Huskies over Warriors 5-0

The Northeastern Huskies traveled to North Andover for the back half of their home and home with the Merrimack Warriors on Saturday afternoon. With puck drop only 19 hours apart for the two games, there’s no rest for the weary as both squads had to dial in and get ready to run it back.

Once again, Lauren Lyons was in net for Merrimack looking no worse for wear after last night’s tilt. And at the other end of the sheet? Northeastern rolled out the Big Cat: Lisa Jönsson.

While it’s said that familiarity can breed contempt, one thing is for sure: inter-league play can breed some hunger and desire. You can toss the conference records out the window in these matchups. It doesn’t matter that these 2 clubs are at the opposite ends of the standings, you knew this was going to be a hard fought game until the final buzzer.

Merrimack opened the game with pace and was pushing the puck as Northeastern seemed content to counter for the opening few shifts. Today wasn’t going to be won on dangles and highlight reel goals, today was going to be won on old-time hard working hockey.

Well, if you’ve watched this NU team the last few years, then you know that’s the type of game that the Nailgun Line thrives in, and today was no different. Ella Blackmore got the game-winner when she stuck with a goal mouth scramble and eventually tucked it home. The Honey Badger drove the net and dragged it backhand to put a forehand shot on net. Lyons made the initial save but the puck sat out front for Lily Brazis to get a whack at it. The OG couldn’t find home (stay tuned on that) but Blackmore did.

That score held for abut 2 mins of game play before Mia Langlois buried one from long distance. “Million Dollas Worth of Game” has one of the hardest shots on the squad and it was in full effect and then some on this cannon launch that beat Lyons through the wickets. Langlois let it fly from top of the LW circle and it was in the net in a blink. Pay attention as it’s hard to pick up a puck that’s moving so fast on the game feed video.

Langlois (probably)

That score held until the intermission as Merrimack was clogging the neutral zone to slow down the high-flying Huskies. Northeastern was forced to move the puck D to D before moving it up the wall into transition. If NU was going to win this one it was going to have to earn it.

In the middle frame an extended possession down low in the Merrimack zone paid off for the Huskies. MF Holly Abela brought the puck out front and put a nice backhand on net. Lyons made the save and the puck tumbled to her right into the blue paint where Blackmore and Brazis were waiting to pounce. Blackmore got 2 whacks at it before Brazis hit the perfect cornhole toss into the back of the net to open up the lead to 3 goals.

In the 3rd Éloïse Caron got her team leading 7th goal (tied with Stryker Zablocki) when she finished off Morgan Jackson‘s bid. Caron sent Jackson in with a perfect pass on her tape with 2 MC defenders in hot pursuit. Jackson hit the forehand-backhand but Lyons made the save and left the puck drifting on the blue paint. Caron followed the play to the net (as she should) and tucked it home past Lyons’ outstretched right leg with a little spin-o-rama move for the Husky faithful that made the trip North.

Just past midway of the 3rd the power play cashed in when Lily Shannon tucked one past Lyons. There was some great puck movement on the man-advantage for both teams, but it was the Huskies that made it count. Shannon moved the puck up from the LW corner to Alessia Baechler at the point who slid the puck to Jules Constantinople sneaking down from the right point. Constantinople put her one-timer on net and Lyons paddled the puck right back to Shannon at the bottom of the LW circle and Shan’s not missing from there. I mean it’s her home rink practically.

That score held until the final horn and the Huskies head home in first place in Hockey East. Northeastern heads really North next weekend for a pair in Orono vs. the Maine Black Bears while Merrimack travels to just outside Boston to take on the BC Eagles before the Thanksgiving break.

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