Braden Pimm post-game interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T95nVsyXt24
This is posted on the Huskies website:
Huskies skate into 2012 as Mariucci Classic champions!
12/31/2011
Northeastern skates into the New Year as Mariucci Classic Tournament champions after a 3-2 triumph over No. 2 Minnesota on New Years Eve at Mariucci Arena. The Huskies preserved their undefeated mark on New Year's Eve and moved to 4-0-0 on that day and extended their unbeaten to eight games; the second-best streak in the country.
The Huskies have won the Mariucci Classic tournament twice in program history with the first coming over the host (Minnesota) on Dec. 28, 1997. Northeastern moves to 4-1-1 in the Mariucci Classic and has now knocked off the No. 2 team in the country, on the road, on three separate occasions (Notre Dame, Dec. 2 & 3 and Minnesota, Dec 31).
Northeastern's eight-game unbeaten streak (7-0-1) is the third longest in program history. It is the program's longest stretch since NU went 8-0-1 in 1985-86. The Northeastern benchmark is 12 games as the 1980-81 squad won the first 12 games of the season.
Sophomore Braden Pimm came away as the Mariucci Classic Tournament MVP while junior Vinny Saponari (Forward), sophomore Anthony Bitetto (defense) and junior Chris Rawlings (goaltender) earned All-Tournament Team honors.
Minnesota committed 12 penalties and bestowed the Huskies with three two-man advantages in which NU cashed in on two of them. The junior trio of Steve Quailer, Garrett Vermeersch and Saponari acted as NU's goal scorers with Vermeersch's counting as the game-winner. Saponari and Vermeersch attacked with the two-man advantage. Quailer stretched out his point streak to a whopping nine games (6-8-14) with the even strength goal.
Despite a scoreless first stanza, the opening period looked to be all Minnesota with the shot total favoring the Golden Gophers, 12-4. The Huskies scratched back and outshot UM, 26-21, in the remaining to frames.
Rawlings has been Northeastern's rock in net, stopping 31-of-33 shots in his seventh victory in eight games. Minnesota netminder Kent Patterson turned away 27 shots in the loss.
The first opportunity of the game arrived for Minnesota at the 1:48 mark of the first stanza when Northeastern was whistled for too many men, but was negated when Tyler Matson took a tripping call at 3:14. The Golden Gophers were the only team to get a shot off during the respective extra-man opportunities in the early goings.
Both teams traded near misses as sophomore Anthony Bitetto crafted some fancy stick work through Minnesota's zone and nearly connected with Quailer on the far post, but it sailed just wide. The Gophers responded with three grade-A chances on the ensuing exchange, but UM was denied on a couple wide-open looks.
Senior Mike McLaughlin was called for interference in the offensive zone at 12:15 but did not inflict any damage as the Huskies' penalty kill did a sound job of protecting around the net. Minnesota gained a faceoff in Northeastern territory after the penalty expired and Joe Miller nearly tallied even strength after ringing a wraparound shot off the left pipe.
Northeastern closed out the first with a couple strong opportunities after a Mark Alt high-sticking call at 17:10, but both teams skated into the locker rooms after the first period scoreless.
Scoring erupted in special teams' fashion to initiate the second stanza with Minnesota striking first on a short-handed tally from Nate Condon at 00:55. Seth Helgeson was assessed a cross-checking call at 00:27, but Condon's pressure at the blue line gave way to the under-manned strike. Condon stripped rookie Ludwig Karlsson and charged on Rawlings alone, beating him with a hard wrister, blocker side, to take the 1-0 lead.
The Huskies were still on the power play and Erik Haula helped NU out even more with a hooking call at 1:57 to give Northeastern 30 seconds of 5-on-3. Northeastern wasted no time taking advantage after junior Justin Daniels cleanly won a draw out to Saponari waiting in the seam. Saponari blasted the one-timer through traffic and tied the game at the 2:00 mark with the power play tally, 1-1.
Quailer bestowed the Huskies with their first lead of the game at 5:38 of the second after Pimm induced a turnover in Minnesota's zone and zipped it behind to Quailer in front. Quailer corralled the loose puck carted it out in front of Patterson, threw a quick head fake, and slipped the backhand through the five-hole for the 2-1 NU advantage.
Haula took another interference call at 10:47 of the second to give the Huskies a chance to break it open, but the Gophers' persistent kill managed to rattle off more shots than the Huskies in the two-minute window. Rookie Josh Manson's hold at 14:03 of the second session returned the favor and gave UM its third power play of the evening, but Minnesota could not capitalize.
The Huskies took their lead into the second intermission thanks to Karlsson sweeping away that was centimeters from crossing the goal line with 30 seconds remaining. A one-timer squirted through Rawlings' pads, but Karlsson crashed the net and paddled the disc away to maintain the 2-1 lead.
The Huskies power play unit took the ice early once again to start the third period after a Larson trip at 1:25. Northeastern sent a flurry of one-timers Patterson's way, but it was Rawlings who stole the show on the power play after making an amazing acrobatic save after a Taylor Matson breakaway at 2:00.
After an Adam Reid kneeing penalty subsided, Hegelson and Ben Marshall both took holding calls at 7:38 and 9:04, respectively, to put Northeastern back on the 5-on-3 for 34 seconds. Unfortunately, the Huskies could not reciprocate their last two-man advantage and the opportunity waned.
Minnesota continued to play undisciplined and offered the Huskies their third 5-on-3 opportunity at 12:53 of the third period, this time for 1:31. Northeastern capitalized on its second power play goal of the night after working the puck around meticulously with all the open real estate. Karlsson started it up by punching it out to junior Drew Daniels up top. D. Daniels connected with Vermeersch for the one-timer and sent an absolute missile past Patterson for the 3-1 cushion at 14:23.
The Gophers added an extra attacker goal (short-handed) after Tyler Matson crashed the far post and snuck the puck by Rawlings at 19:42 to keep Northeastern in check, but the Huskies played keep away and ran out regulation as tournament champions.
Northeastern hits the ice for the first time in 2012 in scrimmage fashion. The Huskies welcome the U-18 National Team Development Program based out of Ann Arbor, Mich. on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. Hockey East play resumes when Northeastern collides with arch-rival Boston University for the first time this season. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on the New England Sports Network (NESN). Following the BU game, the Huskies will skate next door to play Boston College at Fenway Park on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m.
Mariucci Classic 2011 All-Tournament Team
MVP: Braden Pimm (Northeastern)
Forward: Braden Pimm (Northeastern)
Forward: Jake Hansen (Minnesota)
Forward: Vinny Saponari (Northeastern)
Defense: Nate Schmidt (Minnesota)
Defense: Anthony Bitetto (Northeastern)
Goaltender: Chris Rawlings (Northeastern)
Game Notes
• Northeastern is in the midst of the third-longest unbeaten streak in program history. The Huskies went 8-0-1 from Dec. 4, 1985 to Jan. 11, 1986 as the second longest run. The Northeastern standard is 12 games (12-0-0) as the Huskies won their first 12 games of the 1980-81 season under Ferny Flaman.
• The last time Northeastern took on a team from the WCHA was when the Huskies opened the 2009-10 season at Colorado College on Oct. 9-10, 2009. The Huskies split with the Tigers, 2-4 and 4-3.
• Northeastern's overall record against foes from the WCHA is 30-56-3 (354) after the victory over the Gophers. Northeastern has never skated against WCHA constituents Bemidji State, Minnesota State and Nebraska Omaha. Saturday's championship showdown with Minnesota was the 11th meeting in the series history as Minnesota still owns the slight edge, 6-5-0. Hockey East teams are 7-5-3 against the WCHA this season.
• Northeastern's record at the Mariucci Classic is 4-1-1 and 2-1-0 against the host, Minnesota. The Huskies captured their second Mariucci Classic tournament victory with the first coming on Dec. 28, 1997 (4-2).
• The New Year's Eve game against Minnesota marked Northeastern's fourth road contest against the No. 2 team in the country. The Huskies lost to Boston College (2-1) on Nov. 11 at Conte Forum before sweeping No. 2-ranked Notre Dame on Dec. 2 and 3 (9-2 and 2-1). Northeastern has faced 10 nationally ranked opponents this season and accumulated a 6-5-1 record in 12 games (NU played Merrimack and Notre Dame back-to-back as nationally-ranked foes).
• Northeastern maintained its perfect record in games occurring on New Year's Eve.
The Huskies are 4-0-0 on Dec. 31. Northeastern's first NYE game was a 6-5 win against Minnesota-Duluth at Jeno's Tournament on Dec 31, 1981. The second game was a 3-2 win over Dartmouth at the Auld Lang Syne Tournament (now the National Ledyard Bank Classic) on Dec. 31, 1988. Before tonight, the last time NU played on New Year's Eve was a 4-3 win against UMass Lowell at the aforementioned tournament on Dec. 31, 1996.
• Tonight's game for junior Vinny Saponari was not just special because he scored a goal in consecutive games for the first time as a Husky, but it also marked his 100th career collegiate game. The Powder Spring, Ga. native has accounted for 23 goals and 37 assists (23-37-60) in 100-career contests. He has scored 13 points (3-10-13) at Northeastern while the other points were accrued while a member of Boston University's team.
• Steve Quailer keeps on rolling and extended his point streak to NINE games, accounting for six goals and eight assists (6-8-14) amidst his torrent pace. It is the longest career point streak of any current Husky. Heading into Saturday night's game, Quailer was the 30th most prolific scorer in the country, averaging 1.13 points per game.
• The starting line of Steve Quailer – Braden Pimm - Cody Ferriero have been unstoppable as of late, scoring at least a point of more in the last 10 games. The trio accounted for a goal and an assist against Minnesota, pushing their production to 17 goals and 15 assists (17-15-32) in the last 10 games with a plus/minus rating of +33
• Garrett Vermeersch's first power play goal of the season, fifth of his career, stood as his first-career game-winning goal.
• Chris Rawlings has been included in the All-Tournament Team in the two holiday tournaments he's taken part in at Northeastern. The North Delta, B.C. native was the Tournament MVP at the National Ledyard Bank Classic before earning all-tournament honors (goaltender) on Dec. 31 at the Mariucci Classic.
No comments:
Post a Comment