BOSTON - The Northeastern men's ice hockey team received four goals from freshmen, including two goals and an assist from John Stevens, to send the Huskies past Dalhousie in an exhibition contest on Saturday night at Matthews Arena, 5-0.
Sophomore Kevin Roy also registered a three-point night for NU, which recorded two power play and one shorthanded tally during the game. Mike Smzatula chipped in with a goal and an assist, while all three goaltenders saw action in the game, including nine first period saves from senior Clay Witt.
NU held a healthy 46-19 edge in shots during the game, and was 2-of-7 on the man advantage while the Tigers went 0-of-5 on the power play. The Huskies also dominated the faceoff dot, winning 42-of-65 draws, led by Dalen Hedges' 13-of-16 showing.
The Huskies came out of the gates flying, peppering Vye with 17 shots and netting a pair of goals to take a 2-0 lead into the locker through 20 minutes of play. The Huskies maintained puck possession for much of the opening stanza, and nearly took an early lead with Braden Pimm stole the puck from behind the DU net, and tried to find Kevin Roy crashing the net, but the puck hopped just over his stick.
Northeastern would go up 1-0 less than seven minutes in when Stevens hammered home a loose puck in the crease after an initial shot from Roy.
With the Huskies on one of their two first period power plays, Stevens and Szmatula almost connected on a quick pass across the crease, but Smzatula's shot went just wide. At the other end of the ice, Witt stood his ground, turning aside all seven shots he faced in the first, highlighted by a post-to-post save on Luke Magill on a breakaway as Magill exited the penalty box.
NU extended its lead to two on its second man advantage of the frame when Szmatula one-timed a pass across the crease from Stevens following some crisp passing from the Huskies in the Dalhousie zone.
Northeastern added three more goals during a wild second period that saw the teams combine for 34 penalty minutes. The first came just over three minutes into the frame when Roy notched a power play tally when he took a feed from Szmatula and let a wrist shot go from the slot that got under the glove of Vye and past him for a 3-0 NU lead.
Following game disqualifications to Nathan Ferriero and Brett Theberge for a scrum behind the Dalhousie goal, Stevens picked up his second of the night, this time with the Huskies shorthanded. After a botched dump in from the Tigers, Colton Saucerman picked up the loose puck and flew up ice. Stevens, joining the rush, made himself available on the right side, took a pass from Saucerman and beat Vye five-hole.
Hedges got into the act midway through the frame with he picked off a Dalhousie clearing attempt, got Vye to commit to the right before sneaking a shot inside the left post for a 5-0 Northeastern lead.
Bryan Mountain, who entered the game at the start of the frame, made six saves in 20 minutes of play.
Derick Roy was inserted into the game at the start of the third period, and NU continued to create scoring chances during the final frame. Hedges, in search of his second of the night, almost found it when he wristed a shot off the crossbar in the final seconds of a NU power play.
The Tigers nearly got on the board during a power play late in the third period when Alex Cote controlled the puck after a faceoff win in the NU zone, firing a shot off the left post.
Northeastern kicks off the regular season next weekend when the Huskies host Alabama-Huntsville for a two-game set, beginning on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. from Matthews Arena.