BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Northeastern, which is receiving votes in both national polls and boasts 11 NHL draft picks, came calling at Total Mortgage Arena on Tuesday night. The Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team answered the call. Second-period goals from seniors Kevin Lombardi (Schwenksville, Pa.) and Logan Britt (Crystal Lake, Ill.) gave the Pioneers the cushion they needed, as the hosts dealt the Huskies their fourth straight loss, 4-2. Senior goaltender Luke Lush (Sherwood Park, Alberta) stopped 27 of 29 shots in the victory.
With the recently-skidding Huskies in town, Sacred Heart (8-7-1) came out and applied pressure early, which resulted in the opener, at the 5:48 mark. Sophomore Hunter Sansbury (Lomita, Calif.) and Britt combined to hold the puck in at the right point, with the latter feeding first-year Marcus Joughin (Tecumesh, Ontario) in the high slot. Joughin held for a beat and then snapped his sixth of the season inside the left post.
Northeastern (7-7-3) turned the tide in the back half of the frame. Lush (7-6-1) diffused a 2-on-1 with a sliding save to his right, and also made a point-blank save on a deflection by senior Matt DeMelis to preserve the lead into the late stages of the stanza. Lush did not have an answer for Sam Colangelo though. The junior steamed into the zone on the left side and wired his fourth of the campaign to the top-right corner at 17:24, to even things up heading into the intermission.
Much like the first period, Sacred Heart set the tempo early in the second stanza and reclaimed the lead at 6:25. Junior John Jaworski (Grinnell, Iowa) had the initial shot on the play from the left side, before the rebound wound up in a blender out front. With bodies sprawling in the crease, Lombardi eventually found the puck and popped his fifth of the year to the back of the net.
The Pioneers capitalized on a late turnover to extend the lead to 3-1 heading back into the locker room. Britt picked off a clearance attempt along the left half-wall, circled behind the net, swung into the right circle, spun and flipped a shot into traffic which found its way home for his first of the year. It was his first goal in nearly 11 months, as he last scored against Army on Jan. 18.
The insurance proved important, as on the other side of the intermission, it was Northeastern's turn to benefit from a turnover, at 5:24 of the third. Sophomore Braden Doyle won possession at his own blue line and then sophomore Matt Choupani fired a pass across the neutral zone to spring DeMelis into the offensive end. From high in the left circle, DeMelis snapped his second of the year through Lush.
Almost immediately, the Huskies went to the power play in search of the tying goal, but the SHU penalty kill conceded just one shot during the advantage. The PK would be called on again late, and again stood strong, surrendering just a pair of shots this time. Northeastern had one last gasp with the goaltender pulled, but senior Neil Shea (Marshfield, Mass.) – a Northeastern transfer – pounced on a loose puck and sent it 150 feet into the yawning net to ice the contest, at 19:03.
"I just thought we had our legs tonight," said SHU head coach C.J. Marottolo after the game. "We were working together as a five-man unit… I'm really proud of the effort tonight."
Junior Devon Levi (7-6-3) finished with 24 saves against 27 shots in the Northeastern crease.
It marked Sacred Heart's first-ever win over Northeastern, in the fifth meeting between the two squads.
Tuesday marked the final game ahead of the exam break for the Pioneers, who are back in action for an Atlantic Hockey series at home against Mercyhurst on Dec. 29-30. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday and 4 p.m. on Friday at Total Mortgage Arena.
