By Jared Shafran, News Staff

After moving up to No. 3 in the USCHO.com/CBS Sports’ Division I poll last week, the men’s hockey team split a pair of games with the then-No. 8 Vermont Catamounts last weekend at Matthews Arena.
In the first game Friday, the Huskies played a complete game and put’ the Catamounts away by a score of 3-1.
‘I told the guys before the game that it was going to be a track meet because both teams can skate,’ head coach Greg Cronin said. ‘We’re just happy for a win.’
With nine minutes to go in the first period, the Huskies went on the power play when Vermont defenseman Patrick Cullity’ was called for high-sticking.
Right as the penalty was about to expire, freshman’ forward Alex Tuckerman made a nice play to bring the puck into the Catamounts’ zone. He then quickly passed to his’ classmate and linemate Steve Quailer who shot it into the top right corner of the goal giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead.
‘It was just a great play by Tuckerman who took the defense all the way over and gave it to me,” Quailer said.
Cronin was also impressed with his freshman on the goal.
‘ ‘It was a skill play and a really pretty goal,’ Cronin said. ‘We have to build on that because our power play is going to be the most important thing for us during the stretch run.’
Later in the period, sophomore forward Tyler McNeely was given a five minute major penalty and a game misconduct for hitting from behind. Despite being down a man, NU killed’ the penalty effectively.
After a scoreless second period, things got interesting in the third.
Just three minutes in, Huskies senior forward Ryan Ginand was called for interference. After the play, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were handed out to’ Northeastern junior forward Randy Guzior and Vermont’ forward Chris Atkinson.
Twenty-one seconds later, junior’ defenseman David Strathman was called for interference and the Huskies found themselves down two men.
Soon enough, Vermont tied the game at one on a goal by’ forward’ Viktor Stalberg.
‘He is the biggest horse out there to contain,’ Cronin said. ‘He picks the puck up and he has tremendous speed because he is a really effortless skater.’
However, just three minutes later, the Huskies found themselves with a five-on-three advantage of their own and they made sure to capitalize.
After some quality puck movement, sophomore forward Steve Silva found fellow sophomore Wade MacLeod, who shot the puck through a hole in the lower left corner of the net to give NU the lead for good.
‘We tried to get it down low and then work it up top and find a shooting lane,’ MacLeod said. ‘We’re very familiar with this team in the last couple years so it’s definitely turned into a good rivalry.’
‘ Vermont pulled their goalie for an extra skater late in the third period and senior captain Joe Vitale finished the game with an empty netter.
On Saturday, Vermont took control from the beginning of the game, peppering shots on junior goaltender Brad Thiessen.
Although Vermont dominated early, the first period ended with the Catamounts holding a 1-0 lead thanks’ to another Stalberg goal.
Stalberg went behind the Northeastern net and threw the puck in front. The puck bounced off a Husky defenseman’s skate and into the net.
The Huskies tied the game in the second period on a power play goal by senior forward Rob Rassey. Ginand took the initial shot but Rassey was able to find the rebound and put it home.
Vermont took no time in responding with a goal of their own just 15 seconds later.’ Defenseman Kyle Medvec took a shot from the point that went in as Thiessen was screened in front.
In the third period, NU got back into a game on a goal by Mike McLaughlin. It was the freshman’s first collegiate goal and it tied the game at two.
Vermont responded again to retake the lead four minutes later. This time, Peter Lenes skated past the Huskies defense and after an initial save by Thiessen, he put the rebound into the back of the net.
The Catamounts sealed the victory when Stalberg scored an empty net goal to make it 4-2 late in the third. It was his third goal of the series and 13th on the season.
‘I give Vermont a lot of credit,’ Cronin said. ‘They lost last night and they are a good hockey team that came back determined to change their fortune.’
The Huskies are now 15-5-2 on the season after the split and remain in first place in Hockey East with an 11-3-1 record.
Vermont is 13-5-3 overall and 8-4-2 in Hockey East, good for third place.
Since the games have been played, Northeastern moved down two spots to No. 5 in the USCHO poll.
The Huskies will play a home-and-home series this weekend with Providence College.’ Friday’s game will be in Providence at Schneider Arena and Saturday the series will shift back to Matthews Arena. Both games will start at 7 p.m.