Northeastern Earns Weekend Sweep with 4-2 Win Against Massachusetts
Sophomore forward Nolan Stevens registers two goals and assist for Huskies

Sophomore forward Nolan Stevens registered two goals and an assist for the Huskies
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 7:08  NOE1-0 PP Garret Cockerill (6)Dylan Sikura/11, Kevin Roy/9
1st 11:39  NOE2-0 EV Nolan Stevens (12)John Stevens/13, Matt Benning/8
1st 15:05  UMA1-2 EV Anthony Petrella (2)Ray Pigozzi/19, Dennis Kravchenko/14
2nd 5:53  UMA2-2 EV Maddison Smiley (1)Joseph Widmar/3, Dominic Trento/9
2nd 13:48  NOE3-2 PP GW Nolan Stevens (13)Matt Benning/9, Adam Gaudette/13
3rd 16:57  NOE4-2 PP Zach Aston-Reese (10)John Stevens/14, Nolan Stevens/13
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Massachusetts  1102
Northeastern  2114
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Massachusetts  891330
Northeastern  1211629
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Massachusetts (8-19-4)  0/4 11/30 0
Northeastern (12-13-5)  3/7 7/14 0
Massachusetts Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Alex Wakaluk (L, 1-3-0)57:374 1010525
Empty Net2:230     
Northeastern Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Ryan Ruck (W, 10-10-4)59:582 781328
Empty Net0:020     

BOSTON, Mass. - Nolan Stevens had three points (two goals, one assists) and the Northeastern men's ice hockey team (12-13-5, 6-8-4) went 3-of-7 on the power play en route to a 4-2 victory against Massachusetts (8-19-5, 2-14-4) to earn the weekend sweep on Saturday night at Matthews Arena.

Northeastern jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the first period before seeing the Minutemen battle back to tie the game at two in the second period. A power play goal from Stevens late in the second put NU on top for good, and Zach Aston-Reese added an insurance marker with 3:03 left in regulation to help Northeastern remain unbeaten in 12 of its last 13 games (10-1-2). Ryan Ruck made 28 saves in goal for the Huskies, including 13 stops in the third period alone.

The Huskies now sit alone in sixth place in the Hockey East standings with 14 points after extending its conference unbeaten streak to seven games (6-0-1) dating back to the start of January.

Garret Cockerill also scored for the Huskies, who were outshot by UMass 30-29 in the game and was a perfect 4-of-4 on the penalty kill. Alex Wakaluk was strong in goal for Massachusetts, making 25 saves, while Anthony Petrella and Maddison Smiley both scored for the Minutemen.

Goal descriptions:

- Cockerill continued his hot weekend with his second goal of the series to put the hosts up 1-0 with 12:52 left in the first period. After Austin Plevy was called for hooking, Kevin Roy fed Dylan Sikura with a pass at the point. Sikura then spotted Cockerill across the blueline, and sent the puck over for a one-timer that caught the stick of a Minutemen defender to get past Wakaluk for Cockerill's sixth of the season.

- The Stevens brothers connected to put NU up 2-0 with 8:21 left in the second period on Nolan Stevens' team-leading 12th goal of the year. After Nolan skated the puck around the attacking zone, he dropped to John Stevens at the right dot. Nolan then cut to the front of the net and fired a one-timer from John under the arm of Wakaluk for the score.

- Massachusetts cut the deficit to one with 4:55 to go in the first period on Anthony Petrella's second goal of the year. With UMass transitioning off a turnover, Ray Pigozzi skated the puck down the left side before firing a shot towards goal that Petrella redirected through Ruck to make it 2-1 Northeastern.

- The Minutemen knotted the game at two six minutes into the third period when Maddison Smiley scored his first goal of the year, taking a pass from Joseph Widman in the slot and sneaking a shot under the arm of Ruck.

- The Huskies retook the lead with 6:12 to go in the second period on Nolan Stevens' second of the night during a full two-minute five-on-three power play for Northeastern. Adam Gaudette began the play by spotting Matt Benning at the point. Benning then found Stevens atop the right dot, and he rocketed a shot top shelf for his 13th of the year.

- Northeastern extended its lead to two with 3:03 left in regulation on Aston-Reese's 10th of the year, and NU's third power play goal of the night. After Nolan Stevens fired a pass up to John Stevens at the point, John spotted Aston-Reese alone at the right dot and sent the puck back down. Aston-Reese then quickly settled the puck and sniped a shot top shelf past Wakaluk.

Stats of the game:

- Northeastern is now 49-27-10 all-time against Massachusetts and has won each of the last four games against UMass for the first time since 2011.

- Roy moved into sole possession of 23rd on Northeastern's all-time scoring list (134 points), passing Leo Depere, and moved into 20th place on Northeastern's all-time assists list (78), passing Paul McDougall.

- Ruck is now 10-1-2 in his last 13 games with a 1.52 goals against average and .938 save percentage. He has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last 11 starts.

- Sikura extended his point streak to four games (one goal, three assists), tying a season-long. Aston-Reese (three games; three goals, three assists), Roy (three games; one goal, two assists), John Stevens (three games; five assists) and Nolan Stevens (three games; three goals, four assists) also extended point streaks on Saturday.

- Cockerill's first period goal gave the Huskies 17 goals from defensemen this season, which is tied for eighth in the nation. He also extended his point streak to three games (two goals, three assists).

The road ahead:

- Northeastern will head back on the road Friday night when the Huskies travel to Hartford, Conn. to take on Connecticut at 7:05 p.m. from the XL Center.