http://www.nunews.neu.edu/nu-news/Issues/012799/s3.html
Crunch: Men’s hockey salvages two ties, faces UNH next
By Mike Trocchi
News Staff
01/27/99
There are times when circumstances in life slip through one’s fingers without
anything to show for it. Luckily for the Northeastern men’s hockey team, while
victory slipped through its hands, a couple ties were better than nothing.
Blowing a 5-1 lead on Sunday, the Huskies tied Brown, 5-5, in another game that
saw NU fight penalty after penalty to survive.
“I really can’t explain how it happened,” said sophomore Graig Mischler of the
lost lead. “It happened so quickly.”
Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder credited Brown for its perseverance but was
dismayed at how the game was called in the third period. “[Brown] made the most
of their opportunities,” he said.
But Crowder was at issue with officials who have been questioned by many during
this college hockey season. “I don’t think the officiating down the stretch was
as fair as it should have been,” said Crowder.
Regardless, the Huskies (8-12-3, 4-9-2 Hockey East) had their chances in
overtime but came up empty for the second straight time this weekend.
Northeastern’s 2-2 tie with UMass-Amherst on Friday was a lost opportunity to
tie Merrimack for sixth place in Hockey East. The Huskies remain in seventh, one
point behind the Warriors and only two points ahead of UMass-Lowell and the
Minutemen.
“We just didn’t bury it,” said freshman Chris Lynch. “That’s been our problem
all year. It was kinda a must-win situation for us.”
Lynch put NU up, 1-0, on a power-play goal at 2:18. The Huskies, playing without
freshman Jim Fahey, who is nursing a hand fracture and is expected to be out for
at least another week, couldn’t hold defensively as R.J. Gates tie it up for
UMass at 4:19.
Sophomore Todd Barclay took a feed from behind the net from linemate Billy
Newson to put NU up, 2-1. Then, with victory within fingernail’s reach, the
Minutemen’s Jeff Turner skated in and pumped a backhand past goalie Jason Braun
to knot it up at 2.
Senior Brent Thomas saw his first action since a game against Army on Nov. 28.
The only remnant of the Ben Smith era, Thomas was happy to see some ice time and
made the most of it. At 5 feet 11 inches and 200 pounds, Thomas added some bulk
to the injured Huskies defense.
“Things happen where you have to earn your spot on the team, and I’ve been doing
that lately,” said Thomas. “Hopefully I proved something tonight.”
He is the only player from the recruiting class of 1994-95 to finish all four
years of eligibility. “That sort of means a lot to me,” he said. “It makes me
feel like the coaches have a little bit of respect for my game.”
For the Huskies at this point, their game faces its stiffest challenge of the
season this week. A Friday contest against No. 4 New Hampshire will be followed
by a first-round Beanpot contest against a surging Harvard team. NU has not won
a Beanpot since 1988.
“I had an opportunity to see UNH on Saturday,” said Crowder. “They’re a real
good hockey team.”
Mischler admits that UNH will be a tough game, and he is roaring to go in the
Beanpot this Monday. He still remembers last year’s instant replay controversy
that pulled the game against Boston University out of reach. A Roger Holeczy
goal was nullified when the refs ruled that he kicked the puck in.
“It’s gonna be redemption,” said Mischler. “We kind of felt cheated with BU.
With the instant replay, we thought we were cheated.”
A weekend of ties leaves Northeastern with the biggest weekend of the year. Not
only is Hockey East position on the line but so is the pride of Boston, a
position that the Huskies haven’t held in 11 years.
