University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Northeastern
Huskies at No. 20 Northeastern on NESN Tuesday Night
10/25/2021 3:38:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Media Coverage
TV: NESN
Video Stream: NESN.com | (Outside New England): CollegeSportsLive.com
Live Stats: NUHuskies.com
Twitter: @UConnMHOC
Game Notes: UConn Northeastern
Ice Chips
UConn returns to the ice after an off weekend to take on No. 20 nationally ranked Northeastern on the road at Matthews Arena Tuesday night. Tuesday's match-up will be carried on NESN, the first of nine Husky games this season on either NESN or NESN+
Northeastern leads the all-time series 12-5-0 but UConn has had the edge of late. After going winless in their first 10 meeting with Northeastern, UConn has won two-straight and five of the last seven meetings. The Huskies have also won in three of their last four trips to Matthews Arena.
The Huskies have been off for 10 days after dropping a weekend series at Ohio State on October 15 and 16. UConn lost 4-3 in overtime and were shutout for the first time this season in the series finale, 3-0. Northeastern is fresh off a 1-0 win over Colorado College at home on Friday.
The Huskies return to Hockey East play where they are 1-1-0 after a split with Boston University earlier this month. Northeastern is 0-1-0 in the league with a loss at Boston College on their ledger.
UConn is in the middle of a season-long seven game road swing. After Tuesday's game, UConn will head to Dartmouth on Saturday night and then travel up to Maine next weekend for a two-game set before returning home to the XL Center on November 12 against Boston College.
UConn grad student Darion Hanson has been the Huskies starter in all five games this season and owns a 2.37 goals against average and a .929 save percentage Hanson ranks third in Hockey East in save percentage in the early going.
Senior Jachym Kondelik leads the team in scoring with six points on two goals and four assists and has had at least a point in four of the five games. Kondelik is coming off his third-straight season of 20-plus points, finishing with four goals and a team-best 18 assists last year. He is the Huskies leading active career point leader at 77 points (18g/59a).
In the overtime loss at Ohio State, defensemen Roman Kinal and John Spetz each scored their first goals of the season and also picked up assists. Spetz has a goal and three assists on the season
Sophomore Ryan Tverberg has put up five points on three goals and two assists through five games. Tverberg had a career-high two goals, including the game-winner, in the win at BU. He and junior Vladislav Firstov share the team lead with three goals apiece.
Senior Jonny Evans has four points on a goal and three assists through five games. Evans was a CCM/AHCA second team All-American, UConn's first since 1998, after winning the Hockey East scoring title with 29 points on 14 goals and 15 assists last season. He also became the first UConn player to be named a Hockey East First All-Star. Evans was also a finalist for the Hockey East Player of the Year award as well as being a Hobey Baker candidate.
The Huskies were picked to finish sixth in this year's Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll, their highest ever spot in the preseason ranking. In six of their seven seasons in Hockey East, the Huskies have outplayed their preseason prediction. Last season, UConn was tabbed seventh in the preseason poll and finished fourth in the final standings, their best-ever conference finish.
The leadership for this year's Huskies will be made up by a foursome of upperclassman. Seniors Carter Turnbull, an assistant captain last season, and Jachym Kondelik will wear the "C" on their jerseys this year while fellow senior Marc Gatcomb and junior Roman Kinal will serve as assistant captains.
Last Meeting vs. Northeastern
February 5, 2021 @ UConn - L, 5-4
- UConn went on the road to No. 14 Northeastern and came away with a 4-1 win at Matthews Arena with four different Huskies finding the back of the net.
- Junior Jonny Evans scored the game-winner while freshman Artem Shlaine picked-up his first career goal.
- After dropping the first 10 meetings with Northeastern in the all-time series, UConn has won five of the last seven match-ups.
- The Huskies had a 17-10 shot advantage in the first period but fell behind on a Northeastern power play goal from Zach Solow. UConn went on to score four-straight as Shlaine and Evans made it 2-1 in the second period and juniors Ryan Wheeler and Kale Howarth finished if off with third period goals.
- UConn outshot Northeastern on the night, 42-25 as junior goaltender Tomas Vomacka need make just 24 stops to get the win. NU goaltender Connor Murphy made 38 saves in taking the loss.
