Northeastern Held Off By Harvard, 4-3, In Beanpot Opener
Senior forward Zach Aston-Reese registers three assists for Huskies

Senior forward Zach Aston-Reese had three assists for the Huskies
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
2nd 13:50  HAR1-0 EV Alexander Kerfoot (10)Viktor Dombrovskiy/5
2nd 18:08  NOE1-1 PP Adam Gaudette (18)Zach Aston-Reese/23, Garret Cockerill/20
3rd 7:39  HAR2-1 PP Clay Anderson (2)Luke Esposito/15, Nathan Krusko/4
3rd 9:58  HAR3-1 EV Tyler Moy (12)Sean Malone/14, Wiley Sherman/7
3rd 12:18  HAR4-1 SH GW Luke Esposito (8)Alexander Kerfoot/19
3rd 13:31  NOE2-4 PP Nolan Stevens (4)Zach Aston-Reese/24, Garret Cockerill/21
3rd 18:27  NOE3-4 EV EA Adam Gaudette (19)Nolan Stevens/3, Zach Aston-Reese/25
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Northeastern  0123
Harvard  0134
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Northeastern  671730
Harvard  5121229
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Northeastern (11-12-5)  2/4 5/10 0
Harvard (16-5-2)  1/3 5/10 1
Northeastern Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Ryan Ruck (L, 11-11-4)57:284 511925
Empty Net2:320     
Harvard Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Merrick Madsen (W, 16-5-2)60:003 661527

BOSTON - Sophomore Adam Gaudette scored two goals and senior Zach Aston-Reese tallied three assists, but the Northeastern men's hockey team (11-12-5) was unable to complete a third-period rally in a 4-3 setback against No. 4 Harvard (16-5-2) in the Beanpot semifinals Monday at TD Garden.

After a slow start, the game opened up in the third period as the teams combined for five goals in a span of 11 minutes. Harvard netted the first three goals of the frame to go up 4-1 with just over eight minutes to play, before the Huskies roared back to pull within one on Gaudette's second goal of the night with 1:33 remaining.

Northeastern was unable to find an equalizer, however, as Harvard netminder Merrick Madsen stopped 27 shots, including 15 in the third period, to backstop the Crimson to the Beanpot final for the first time since 2008.

Junior Nolan Stevens chipped in a goal and an assist in his first game since Oct. 22, while junior Garret Cockerill added a pair of helpers. Goaltender Ryan Ruck made a number of important stops throughout the night and finished with 25 saves.

Goal Recaps

- Harvard broke a scoreless deadlock at the 13:50 mark of the second period when Alexander Kerfoot redirected a Viktor Dombrovskiy point-shot inside the left post.

- Northeastern pulled even on the power play with less than two minutes to play in the second stanza. Following an offensive-zone faceoff win, Cockerill blasted a point-shot through traffic and off the left post. The rebound caromed to the left of the cage, onto the stick of Aston-Reese, who quickly shifted a pass across the crease for Gaudette to hammer home at 18:08.

- The Crimson answered with a power-play goal of their own to re-take the lead early in the third. After some good puck movement in the NU zone, Luke Esposito found Clay Anderson at the top of the left circle for a blast that zipped through traffic and into the back of the net at the 7:39 mark.

- Harvard pushed the advantage to 3-1 just over two minutes later. After a pair of sprawling saves by Ruck at the right of the net, Harvard's Tyler Moy was able to dig the puck out of a net-mouth scramble and shovel it across the goal line at the 9:58 mark.

- The Crimson added to their lead with a shorthanded goal at 12:18 of the final period. After Ruck steered aside a Kerfoot shot from between the circles, Esposito crashed the net and deposited the rebound to make it 4-1 Harvard.

- Northeastern did not go quietly as Nolan Stevens cut the Harvard lead to 4-2 with another power-play goal at the 13:31 mark. Cockerill moved the puck to the right corner for Aston-Reese, who threw a centering pass into the slot for Stevens to direct home for his first career Beanpot goal.

- The Huskies pulled back within one at 4-3 with 1:33 to play in the third period. With Ruck on the bench in favor of an extra attacker, Gaudette was able to find a loose puck amidst heavy traffic in the crease and push the disc across the goal line.

Noteworthy

- Northeastern outshot Harvard by a 30-29 margin and went 2-for-4 on the power play.

- Zach Aston-Reese notched his seventh game with at least three points this season.

- Aston-Reese has four three-point efforts and three four-point performances so far this year.

- Adam Gaudette scored his third and fourth career Beanpot goals; all four have come against Harvard.

- Gaudette extended his point streak to seven consecutive games; he has nine goals, four assists and 13 points during that span.

- Gaudette has scored two goals in each of the last three games.

- Garret Cockerill extended his point streak to six straight games. Over that span, Cockerill has one goal, nine assists and 10 points.

- Cockerill has recorded four straight multi-point games.

- Nolan Stevens notched his first two Beanpot goals.

- Stevens featured for the first time since Oct. 22 against Arizona State. He has recorded at least one point in six of seven games this season.

Up Next

The Huskies will host Massachusetts on Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at Matthews Arena.