Backcheck
It’s pretty much settled. These aren’t your older cousin’s Northeastern Huskies.
Better put special emphasis on the “pretty much” part, especially since they have yet to encounter almighty New Hampshire –although that will change when the Granite State Goddesses drop in on Matthews Arena this Sunday. But up to this point, Northeastern has made remarkable headway at 9-2-2 overall, the program’s best start since 2001-02. That includes a first rate 5-1-2 record within Hockey East boundaries and a 4-0-1 showing on the road.
Most recently –while nucleus Florence Schelling continues to nurture a runaway league lead in the way of goals-against average (0.99), save percentage (.964), and plus/minus (plus-17)- the rest of the Huskies are beginning to burgeon offensively and are on the heels of an encouraging pushback against adversity.
This past Friday, NU trailed host Providence College, 3-0, before the game was 12 minutes old. In a matter of seven minutes, five shots faced, and two PC power plays, Schelling had authorized as many goals as she had allowed in all of the first periods of her previous 12 starts combined.
Outshot 8-2 by that time, the strike force perked right up, seizing control of the shooting gallery by a 7-1 differential and hopping on board via Kristi Kehoe before intermission. From there, Schelling regained her trademark rigidity and the Huskies smuggled three unanswered shots past Friars’ stopper Genevieve Lacasse en route to a 4-3 triumph.
By night’s end, even with the uncharacteristic disciplinary and defensive detonation, NU retained a comfortable lead in terms of fewest goals allowed (1.08 median per game) and penalty minutes (average of 8.2 per game).
More critically, their youthful offense –saturated by the presence of six freshmen- has doled out nine goals in its last three ventures. Winger Casey Pickett has four points to speak of in her last four games. Kelly Wallace, who made her belated college debut on October 31, already has three goals in her first five outings. Danielle Kerr notched her first career point on Friday, assisting on Pickett’s goal that sawed the deficit to 3-2 midway through the second period. And second-line center Brittany Esposito, this author’s preseason pick for Hockey East rookie of the year, is keeping a passable pace with a 2-3-5 transcript over the last three weeks and a 2-6-8 log on the year.
In each their previous two seasons, the Huskies accumulated a modest 63 goals. At their current pace, they ought to finish with about 81 by the time the 34-game regular season rounds out.
Meanwhile, if Schelling’s peerless proficiency is to hold up, the defense figures to allow no more than 37 goals. But remember that she has a certain engagement in Vancouver with her Swiss sisters next February, at which point Northeastern will be in the stretch drive of the playoff race. And at any rate, especially with Friday’s gentle reminder that she is an imperfect mortal being, Schelling is likely to allow a few more goals on a slightly more frequent basis as we roll along.
Likewise, however, her teammates have just proved that they have the requisite resolve to compensate any quantity of error she makes. Therefore, as they defend their claim to a high-rise Hockey East playoff spot and recognition in the national polls, the Huskies can expect to see both their goals-for and goals-against average ascend a few notches.
And one would like to think they can gladly accept that trade-off.
***
Their roster fully stocked after a campus flu outbreak wiped out one contest last weekend, New Hampshire resumed play on Wednesday and squeaked out a rather gritty 1-1 draw with host Harvard. Starting left winger Micaela Long would be the only Wildcat to appear on the scoresheet, picking up an unassisted equalizer in the opening minute of the second period, and puckslinging defender Courtney Birchard and freshman forward Kristine Horn combined for 13 of the team’s 25 registered shots. Eight of the 12 Wildcat attackers went through the night without a single stab at Harvard stopper Christina Kessler. Furthermore, it was the first time all season that UNH was confined to a single goal.
Three days later, and in wake of a 3-1 deficit behind RPI in the second period, the Wildcat offense finally perked back up. Between the 6:53 mark of the second and the 9:37 mark of the third, UNH dictated the shooting gallery 15-4 and usurped the lead, ultimately stamping a 4-3 triumph highlighted by captain Kelly Paton’s hat trick and second four-point game of the month.
***
The bipolar Boston College Eagles pole-vaulted over Providence to squeeze into second place Friday, rinsing out the vinegar of Wednesday’s 4-0 home loss to Boston University through a 4-3 shootout win at Vermont. Though technically perched on the .500 fence at 4-4-6 overall and 3-3-3 in Hockey East action, BC has now claimed three extra points in the bonus round, where goaltenders Kiera Kingston and Corinne Boyles are a perfect three-for-three in their last respective chances.
Forecheck
Two intraleague matchups shall precede the Thanksgiving holiday, after which there will be a two-day cornucopia of strictly nonconference engagements.
But on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, traditional underdogs Maine and Vermont will both be bent on proving they have a real ignition going. The Black Bears will host BU to end a potentially detrimental nine-day layoff. After all, they had only just snapped an 11-game winless hex (0-9-2) with a 1-0 knockoff of first-place Northeastern, though they have yet to score more than two goals in a single game since September. They’ll need some sort of ammo to counter the Terriers, who have charged up three or more tallies in six of their last seven ventures.
The Catamounts, meantime, have scored eight goals in their last three outings –the kicker, naturally, being that those were spread out over two far-apart get-togethers with Boston College. The rest of the time, they have been utterly arid, enduring four shutouts.
Lo and behold, they are slated to visit Northeastern, the club responsible for two of those sour lemon-based doughnuts, this Wednesday
Weekly scoreboard
Wednesday, November 18
Boston University 4, Boston College 0
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0910/boxes/wbc_bu_1.n18
http://bceagles.cstv.com/sports/w-hockey/recaps/111809aab.html
http://www.goterriers.com/sports/w-hockey/recaps/111809aab.html
New Hampshire 1, Harvard 1
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0910/boxes/wharunh1.n18
http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/wice/2009-10/releases/20091118ugnr2o
Friday, November 20
Boston College 4, Vermont 3 (SO)
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0910/boxes/wbc_ver1.n20
http://bceagles.cstv.com/sports/w-hockey/recaps/112009aaa.html
http://www.uvm.edu/~sportspr/womens_hockey/?Page=News&storyID=15466
Northeastern 4, Providence 3
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0910/boxes/wnoeprv1.n20
http://gonu.com/whockey/2010/wh10-13.shtml
http://www.friars.com/sports/w-hockey/recaps/112009aaa.html
Saturday, November 21
New Hampshire 4, Rensselaer 3
http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0910/boxes/wrenunh1.n21
http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/wice/2009-10/releases/20091121i8pfdu
Sunday, November 22
U.S. Olympic Team 4, WHEA All-Stars 0
Upcoming schedule
Tuesday, November 24
Boston University at Maine, 7:00 pm
Wednesday, November 25
Vermont at Northeastern, 3:00 pm
Friday, November 27
Minnesota Duluth at Boston College, 1:00 pm
Maine at North Dakota, 1:07 pm
Boston University at Princeton, 4:00 pm
Wisconsin at Providence, 7:00 pm
Connecticut vs. Quinnipiac, 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 28
Maine at North Dakota, 1:07 pm
Minnesota Duluth at Boston College, 2:00 pm
Boston University at Princeton, 4:00 pm
Sacred Heart/Yale vs. Connecticut, 4:00 pm/7:00 pm
Dartmouth at Vermont, 7:00 pm
Wisconsin at Providence, 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 29
New Hampshire at Northeastern, 2:00 p.m.
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