Feb. 27, 2009
Box Score
Audio Recap
BOSTON. (Feb. 27, 2009) – Mike McLaughlin (Seaforth, Ont.) had a goal and an assist and Brad Thiessen (Aldergrove, B.C.) made 24 saves as No. 4 Northeastern shutout No. 20 UMass Lowell, 3-0, Friday night in Hockey East action at the Matthews Arena.
The Huskies are unbeaten in their last three (1-0-2) and improve to 21-8-4 overall and 16-3-3 in league play. The loss snaps the River Hawks four game unbeaten streak. They fall to 15-14-2 overall and 12-10-2 against the league.
Thiessen stopped all 24 shots he faced including 14 in the second period to record his third shutout of the season. He has all 21 wins in goal this season for Northeastern.
McLaughlin, a freshman center, had a hand in each of the first two goals on the night for Northeastern as the Huskies generated all the offense – two goals, they needed on the night.
McLaughlin opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season, the game-winner, at 8:02 of the first period when he found the back of the net from the slot. Kyle Kraemer and Alex Tuckerman picked up the assists.
McLaughlin added to his first period total with an assist on a Steve Sliva (Tyngsboro, Mass.) power play goal at 10:11. McLaughlin had the primary assist with David Strathman (Westbury, N.Y.) collecting the second assist.
The power play goal snapped the River Hawks’ streak of 28 straight penalties killed.
Jim Driscoll added to the Northeastern lead at 3:08 into the second period when he rushed the puck up ice and snapped a wrist shot past Nevin Hamilton (Ashland, Mass.).
Randy Guzior (Lemont, Ill.) and Denis Chrisholm (Fox Valley, Sask.) assisted on the Driscoll goal.
Hamilton made 21 saves but allowed three goals to take the loss for the River Hawks. Hamilton is 8-6-1 on the season with the loss.
Each team recorded 24 shots on goal. Northeastern had a 9-2 advantage in the first period. UMass Lowell had a 14-6 edge in the second.
The Huskies were 1-for-7 on the power play – Silva’s goal – with eight shots. The River Hawks were 0-for-7 on the man-advantage with eight shots on net.
Friday’s 3-0 loss was just the second time this season UMass Lowell was shutout. They were blanked, 2-0, by New Hampshire at home on December 5.
The River Hawks and Huskies conclude their weekend home-and-home series Saturday night at the Tsongas Arena. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
