemsdyk, who snapped home a wrist shot to beat Lindberg, who appeared to be anticipating a pass by van Riemsdyk.

The goal seemed to put UMass (5-1-0, 1-1-0 HE), which led the country in penalty-kill coming into the game, back on its heels.

NU missed a glittering opportunity at the 4:15 mark when winger TJ Walsh took a long lead pass, eluded a diving effort by UMass freshman Zac Jones and, with Minutemen blueliner Colin Felix in chase, fired a bullet shot that disappeared into the glove of Lindberg.

The Huskies made it 2-0 at 6:31 when Grant Jozefek raced behind the defense and, using Tyler Madden as a decoy, beat Lindberg for his second goal of the season and 20th in 90 career games.

The visitors were clearly reeling and needed a change of momentum. It got it from sophomore left wing Bobby Trivigno, who has a habit of embracing big moments. Trivigno picked the pocket of NU freshman defenseman Tyler Spott in the neutral zone and used his speed to gain space. Trivigno switched to his backhand and roofed the puck over NU goalie Craig Pantano.

Huskies defenseman Julian Kislin was issued a carryover penalty at 19:54 of the first and was soon joined in the box by Jermey Bucheler to hand UMass a 5-on-3. The Minutemen needed only 49 seconds to light the lamp and pull even when Leonard converted at the right of the crease for his fourth goal.

The ice clearly tilted in the favor of UMass, which grabbed its initial lead at 5:26 when freshman defenseman Kessel notched his second of the season. The Minutemen were enjoying the comfortable atmosphere of the building on St. Botolph Street after Chaffee connected for his team-best fifth goal at 13:39. The gap grew to 5-2 at 15:53 off a goalmouth conversion by freshman Reed Lebster, his fourth of the season.

The 4-goal outburst by UMass in the second spelled the night for NU’s Pantano (15 saves), who gave way to freshman Connor Murphy (two saves).

NU gained life early in the third when Shrewsbury’s Walsh pulled the puck around a defender and fired the it home at 3:29 for his first collegiate goal. NU lifted its goalie in the closing minutes but the strategy backfired when Leonard found the empty net at 17:35 for his second goal of the night.

“This hasn’t happened to us in a while. It put us behind the 8-ball,” said NU coach Jim Madigan of the second period collapse. “We didn’t block a lot of shots (6). A lot of the little things we didn’t do well tonight. We didn’t play with enough urgency. In this league, every night you have to come to play. As a group, we’re still trying to understand that. We have to be better. It will be a different game on the pond (Mullins Center) up there tonight.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2r0N9oo