After the way his team played the final 30 minutes, Sebastian Laplante will take one point.
Laplante’s Northeastern Huskies (11-12-8) jumped to a 2-0 lead early in the second, but No. 9 New Hampshire (18-7-6) took over from there, netting a goal in the second and third to capture a 2-2 tie in front of 5,814 fans at the Whittemore Center.
“Give all the credit to UNH,” Laplante said. “They started to put the puck behind our defense. We weren’t able to contain them coming through the ice. I give them all the credit.”
Freshman Kevin Goumas continued to play well, netting the equalizer on a good-bounce goal midway through the third period.
Goumas took the puck near the goal line off a pass from center Mike Borisenok and fired a shot on net which deflected off Northeastern defenseman Mike Hewkin and behind goalie Chris Rawlings (33 saves).
The Wildcats continued the heavy pressure through the end of the third and into the overtime frame, outshooting the Huskies 14-6 in the final 25 minutes of play.
However, despite numerous chances, UNH couldn’t put home the go-ahead goal.
“We had our chances,” UNH head coach Dick Umile said. “We battled back after going down 2-0, but Rawlings made some big saves.”
None bigger than the one he had on Goumas at the end of the second period.
Again, Borisenok controlled the puck at the high slot. As Goumas made a cut to the net, Borisenok spun around his defender and sent a no-look pass to Goumas back door for what looked like an easy tap-in before Rawlings sprawled out for leg save.
“Rawlings made some saves that kept us in this game,” Laplante said.
Goumas nearly had a another, this time early in the third.
After a shot from Stevie Moses, Goumas slept at the puck a couple times before making contact on a shot that trickled past Rawlings. After a review, referees determined that the net was lifted off of its posts and Goumas’ equalizer was disallowed.
“I saw the far post come off,” Goumas said. “I thought the puck crossed the line before the net came off, but I guess it didn’t.”
The Huskies, contrary to typical fashion, opened up hot at the beginning of the game to jump out to the 2-0 lead.
Drew Daniels got the scoring started when he buried a wrist shot on a nice feed from Steve Quailer. Quailer, leading a four-on-two rush, made a move past a defenseman and carried it on net before leaving the puck in the slot for Daniels.
Wade MacLeod snuck home Northeastern’s second goal of the night with a pretty wrist shot on a power play that snuck the puck just above UNH goalie Matt Di Girolamo’s left leg pad.
“We’ve had problem with getting started in the first period,” Laplante said. “We’ve been waiting for opponents to take it to us, then responding. Tonight was a little bit of reverse of that situation.”
Momentum swung when UNH’s forecheck picked up midway through the second and minutes later, Connor Hardowa lit the lamp on a wrist shot from the left circle.
“They did a good job on the forecheck,” Laplante said. “We’ll look at the video and adjust before tomorrow.”
