DURHAM, N.H. - Kevin Goumas (Lake Worth, Fla.) scored a third-period power-play goal to lift the ninth-ranked University of New Hampshire men's hockey team to Friday night's 2-2 Hockey East tie against Northeastern University at the Whittemore Center.
UNH extended its unbeaten streak to three games (1-0-2) to remain atop the Hockey East standings at 16-4-4. The Wildcats are now 18-7-6 overall. NU, which also skated to a 2-2 vs. the Wildcats last October in Boston, moves to 11-12-8 overall and 9-8-7 in the league.
UNH goaltender Matt Di Girolamo (Ambler, Pa.) finished with 26 saves, including 13 in the first period. NU counterpart Chris Rawlings stopped 33 shots, including 11 in both the second and third periods as well as two in overtime.
NU recorded a 14-9 shot advantage in the first period and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Steve Quailer gained possession in the defensive zone and carried the puck through the neutral zone to the left circle to lead a 2-on-2 rush. Deep on the left wing, Quailer fed a pass back to Drew Daniels, who joined the rush down the slot. Daniels maneuvered to the left to evade a defenseman, then snapped a high wrister into the left side of the net at 15:51.
Both teams netted a second-period goal, and the Huskies struck first with a power-play goal at 6:13 to extend their advantage to 2-0. Brodie Reid snapped a pass from the right point to the high slot, where Wade MacLeod fired a screened shot inside the right post.
UNH trimmed the deficit to 2-1 at 15:53. From the right corner, Nick Sorkin (Rockville, Md.) found Jeff Silengo (Madison, Conn.) in the near circle and he centered a pass to Connor Hardowa (Edmonton, Alberta), whose low wrist shot sailed inside the right post.
The Wildcats appeared to tie the game just 49 seconds into the final frame, but after replay review it was ruled the net lifted off the moorings and Goumas' shot went under the cage on the right side.
Goumas did tie the score, 2-2, at 7:32. Blake Kessel (Verona, Wis.) initiated the scoring sequence at the top of the slot to Mike Borisenok (Watervliet, N.Y.) in the right circle. Borisenok slid a pass low to Goumas, whose shot from the end line ricocheted off Rawlings into the cage.
With NU on the power play, Tyler McNeely corralled a rebound at the left post, circled behind the net and his wraparound attempt at the right post trickled across the crease with 6:30 remaining in regulation.
UNH, which followed its 12-8 shot advantage in the second period with a 12-6 edge in the third, recorded the only two shots in the five-minute extra session to finish with a 35-28 advantage.
One of the Wildcats' top scoring chances came on a rush midway through OT. Dalton Speelman (San Jose, Calif.) carried the puck down the left wing and saucered the puck across to John Henrion (Holden, Mass.), whose one-timer from the right circle sailed wide of the net.
New Hampshire and Northeastern conclude the home-and-home series Feb. 26 (7 p.m.). The Wildcats conclude the regular season next weekend with a home-and-home set against Boston College. UNH's Senior Day is the March 5 regular-season finale at 7 p.m.