By Brittany Burke
One quick goal made by the Northeastern club hockey team 29 seconds into Saturday night’s game didn’t rattle the CCSU hockey team as the Blue Devils went on to score four of their own, topping the Huskies by one.
With Ross Mocko starting in net, the Huskies took the quick advantage, but it was the first and only time that the Blue Devils would trail in the game.
“It’s not the start we wanted but I think we rebounded pretty well, they didn’t score again until the second or third period whatever it was, so our team responded well. It’s obviously not what you wanted first shift,” said Ryan Stanley.
As the clock wound down, the defense stepped up and kept the Huskies off the boards, and with 7:15 left to play in the first, Stanley took a glove-side shot past Northeastern’s goalie for the tie. It was Stanley who struck again less than three minutes later to edge past the opponent going into intermission.
The first line was most productive in terms of getting points on the board, anchored by R. Stanley, his brother Conor and Jon Knobloch, but the other lines came out strong, also contributing to the weekend’s win.
Having multiple strong lines is something that Head Coach Ben Adams has been preaching since he took over the position three years ago, and it was apparent in the game against the Huskies.
“I think we finally have four solid lines,” said Ben Adams. “First line helped us out tonight obviously with two big goals and they’re going to help us out all year, but production from the other lines is coming. Siracusa with a goal, he hit a post, a lot of offense from [Evan] Mink, [Adam] Maz[urkiewicz] and [Jack] Johnson and it’s gonna come, but I think we have at least three solid lines if not four.”
As the second period got underway, the Blue Devils quickly took the 3-1 advantage with a goal coming from Matt Siracusa.
CCSU managed to keep up with Northeastern, who had the speed but couldn’t bury the puck past Mocko. With a little under half the time off the clock the Blue Devils first line struck again, this time with a goal from C. Stanley, assisted by R. Stanley.
The Blue Devils managed to go on a four point scoring streak before the Huskies got back on the board with 26 seconds left to play before the final intermission.
The last-minute goal gave the Huskies momentum entering the game’s last period, but again the Blue Devils came out with speed and intensity to finish off the match. Neither team produced a goal as the third wound down, skating back and forth from one end of the ice to the other.
However, with 4:16 left the Huskies cut their deficit to one with plenty of time left to play. As the game clock hit under two minutes Mink was sent to the box, giving Northeastern the man-advantage and sending CCSU into the penalty kill.
Northeastern also chose to pull its goalie for the sixth man on the ice, but the play didn’t work and the Blue Devil penalty killers kept the team alive for the win.
“You’re always on a little of an edge the last five minutes of the game when they have a shot, but we’re rolling six guys out there and we’re not worried about any pairs so we just have to bear down our sticks and again if we give one up we know we could score one,” said Adam Goldstein.
Saturday’s game was the only match-up for the Blue Devils this weekend, but the team gets thrown back into back-to-back games next weekend for the CT Governor’s Cup, being held at the Newington Arena on Friday and Saturday.
