SB Nation College Hockey - Hockey East, Week 18: Conference play heats up as Merrimack, BC battle for firstCollege Hockey's Home on the Blogospherehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49993/wchb-fav.png2013-02-19T20:51:08-08:00http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/rss/stream/37557532013-02-19T20:51:08-08:002013-02-19T20:51:08-08:00Northeastern wins 5-4 in overtime
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<p>After trailing for most of the game, Northeastern tied the game with just under seven minutes to play and scored the game winner with 56 seconds to play in overtime. Sophomore defenseman Josh Manson assisted on the game-tying goal and his first career goal won the game for the visitors.</p>
<p>Bryan Mountain came on to start the third period replacing Chris Rawlings who had another rocky outing. Mountain picked up the win shutting out UMass in the final period and in the extra session.</p>
<p>Freshman forward Mike McMurtry who was centering Kevin Roy and Vinny Saponari had a big night, tallying three assists. Senior Robbie Vrolyk also was a key contributor for the Huskies, scoring twice and adding a helper.</p>
<p>Both teams scored twice on the man advantage. The Minutemen went two for four while the Huskies went two for five on the the power play.</p>
<p>The win for Northeastern narrowed the gap between them and a playoff spot. The Huskies are now within reach of a playoff spot, just two points behind UMass. For the Minutemen, it was a missed opportunity at two points. UMass now has a huge series with Maine this weekend while the Huskies have a home-and-home series with Providence.</p>
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<p>Jeff Cox covers college hockey for SBNation. Follow him on twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jeffcoxsbnation" target="_blank">@JeffCoxSBNation</a>.</p>
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2013/2/19/4007744/game-recap-northeastern-umass-amherst-josh-manson-bryan-mountainJeff Cox2013-02-19T07:00:08-08:002013-02-19T07:00:08-08:00Hockey East's three stars and scars
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<figcaption>San Jose draft pick Matt Nieto scored the OT winner for BU Saturday | Nick Laham (Getty Images Sport)</figcaption>
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<p>Merrimack junior goaltender Sam Marotta was a huge star this weekend as he has been for most of the second half.</p> <p>Goaltending and clutch performances late in the game highlighted the Hockey East slate this past week.</p>
<p><b><u>Three <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.defendingbigd.com/">Stars</a></u></b></p>
<p><b>First Star: Sam Marotta </b>The Merrimack junior goaltender stopped 63 of 66 shots faced on the weekend, including 39 in the overtime win over Boston College Friday night. The Bridgewater, Massachusetts has ascended to the top of the charts in Hockey East goaltending statistics. Rebound control was a problem for Marotta earlier in the season, but he has steadily improved as the season has continued.</p>
<p><b>Second Star: Brody Hoffman</b> The Vermont freshman goaltender stopped 55 of 57 shots faced in a weekend sweep at Northeastern. With his spectacular performance the Wilkie, Saskatchewan native helped lead UVM closer to a playoff berth.</p>
<p><b>Third Star: Matt Nieto</b> The second round draft pick of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthefin.com/">San Jose Sharks</a> helped propel BU to a three point weekend in Orono. Nieto had a goal and an assist in a 3-3 tie Friday night before scoring the game winning goal Saturday night with just four seconds to play in overtime.</p>
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<p><b><u>Three Scars</u></b></p>
<p><b>First Scar: Providence's closing </b>The week started off well for the Friars, but another blown lead late in the Merrimack game on Sunday prevented a four-point week for Nate Leaman's club. The Friars were leading the Warriors for most of the game, but surrendered a shorthanded goal with under five minutes to play in the game and had to settle for a tie. This has been a reoccurring theme for Providence throughout the season.</p>
<p><b>Second scar: UMass' goaltending</b> The Minutemen have received spotty goaltending all season. Sophomores Kevin Boyle and Steve Mastalerz have shown flashes of brilliance, but this weekend was more of the opposite. Boyle let in six goals on just 19 shots Friday before Mastalerz was just an ordinary 29 of 32 on Saturday night in another loss to Lowell.</p>
<p><b>Third scar: Northeastern's depth</b> Freshman sensation <span>Kevin Roy</span> put on a show in the Beanpot, scoring five of the six goals NU scored in the tournament. He had an assist Friday night, but the inability of NU's third and fourth lines to turn the red light on has been a huge problem all season. The trend continued this weekend and will be one of the main reasons Jim Madigan's club will be sitting home for the playoffs.</p>
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<p>Jeff Cox covers college hockey for SBNation. Follow him on twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jeffcoxsbnation" target="_blank">@JeffCoxSBNation</a>.</p>
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2013/2/19/4002544/merrimack-providence-boston-university-hockey-east-brody-hoffman-sam-marottaJeff Cox2013-02-17T21:21:15-08:002013-02-17T21:21:15-08:00Ties are Hockey East's Sunday afternoon best
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<figcaption>John Quackenbos / Boston College</figcaption>
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<p>On a crucial Hockey East Sunday afternoon, a pair of ties kept things level in the conference standings. Merrimack came back with a shorthander to tie Providence, while UNH and Boston College combined for eight goal scorers in a 4-4 tie.</p> <p><b>Boston College 4, New Hampshire 4 (OT)</b></p>
<p>Eight different scorers found the back of the net on Sunday afternoon at Kelley Rink as they Eagles and Wildcats skated to an entertaining 4-4 tie. The tie enables BC to maintain its second-place position in the league standings, sitting a point behind Merrimack and a point ahead of UNH, with a 12-7-2 mark. Thanks to a 5-2 BC home win on Jan. 11 and a 2-1 UNH win in Durham the following night, the regular season series between the teams finishes even at 1-1-1. BC’s senior class is now 9-4-3 in 16 meetings with the 'Cats over the last four seasons. The Wildcats had dropped the season series with BC in each of the past three years. Top liners Dan Correale and Grayson Downing each register potted a goal in the first 75 seconds of the second and third periods, respectively, in addition to adding an assist. Three Eagles registered a goal and an assist in the contest, including junior center Bill Arnold, who was credited with the game-tying strike at 8:01 of the final period. In his third draw of the season, senior Parker Milner made 29 saves for the Eagles, while UNH sophomore Casey DeSmith made 22 in his fourth stalemate. Also of note was junior center Patrick Brown's very strong day from the face-off dot as he finished 13-for-17. BC returns to action next Sunday afternoon when it plays Merrimack on the road for the second time in nine days, televised nationally by CBS Sports Network from Lawler Arena. UNH travels to Vermont for a weekend pair.</p>
<p><b>Merrimack 2, Providence 2 (OT)</b></p>
<p>Freshman Vinny Scotti scored both goals for the Warriors as they maintained their lead in the Hockey East league standings with a 2-2 matinee draw at Schneider Arena. Sophomore Shane Luke and junior Derek Army each scored for the Friars against Merrimack's strong junior Sam Marotta (24 saves), while freshman Jon Gillies stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in PC's third tie over the last four games. The Friars extended their season-long unbeaten streak to five games (1-0-4) and improved to 10-2-4 when scoring first this season as Luke scored the opening goal just a minute into the proceedings. With his goal late in the second period, Army set a new career-high with his 12th of the season, joining his father (and former PC coach Tim) in becoming the second father-son pair to play at least 100 career games in a Friar sweater. Because of a split in a weekend series on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2012, the season set between the teams is 1-1-1, breaking Merrimack's streak of two consecutive losses to the Friars. Next weekend, Providence looks to get back into the win column in a home-and-home series against a struggling Northeastern squad that suffered a home sweep to Vermont on Friday and Saturday.</p>
<p><i>Joshua Kummins covers Hockey East for SB Nation</i>. <i>Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/joshuakummins"><font color="#161b66"><b>@JoshuaKummins</b></font></a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2013/2/17/3999436/college-hockey-east-sunday-recap-merrimack-bc-eagles-unh-providence-friars-Vinny-scotti-bill-ArnoldJoshua Kummins2013-02-16T20:51:40-08:002013-02-16T20:51:40-08:00Sat. Hockey East: BU wins in OT; UVM, UML sweep
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<figcaption>Justin Soderberg</figcaption>
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<p>BU survived Maine's three-goal third period onslaught with an overtime victory, while Vermont and UMass-Lowell completed weekend sweeps.</p> <p><b>Boston University 5, Maine 4 (OT)</b></p>
<p>Junior Matt Nieto scored the game-winning goal with 3.8 seconds remaining in overtime as the Terriers held off Maine's furious third period rally and escaped with a win on Saturday night at Alfond Arena. After Maine's Ryan Lomberg scored on the power play at 17:10 of the first period, BU rattled off four straight goals, including a pair from Needham, Mass. native and freshman Danny O'Regan to take command. The Black Bears fought back to tie the game in the final period and capped off the surge with an extra-attacker goal from rookie Steven Swavely with 39 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Terriers used nearly all of the extra frame to get on the board and win the game, capturing three points from hostile Orono. In goal, freshman Sean Maguire recorded a career-high 40 saves as the Terriers improved to 14-12-2 and earned their 11th league win to square with BU for third in the Hockey East standings. BU returns to Agganis Arena next Friday for a pivotal match with UMass-Lowell, while Maine has a pair at UMass next weekend.</p>
<p><b>Vermont 3, Northeastern 1</b></p>
<p>Senior Chris McCarthy scored twice to pace the Catamount offense and rookie Brody Hoffman was tremendous with 29 more stops in goal as UVM earned a weekend sweep at Matthews Arena. The Catamounts have now won three straight games and four of their last five overall, thanks to McCarthy's strike at 8:24 of the third period that was the eventual game-winner. For the Huskies, junior Cody Ferriero<a href="http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/statistics/players13.php?noem06"></a> scored his team-leading fifth power play goal of the season at 5:42 of the middle stanza, but that was all they could muster in defeat for fourth time in five February games. Senior Bryan Mountain earned his seventh start of the season and first since a Jan. 26 overtime loss at UMass-Lowell, making 26 stops between the pipes, despite yet having a victory to show for it this year. Vermont returns to Gutterson Fieldhouse for two next weekend with UNH, while Northeastern has a Nemo make-up game on Tuesday at UMass.</p>
<p><b>UMass-Lowell 3, Massachusetts 2</b></p>
<p>The River Hawks scored all three of their goals in the second period en route to earning a season sweep of the rival Minutemen, holding onto a 3-2 win on Saturday at Tsongas Center. Freshman Christian Folin, senior Riley Wetmore and junior Derek Arnold each scored for the home team, while rookie Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves in his second straight start and eighth win in a row for Lowell. For the Minutemen, juniors Michael Pereira and Conor Sheary were the goal scorers, while sophomore Steve Mastalerz made 29 stops. Fellow junior and linemate Branden Gracel posted two assists to add to his team-best point mark of 29 on the year. With their sixth win in as many meetings against the Minutemen in the all-time series, the River Hawks now stand sixth in the league standings but just three points from a home-ice spot.</p>
<p><i>Joshua Kummins covers Hockey East for SB Nation</i>. <i>Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/joshuakummins"><font color="#161b66"><b>@JoshuaKummins</b></font></a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2013/2/16/3997208/hockey-east-saturday-night-recap-bu-closes-out-back-and-forth-otJoshua Kummins2013-02-16T18:17:12-08:002013-02-16T18:17:12-08:00UVM vs. NU final score: Cats earn sweep, 3-1
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<p>The Vermont Catamounts pulled off a weekend sweep of the Northeastern Huskies at Matthews Arena with a 3-1 win on Saturday. Senior Chris McCarthy scored twice for UVM in victory.</p> <p>BOSTON -- The Vermont Catamounts entered this weekend's Hockey East series at Matthews Arena with a one-point cushion on the final playoff spot in the league standings, but found themselves in much better condition following Saturday night's game with Northeastern as they earned a 2-1 win over the Huskies to jump seven points ahead of the bottom spot with three weekends to play.</p>
<p>"I thought both teams just gave it their all all weekend," UVM head coach Kevin Sneddon said in the post-game press conference. "It was a playoff-like series. I know it is tough for Northeastern to be on the other end but their team battled...We were just fortunate [to] find a way."</p>
<p>With the win, the Catamounts finish the season with a 5-1 record against Maine and Northeastern, which currently sit in the aforementioned bottom positions of the conference. Their overall record now stands at 10-14-4 as they border rival New Hampshire for two next weekend in Burlington.</p>
<p>UVM senior Chris McCarthy found the back of the net with his second goal of the night at 8:24 as he found time and space through the wing, before unleashing a wrist shot inside the dot that found its way under the five-hole of NU netminder Bryan Mountain.</p>
<p>In the waning minute, senior Brett Bruneteau found the empty net, corralling a loose puck that was shot wide from the offensive zone and winning a one-on-one battle for his fifth goal of the season.</p>
<p>Despite two victories on the weekend, tonight's came with a cost as sophomore Kyle Reynolds and freshman Robert Polesello exited the game early with injuries that are considered "day-to-day" in the preliminary stages.</p>
<p>NU has fallen to 8-16-3 on the season with the lost weekend and sits three points behind Maine in tenth place in the league, thanks to a 4-13-3 record in those games.</p>
<p>"When I look at this league, I do not see teams being one through ten," Sneddon said. "I know that is a coaching cliche, but I watched Northeastern in the Beanpot and was impressed as heck. After playing them this weekend, if that is the last-place team in our league, we have a pretty darn good league. You see it every night with teams beating each other."</p>
<p><i>Joshua Kummins covers Hockey East for SB Nation</i>. <i>Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/joshuakummins"><font color="#161b66"><b>@JoshuaKummins</b></font></a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/hockey-east/2013/2/16/3996918/northeastern-nu-vermont-uvm-college-hockey-east-final-score-february-16-chris-mccarthy-brody-hoffmanJoshua Kummins2013-02-16T17:25:30-08:002013-02-16T17:25:30-08:00NU vs. UVM update: 1-1 after entertaining second
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<p>Northeastern and Vermont ended the second period in a 1-1 tie at Matthews Arena.</p> <p>BOSTON -- For the second straight contest, the Northeastern Huskies took the lead and gave it back in the same period to the Vermont Catamounts as they skated into the second intermission knotted in a 1-1 stalemate at Matthews Arena. After a lopsided shots on goal disadvantage in the first, UVM countered with a more prolific stanza in the second, holding a 13-10 edge.</p>
<p>The Huskies jumped ahead at the 5:42 mark as they found the back of the net on the power play for the third straight game. Senior captain Vinny Saponari took a cross-ice feed from junior Braden Pimm in the right wing circle, before centering the puck across the crease to junior Cody Ferriero for the one-time score and his ninth goal of the season.</p>
<p>Ferriero, an Essex, Mass. native has been on a scoring tear since potting four at Harvard on Dec. 29, 2012 as he has found the point column in nine of NU's last 12 games. That stretch also includes eight of his nine goals this season.</p>
<p>UVM was able to square the score with a notch of its own at the 12:10 mark as senior Chris McCarthy beat the Huskies defense 1-on-1 and fired a wrist shot from the face-off circle past Bryan Mountain for his eighth of the year.</p>
<p><i>Joshua Kummins covers Hockey East for SB Nation</i>. <i>Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/joshuakummins"><font color="#161b66"><b>@JoshuaKummins</b></font></a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/hockey-east/2013/2/16/3996838/northeastern-nu-vermont-uvm-college-hockey-east-score-update-february-16-2Joshua Kummins2013-02-16T16:38:46-08:002013-02-16T16:38:46-08:00NU vs. UVM score update: Scoreless after one
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<p>Northeastern and Vermont played to a scoreless first period at Matthews Arena on Saturday.</p> <p>BOSTON -- In the back half of a crucial Hockey East weekend series on Saturday night, the Northeastern Huskies and Vermont Catamounts skated to a scoreless first period at Matthews Arena in Boston. Despite a slower start on both sides, the home team poured things on in the latter stages and took an 12-4 shots on goal edge into the intermission.</p>
<p>The Huskies got their best chance of the period just over halfway through as rookie Ryan Belonger found iron off a corner feed from senior Steve Morra, but UVM rookie Brody Hoffman and the pipe teamed to make the stop and keep things scoreless.</p>
<p>On UVM's second power play in the final three minutes of the period, sophomore defender Michael Paliotta's shot from the point was tipped through a screen and just wide of NU senior Bryan Mountain's goal.</p>
<p>Hoffman, who remains the nation's only rookie goaltender to make the start in each of his team's games this season, was greatly tested with 12 on-target chances.</p>
<p><i>Joshua Kummins covers Hockey East for SB Nation</i>. <i>Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/joshuakummins"><font color="#161b66"><b>@JoshuaKummins</b></font></a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/hockey-east/2013/2/16/3996694/northeastern-nu-vermont-uvm-college-hockey-east-score-update-february-16Joshua Kummins2013-02-16T14:52:36-08:002013-02-16T14:52:36-08:00The Lineup: UVM at Northeastern (Saturday)
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<figcaption>Joshua Kummins</figcaption>
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<p>The Huskies and Catamounts return to Matthews Arena for the closure of their Hockey East season series on Saturday night at Matthews Arena. With Friday's 2-1 win, UVM has a five-point lead on the Huskies as it sits in eighth place.</p> <p>BOSTON – Good evening from Matthews Arena on the campus of Northeastern University where the host Huskies (8-15-3, 4-12-3 Hockey East) look to bounce back in the back half of a weekend series with the Vermont Catamounts (9-14-4, 6-10-4 HE).</p>
<p>UVM won its first road game of 2013 on Friday night, beating NU by a 2-1 count to take the season series – one that will be very crucial at the conclusion of the season in just a few weeks. With the victory, the Catamounts extended their grasp on eighth place to five points over the Huskies.</p>
<p>After scoring the winning goal on Friday, UVM senior and Williston, Vt. native Ben Albertson is a scratch from the line-up tonight with injury. On the NU side, the Huskies will see some more changes with the shortened bench with the return of rookie defenseman Dustin Darou most notable.</p>
<p>Here are the full starting line-ups:</p>
<p><b>VERMONT </b></p>
<p>Kyle Reynolds – Jacob Fallon – Chris McCarthy<br>Connor Brickley – Anthony DeCenzo – Colin Markison<br>Robert Polesello – Matt White – H.T. Lenz <br>Kyle Mountain – Brett Bruneteau – Jonathan Turk</p>
<p>Caylen Walls – Michael Paliotta <br>Nick Bruneteau – Nick Luukko<br> Anders Franzon – Yvan Pattyn</p>
<p>Brody Hoffman (9-14-4, 2.81, .907) <br>Billy Faust <br>John Vazzano</p>
<p><b>NORTHEASTERN</b></p>
<p>Robbie Vrolyk – Cody Ferriero – Adam Reid <br>Steve Morra – Braden Pimm – Ryan Belonger <br>Kevin Roy – Mike McMurtry – Vinny Saponari <br>Jarrett Fennell – Zak Stone</p>
<p>Dax Lauwers – Dan Cornell <br>Mike Gunn – Colton Saucerman <br>Ben Oskroba – Josh Manson <br>XD: Dustin Darou</p>
<p>Bryan Mountain (0-5-2, 2.47, .902) <br>Chris Rawlings<br> Derick Roy</p>
<p><i>Joshua Kummins covers Hockey East for SB Nation</i>. <i>Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/joshuakummins"><font color="#161b66"><b>@JoshuaKummins</b></font></a>.</i></p>
https://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2013/2/16/3996502/northeastern-nu-vermont-uvm-college-hockey-east-february-16-kevin-roy-brody-hoffmanJoshua Kummins