LOWELL – Can an inconsequential tie, obtained after being outplayed for more than two-thirds of a game, be the start of something encouraging for a disenchanted team?

For the 2005-06 Northeastern men’s hockey team, which produced a 2-2 tie with UMass Lowell (9-13-1, 6-9-1) Saturday at Tsongas Arena, there’s not a whole lot of choice in the matter.

The tie, and the point, allowed the Huskies to escape a Hockey East (HE) rink with signs of life, while also allowing NU to live another day outside of HE’s cellar (Merrimack, at 1-13-2 in the league, currently dwells in the basement).

“It doesn’t feel great; we would have liked a win,” said junior defenseman Steve Birnstill, who is third overall in Hockey East in assists with 12. “I think we should have won this game. But it’s better than a loss. We just needed a point in the Hockey East and something to get rolling. We needed something we can grab onto.”

A night after the Huskies (1-16-5, 1-11-5) ended a three-game scoring drought in a loss to the River Hawks 2-1 at Matthews Arena, NU came into Lowell’s American Hockey (AHL)League rink and appeared subdued for the most of the first period. The Huskies waited over 15 minutes to put their first shot on UMass-Lowell goal tender Peter Vetri (27 saves).

In the second period, the Huskies continued to lose rushes to the puck and were still being out-shot by UMass-Lowell. As has been the pressing issue all year for a young, often times undisciplined team, NU piled on penalties in the second frame, including four in a row.

“We played horrible in first two periods, I think they kicked our ass all over the ice,” coach Greg Cronin said. “Penalties will kill you and particularly in AHL rinks where the bench is on the other side and there’s that long change.”

The Huskies came out in the final frame with a renewed energy. Behind a game-tying goal by freshman forward Joe Vitale (5) with just 5:40 left, NU pushed the River Hawks to overtime and avoided a disappointing finish.

“In the third period, we made a commitment to win loose puck battles,” Cronin said. “In the first 15 minutes there, we had so many chances and [Vetri] was making save after save. I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s going to be one of those games where you walk out losing after getting 20 shots in the third period.'”

Both teams scored goals in the opening period. Just 3:01 in, River Hawk fourth-line freshman forward Mark Roebothan broke free of the NU defense and quickly moved into the Husky slot and slid the puck past NU goalie Adam Geragosian (30 saves). NU responded when freshman forward Matti Uusivirta took a puck off the boards and stuffed it past Vetri with 4:48 left in the period.

UMass-Lowell took the lead back 3:57 into the second period when Grant Farrell, from beyond the slot, lifted the puck past Geragosian.

“UMass-Lowell almost looked like they were afraid to lose,” Cronin said. “We had four forwards out there with 28 seconds to go and had [Jimmy] Russo on the point. That’s something I was telling them, that we’re here to win. It’s not about saving a point.”

UMass-Lowell coach Blaise McDonald seemed surprised that his team didn’t lose.

“I thought NU deserved to win; it was a typical Hockey East battle,” he said. “I love the way [NU] plays. They can create offense by jamming the net and that’s how goals are scored.”