Northeastern Hockey Claims National Ranking After 5-1 Win

Northeastern men’s hockey secured a 5-1 victory over Holy Cross on Nov. 7, a result that placed the Huskies at No. 19 in the national rankings. The nonconference game marked the fourth win for Northeastern (4-2-0) against an eight-loss record for the Crusaders (4-8-0).

The scoring began in the first minute of play. Sophomore Amine Hajibi recovered a misplayed puck and passed cross-ice to Jacob Mathieu, who fired a one-time shot past Holy Cross freshman goaltender Connor Towle. Northeastern maintained offensive pressure for the next 17 minutes, forcing 16 saves from Towle. Senior goaltender Lawton Zacher made five stops during this stretch.

Dawson Sharkey extended the lead to 2-0 in the 18th minute after Giacomo Martino played the puck into the crease. A minor penalty assessed to Eli Sebastian with 30 seconds left in the first period was killed 90 seconds into the second frame. The second period featured seven penalties, including a 10-minute major for Owain Johnston of Holy Cross, but neither team scored.

Sharkey added a third goal two minutes into the third period with a wrist shot over Towle’s pad. Northeastern was shorthanded for a hooking penalty by Mathieu in the third minute, but A.J. Lacroix scored on the ensuing power play. This goal broke Zacher’s shutout, a pattern that has occurred twice this season, the previous time being against Bentley on Oct. 10.

Tyler Fukakusa scored in the 16th minute on a one-time shot from a centering pass by Martino, extending the margin to 4-1. Noah Jones scored his first goal of the season with 30 seconds remaining, firing a shot through the five-hole of Towle after winning a faceoff with Jack Pechar.

Zacher finished with 18 saves, while Towle stopped 30 shots. Northeastern’s next games are scheduled for Nov. 13 and 14 against the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn.

The Huskies will face the UConn Huskies, who hold a 4-5-1 record overall and a 2-3-1 record in Hockey East.