BOSTON - For the sixth tournament in a row, the Northeastern Huskies (12-12-2) are headed to the Beanpot Championship game after a 3-2 overtime victory over Harvard (4-14-3) at TD Garden on Monday evening.
Trailing 2-1 midway through the third period it was the captain, Justin Hryckowian who tied the game with nine minutes to play, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine continued his red-hot Beanpot career with the overtime winner less than a minute into the extra period to clinch another championship berth for the Huskies.
- Northeastern got the first tally just over seven minutes into the opening period - on a three-on-two breakaway that started with a Justin Hryckowian takeaway, Alex Campbell took the feed from the captain in the defensive zone and skated up ice. Campbell entered the offensive zone on a three-on-two and called his own number, skating towards the high slot and firing a shot that beat the goaltender stick-side. His team-leading 15th goal of the season made it 1-0 NU.
- The Huskies finished the first period up 15 shots on target to Harvard's seven in the opening period.
- Harvard tied the game 2:53 into the second period on a shot from the blue line. The Crimson provided significant pressure in the second, lowering the shot deficit, but the Huskies held strong allowing just the one goal.
- While on a penalty kill 8:15 into the period, netminder Cameron Whitehead stonewalled a Harvard penalty shot to keep the game level at 1-1.
- The Crimson took the lead 4:21 into the third period on a shot through traffic that found the back of the net.
- Hryckowian knotted the game up at 2-2 with just over nine minutes to play in regulation. After a shot by Vinny Borgesi that was saved, Hryckowian picked the rebound out of the crease and maneuvered it around the netminder for his seventh of the season.
- Despite a flurry of dangerous chances for the Huskies in the final minute of regulation, the game they were denied a goal by the Harvard defense and the game was forced into overtime.
- It took Gunnarwolfe Fontaine just 33 overtime seconds to end the contest, as he took a cross-ice feed from Hryckowian and buried it past the diving Harvard goalie to send Northeastern to its sixth straight Beanpot Championship game.
- The goal was Fontaine's fourth of his Beanpot career, and his fifth career point. It was his sixth goal of the 2023-24 season.
- Captain Justin Hryckowian finished the night with three points, having a hand in all three Husky goals on the afternoon.
- Goaltender Cameron Whitehead finished the contest with 21 saves, earning his 12th win of the season. His record now stands at 12-10-2 on the year.
The Huskies will face the winner of the late game, No. 1 Boston College or No. 3 Boston University, next Monday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden. The 2024 Beanpot Championship will be broadcast on NESN.
