University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Northeastern
UMass Hockey Falls In Heartbreaker To No. 4 Northeastern In Overtime, 3-2
March 15, 2009 | Hockey
March 15, 2009
BOSTON - Alex Tuckerman ended UMass Hockey's season with his overtime goal in No. 4 Northeastern's 3-2 victory over the Minutemen Sunday night at Matthews Arena. UMass was down 2-1 with 35 seconds remaining in regulation when Matt Irwin scored his seventh goal of the season to send the game into overtime. James Marcou also scored for the Minutemen (16-20-3), while Paul Dainton made 36 saves in goal. Brad Thiessen got the start in goal for Northeastern (25-10-4), making 35 saves.
The Huskies outshot the Minutemen 39-37, while UMass was 1-for-4 on the power play. Northeastern was 1-for-3 on the man advantage and won 42-of-75 faceoffs.
The Huskies outshot the Minutemen 13-9 during the first period, but each team had several quality scoring chances. Each team was awarded a power play in the opening stanza, but neither squad could capitalize on the man advantage. Dainton and Thiessen each made several challenging saves during the period, and their defense was able to clear out any loose rebounds to the side of the net. The Minutemen did their best to keep the puck low on Thiessen in hopes of a big rebound, but for the most part Thiessen sent the UMass shots into the corners.
The Minutemen opened up an early lead on a goal from Marcou two minutes into the second period, but Northeastern responded with two goals of its own to take a 2-1 lead heading into intermission. When UMass went on the power play just 1:39 into the stanza, the Minutemen wasted no time in taking the lead. On the ensuing faceoff, Matt Irwin took a shot from the point that was saved by Thiessen. The rebound popped out to Marcou who lifted the puck over the Northeastern netminder for his 15th goal of the season.
The Huskies answered back with a power play goal of their own with nine minutes to play in the frame on Tuckerman's seventh goal of the year. Tuckerman took a pass from Mike McLaughlin down low, then wheeled around the right faceoff circle and wristed a shot that beat Dainton short side.
Northeastern took the lead 40 seconds later on Ryan Ginand's 20th goal of the season. After a quick clear, Northeastern went in on a 3-on-1. Ginand skated in with the puck, and once the UMass defenseman committed to the pass, he let a wrist shot go from the slot that beat Dainton high.
Thiessen and the Northeastern defense shut down the Minuteman attack through the first 19 minutes of the third period, but Irwin came through once again for UMass, scoring his third goal of the series with 34.8 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime. UMass called timeout with 1:14 left in the period, and pulled Dainton shortly after winning the faceoff.
Marcou held the puck in the faceoff circle and fed Irwin with a pass at the point. Irwin quickly settled the puck and then let a bomb go from the point that beat Thiessen blocker side for his seventh goal of the season.
Tuckerman's goal came with 9:34 remaining in the first overtime. Tuckerman gathered the puck behind the net, skated out in front and roofed a shot over Dainton's shoulder for the game-winning goal.
