BOSTON -- Good Tuesday evening everyone and welcome inside historic Matthews Arena on the campus of Northeastern University, where tonight the Huskies are set for a 7 p.m. contest against 19th-ranked Yale in the Bulldogs’ first visit to the building since 1994.
The series between the canine companions dates back to 1950 but this evening’s meeting is the first since the Huskies won Nov. 26, 1995 in New Haven, 3-1. Yale holds the all-time edge, 21-19-3.
After a win and tie against St. Lawrence over the weekend, Northeastern is unbeaten over its last four games (3-0-1) and 5-1-1 in its last seven. The Huskies are averaging 3.43 goals per-game over the last seven as compared to a 1.73 mark during its 1-9-1 start.
Junior Kevin Roy’s pair of goals and the winner off the stick of sophomore Mike Szmatula with 1:29 remaining lifted the Huskies to a 4-2 victory in Saturday’s series finale with the Saints. Roy’s 19 points (7-12--19) lead the team and are tied with UMass’ Frank Vatrano and Providence’s Trevor Mingoia for third in Hockey East.
Yale is on a streak of its own with two straight wins and five in six after an impressive 3-1 decision over then-No. 9 Vermont at Ingalls Rink on Saturday. The Bulldogs are 4-0-1 in non-conference play and can finish 3-0-0 against Hockey East foes with a win tonight as they also defeated Connecticut at the Liberty Invitational on Nov. 2, 2014.
After conceding a goal to UVM less than three minutes in, the Blue rattled off three straight as freshman Ryan Hitchcock and senior Trent Ruffolo scored in the final five minutes of the first period before sophomore Mike Doherty added insurance 9:49 into the second.
Blackhawks prospect John Hayden is in the Elis' lineup for the first time since serving as one of the United States' two alternate captains at the World Junior Championship. The sophomore from Greenwich, Conn., who leads Yale with ten points in as many games, scored a goal in the team's 3-0 win over Slovakia on Dec. 29.
Here are tonight's lines:
BULLDOGS (8-3-2, 4-3-1 ECAC Hockey)
Trent Ruffolo - Stu Wilson - Frankie DiChiara
Matt Killian - Carson Cooper - Cody Learned
Mike Doherty - Ryan Hitchcock - John Hayden
John Baiocco - Chris Izmirlian - Matthew Beattie
Mitch Witek - Rob O'Gara
Adam Larkin - Ryan Obuchowski
Tommy Fallen - Nate Repensky
Alex Lyon
Patrick Spano
Connor Wilson
HUSKIES (6-10-2, 3-6-1 Hockey East)
Kevin Roy - Dalen Hedges - Mike McMurtry
Zach Aston-Reese - Mike Szmatula - Torin Snydeman
Nolan Stevens - John Stevens - Ryan Rosenthal
x - Brendan Collier - Adam Reid
Trevor Owens - Colton Saucerman
Jarrett Fennell - Matt Benning
Dax Lauwers - Jake Schechter
(extra) Mike Gunn
Derick Roy
Clay Witt
Jake Theut