Top 10 Tilt

Your Northeastern Huskies welcomed in the Penn State Nittany Lions for a late afternoon tilt at Historic Matthews Arena this fine post Thanksgiving Saturday. This was no Hockey East/AHA crossover – this was a bonafide BIG GAME which featured the 4th nationally ranked team from Happy Valley and the only remaining undefeated NCAA women’s hockey team; and the 7th nationally ranked team from Huntington Ave that’s not only unbeaten at home but also perfect in conference play.

In net for the Nittany Lions was senior Katie DeSa making her 15th start of the season (now 14-1 with a 1.19GAA and a .923%SV), facing off against sophomore Lisa Jönsson making her 11th start of the campaign (now 10-1 with a 1.55GAA and a .928%SV). Just a couple of top 10 teams with top 10 goalies, Not a big deal.

You could see from the pace that both teams were bought in from the opening face-off. While the play looked disjointed in the early going, it was fairly apparent what the teams were trying to set up. PSU is a hard forecheck, dump the puck and force a mistake type of team that relies on a number of deadly shooters. NU can run and gun with anyone and they love to work the neutral zone with speed before gaining the offensive zone with possession. Both teams play physical and can generate offense from the blue line. Who would bend the knee to the other’s style of play?

The Huskies got on the board first when Jaden Bogden finished off a textbook 3:1 in which the NU top line worked the attacking triangle beautifully. Stryker Zablocki pushed the puck to Lily Shannon in the NU zone and Shannon one-handed the puck around a Penn State defender to herself and the Huskies were off and running. Shannon carried into the Penn zone and drove the right side of the slot as Zablocki broke left (notice Bogden drop behind Shannon to create the 🔼). Shannon laid the puck across to Zablocki who found Bogden driving the net.

Nice to see Bogs get one with the goalie in net. I mean DeSa was out by the right post but still counts as NOT an empty netter. That score held for the first intermission as the teams exited the ice.

The refs were letting them play for this one and the hope was that it would be consistent throughout the game, but you never know. With just under 13mins to play, Alessia Baechler got the first of her NCAA career. In heavy traffic along the RW wall Lily Brazis worked the puck down low to Emy McDermid in the corner where she shrugged off the contact and kept the puck. Skating eyes up from the RW corner McDermid spotted Baechler at the blue line and put it on her tape. Baechler gathered the puck on the Hockey East logo and let a heavy wrister go through traffic that beat DeSa. I believe that was MF Holly Abela with the screen in front.

With under 4mins to play in the middle frame, Shannon got hers. With a delayed call on Penn State, Bogden came out of the RW corner with possession and sauced the puck to Shannon driving the net from the right side half wall. The puck barely touched the ice surface before Shannon’s one-timer buried this one short side under the crossbar. 3-0 and this one was over right?

Maybe not just yet. After a goalie change by Penn State (hello Maddy Campbell and welcome into the game with NU on a major and you get no warmup, how’s that sound?) to start the 3rd, it looked like the Nittany Lions found another gear. That hustle and fight for any and all loose pucks led to a face-off deep in the NU zone to Jönsson’s right.

Grace Outwater beat Jönsson from the LW circle to put Penn State on the board directly off a draw. Mikah Keller won the face-off forwards and Outwater walked into this one and smoked the puck nearside under the glove. 3-1 and did you really think it was going to be that easy for the Huskies?

And then just about 4mins later, Penn State closed the gap even further. After an extended goalmouth scramble, and I do mean an ex-ten-ded scramble, Mya Vaslet punched the puck under Jönsson and all of a sudden it’s a 1-goal game.

There was still a half period-ish of time remaining in the 3rd, but neither team had genuine grade A chances. And the chances they had? Swallowed up by Jönsson and Campbell. Stripes tried to put their finger on the scale with a 10-ply call late but PSU couldn’t cash in on the power play.

Quick stick tap to the all-day battle between Jules Constantinople and Tessa Janecke. Iron sharpens iron and both got their licks in today. Can’t wait to watch round 2 tomorrow!

The teams are back at it again tomorrow afternoon at the Dorothy Talbot Rink in Gloucester. I don’t know much about this rink, but from what I’ve been told, if you’re heading to this one, dress warmly.

And look – our own Linda Lundrigan with a ceremonial puck drop! I hope she didn’t mess it up! Just kidding!

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