FOUR-GOAL THIRD SENDS NORTHEASTERN PAST MAINE, 8-2
Senior forward Kelly Wallace scores two goals for Huskies

Senior forward Kelly Wallace registered two goals for the Huskies

BOSTON - Four different Huskies recorded three-point efforts as the Northeastern women's hockey team (11-12-2, 7-6-2 WHEA) earned its fourth straight win in emphatic fashion with an 8-2 victory over Maine on Saturday at Matthews Arena.

Redshirt seniors Brittany Esposito (Edmonton, Alberta) and Kelly Wallace (Libertyville, Ill.) each had two goals and an assist, while junior Colleen Murphy (Cary, N.C.) and freshman Hayley Masters each notched three assists.

Ten of Northeastern's 13 skaters registered at least a point as the Huskies extended their unbeaten streak over Maine (3-16-5, 1-10-3 WHEA) to 12 straight games (9-0-3).

Northeastern scored once in the first period, three times in the second and four more times in the third to record its highest single-game goal total since an 8-7 win over Providence on Jan. 20, 2013.

After recording three points in Friday's overtime win, Esposito stayed hot in the first period Saturday with the game's first goal just 1:59 into the match. Sophomore Tori Hickel (Anchorage, Alaska) earned the assist after breaking up an attempted clear in the Maine zone. Esposito scooped up the puck off the deflection and fired a quick shot that was stopped by Maine goaltender Meghann Treacy (19 saves). Esposito stayed with the rebound and, while falling down, lifted a wrister over Treacy's shoulder from the right corner to make it 1-0.

Northeastern extended its lead to 2-0 at 7:55 of the second period when Masters won a battle behind the net and found freshman Melissa Haganey (Franklin, Mass.) open in front for her second goal of the year.

The Huskies went right back on the attack off the ensuing faceoff and put the puck in the net again just 36 seconds later. Freshman Hayley Scamurra (Williamsville, N.Y.) controlled the disc at the right faceoff dot and picked out Murphy alone at the point. Murphy collected the pass and snapped a shot towards the net that took a deflection off the back of Esposito, then off a Maine skate and into the net at the 8:31 mark. The goal was credited to Esposito, who was trying to get out of the way of the shot, but ended up tallying her second of the night.

The Black Bears pulled a goal back with just under five minutes to play in the second period on a nice solo-effort by Abbey Cook. After a giveaway in the neutral zone, Cook emerged with the puck and skated hard into the Huskies zone on the left wing. Cook waited until the last minute, before sliding a low shot inside the left post from a tough angle to make it 3-1.

Northeastern quickly bounced back, however, as Scamurra put the hosts back up by three at the 17:52 mark. Esposito collected her third point of the night with the primary assist as the Huskies went into the locker room with a 4-1 advantage after two.

At the start of the third period, Maine elected to replace Treacy with Natalie Robinson in goal. The move did nothing to stop the relentless NU attack, as the Huskies promptly went up 5-1 when Masters' centering-pass nicked the skate of junior Chelsey Goldberg (Agoura Hills, Calif.) in the goal-mouth and trickled home just 1:11 into the frame.

With the floodgates fully open, the Huskies added a sixth at the 14:16 mark when Wallace outmuscled a Maine defender in the left corner and cut in front for a slam-dunk goal that made it 6-1.

The Black Bears again snatched a consolation prize when Kelsey MacSorley, the sister of Katie MacSorley, banged home a rebound at the side of the net to cut it to 6-2 with 4:40 to play.

Northeastern was far from finished, however, as sophomore Paige Savage (Johns Creek, Ga.) got into the scoring frenzy with a wrist-shot from between the circles that beat Robinson glove-side at the 16:22 mark to push the lead to 7-2.

Wallace then put the cherry on top of a dominant performance with her second goal of the period at 19:26, finishing a pass from Goldberg to give NU its fourth goal on just nine shots in the frame.

The red-hot Huskies will look to make it five wins in a row next Saturday, Feb. 1 when they welcome Vermont to Matthews Arena for a 2 p.m. puckdrop.

Notes

- Wallace has five goals in her last five games and 13 points in her last 12 contests overall.

- Wallace extended her point-streak to five straight games (5 g, 2 a).

- Murphy has five assists in her last three games.

- Murphy was a plus-6 in the game to lead all players.

- Esposito recorded her fourth straight multi-point game and has 10 points during that span (6 g, 4 a).

- Masters recorded her first-career multi-point game.

- Savage has seven assists in her last five games.

- Savage extended her point-streak to five games (2 g, 7 a).

- Hickel picked up her first multi-point game of the season with two assists.