This author’s generation and that of the athletes participating in Friday’s outdoor affair at Fenway Park grew up on such movies as 2000’s Snow Day, which built its script and plot around the refrain, “Anything can happen on a snow day.”
One has to think if either party wants to embrace that mystical slogan to go with the long-cliché blizzard of “This takes us back to our childhood” speeches that will only accelerate deep into tomorrow’s face-off, then the Northeastern faithful would have to be the stronger group of romanticists.
Since the advent of the Women’s Hockey East Association in 2002, the Huskies are a painful-as-frostbite 0-25-0 versus their Frozen Fenway adversaries from New Hampshire. As if the endless battle to halt that sour stretch has not been enough, this has, so far, been shaping up as NU’s year to resurrect their long-hidden persona as a certified national contender. For weeks, if the leading national polls are of any indication, they have been lodged around the No. 9 slot, where if they were to remain would not quite cut it for an at-large passport to the national tournament.
Translation: for all they have accomplished, which is certainly not to be discounted especially in the absence of glue girl Florence Schelling, the Huskies need a tipping point to cement their statement. Hanging at least one fat loss on the four-time defending Hockey East champions, and splashing that infamous head-to-head drought in the process, could do the trick.
But they have already swung and missed on one of three opportunities to do so, having lost a tight 2-1 decision at Matthews Arena three days post-Thanksgiving. What’s more, Northeastern has, rather logically, been designated the home team for Friday’s clash, meaning after this their final option will be slaying the Lake Whittemore Monster in her own habitat. True, that was already done by the likes of Providence, but that won’t make it things much easier for any future visitors.
Unlike the 200-by-100 cavern in Durham, the elements on Yawkey Way will figure to be of relatively equal difficulty for each team. And one potential upper hand for Northeastern might be (emphasis on might) more fluid legs from last week’s 3-0 triumph over Yale and Tuesday’s 4-0 lashing of Princeton. New Hampshire is one of the last few programs snapping out of nearly a month’s worth of hibernation and when you pit anybody who expects to be a tad rustier against a squad that is already back in the routine, it can be hit or miss for the former party. (Case in point: UNH’s 5-0 loss at Providence around this time last year.)
Although, based on their recent history, the Wildcats are entering their traditionally hotter period. Since the dawn of their dynasty in the 2005-06 season, discounting NCAA tournament losses, the Wildcats have only lost two games in the second half of their run, going undefeated in two other stretch drives.
The farther New Hampshire’s presumptive acceleration can be delayed, the better it will be for the Huskies’ cause and that of many conference cohabitants. Right now, the Cats are technically tied for fourth place with Boston University, each brandishing 13 points apiece. But they do have a luscious three games in hand on the Terriers as well as the second-place Huskies, who only lead by two points.
And for Northeastern, contrasted with other teams, the remainder of the Hockey East schedule will fall a little more early and often. In fact, they have a firsthand stake in each of the next three league games, what with hosting Boston College on Monday and journeying to Maine next Friday before anybody else confronts a fellow WHEA program.
It doesn’t hurt, therefore, to consider the various implications in the serious spectacle that Frozen Fenway shall be:
A regulation win for New Hampshire suddenly pulls them even with Northeastern for second place and has them trailing BC for first by one notch. Meanwhile, the loss lowers the Huskies to 12-5-2. That is hardly apocalyptic, but every loss is harmful to a would-be tournament-goer.
A shootout win for New Hampshire gives them sole possession of third place and trims NU’s lead for second in half.
A shootout win for Northeastern at least nudges them up the league ladder a bit and compresses the long losing streak against the Cats. But on the national scale, it only goes down as a tie.
A Northeastern regulation win pole-vaults them into first place into BC, keeps their momentum rolling, and kicks a few ice chips in the Wildcats’ face. The negative effect might not last long on New Hampshire, who in all likelihood will come back angrier, but as the adage goes (and it does, in fact, have a lot of merit), “One game at a time.”
And, as a byproduct, the Huskies will have come out on top in a landmark game for women’s hockey, all on a revered diamond within yodeling distance of their campus.
Friday can and will be fun for all who partake in the game. But the contestants, Northeastern especially, will need to work their way to making sure their fun is in no way tarnished.
That’s hockey, that’s life.
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