University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Northeastern
Huskies Face No. 15 Northeastern Friday Night
11/8/2018 2:39:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
TV Coverage: Â NESN; TSN.ca/TSN App
Radio Coverage: UConn IMG Sports Network -Â 97.9 ESPN Hartford | WILI 1400 AM and 95.3 FM
               Bob Joyce (pxp) Adam Giardino (color)
Audio Stream:Â TuneIn.com
Video: NUHuskies.com
Live Stats: NUHuskies.com
Ice Chips
- The UConn Huskies head up to Boston for a Hockey East Friday night match-up with the No. 15 nationally ranked Northeastern Huskies. Last season, UConn swept Northeastern, marking their first two wins against the Huskies in program history. Northeastern leads the all-time series, 10-2-0, and have an 8-2-0 edge since UConn joined Hockey East in 2014-15.
- The Huskies went to Vermont last weekend for a two-game series and despite scoring just two goals, were 13 seconds away from sweeping all four points from the Catamounts. After a 1-0 win on Friday, backed by a season-high 39 saves from Adam Huska, the Huskies led 1-0 on Saturday before UVM tied it with 13 seconds left then got the game winner with 0.5 seconds to go in overtime to salvage the split.
- Huska was tabbed the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week for his shutout performance in last Friday's win over UVM. Huska earned his second career shutout and comes into this weekend with a 2.49 goals against average and a .924 save percentage through six games.
- Junior Alexander Payusov is off to a blazing offensive start to the season with a team and Hockey East leading eight goals in eight games. Payusov is second in the nation to Arizona State's Johnny Walker's 11 goals scored. The junior forward has scored eight times on just 18 shots and has picked-up three power play goals as well. He scored the Huskies lone goal in Saturday night's loss to the Catamounts.
- Payusov has skated on the same line with senior Karl El-Mir and freshman Jachym Kondelik over the last six games and the trio has produced 20 points (11/9).
- El-Mir scored the game-winner in the Huskies 1-0 win over Vermont Friday night. El-Mir has six points on the season on five goals and one assist, leaving him tied for fourth among Hockey East goal scorers. He has 20 career goals and 21 career assists.
- Freshman Jachym Kondelik has a team-leading 10 assists on the year, putting him at the top of the Hockey East charts and first among league rookies in scoring. Kondelik has three multi-point games this season and has a six-game point streak heading into Friday.
- The Huskies will be road warriors for the first three months of the season, playing just five times at the XL Center in their first 21 games.
- Through the first eight games, eight different Huskies have scored goals while 11 of the team's 12 rookies have made their collegiate debuts. The UConn freshmen have collected 20 points (4g/16a) in eight games with six rookies recording their first collegiate points. The junior class is right on their heels with 17 points (10/7).
Last Season vs. Northeastern
Nov. 28, 2017 & Feb. 9, 2018
Coming into last season, UConn had lost all 10 previous meetings with Northeastern but finally broke through and swept the Huskies. In Hartford on November 28, four different Huskies found the back of the net in the 4-1 upset over No. 12 Northeastern. UConn goaltender Adam Huska posted 26 saves and the Huskies used a hot start, piling up three goals in the first period to solidify a lead they would never relinquish. Maxim Letunov, Johnny Austin and Jesse Schwartz all found the back of the net in the opening frame. Northeastern cut it to 3-1 in the second period thanks to a Dylan Sikura power play goal but UConn sealed it in the third as Alexander Payusov, who returned after missing the last nine games with a knee injury, scored to produce the 4-1 final. Up in Boston on February 9, UConn got a 34-save night from goaltender Tanner Creel to knock-off No. 11 nationally ranked Northeastern 4-2, sweeping the season series. Letunov scored what proved to be the game-winner early in the third period to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead they would never give up. After a scoreless first, Spencer Naas and Benjamin Freeman both scored in the second. Northeastern pulled within 3-2 on goals by Nolan Stevens and Adam Gaudette in the third but UConn's Corey Ronan put the seal on the win with an empty net goal with just two ticks left. Northeastern's Cayden Primeau made 30 saves in taking the loss.
Scouting the Huskies
The Huskies head into this weekend's match up at 4-3-1 overall and 1-1-1 in the league after skating to an overtime tie with Boston University, 5-5, in night one of their home-and-home series and falling to the Terriers, 4-1, in game two. Sophomore goaltender Cayden Primeau has started in all eight games for the Huskies leaving him with a 2.60 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. Last season, the goaltender started 36 games and owned a 1.79 goals against average and a .937 save percentage, placing him first among all Hockey East netminders. Junior Grant Jozefek is leading the Huskies with eight points on six goals and two assists this season. The junior is coming off of a 16 point sophomore campaign were he scored seven goals and had nine assists. Northeastern finished second in the final Hockey East standings last season and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies were tabbed to take fourth in this year's preseason coaches' poll.
