Despite getting to host an NCAA tournament game at home for the first time ever, the Northeastern women's hockey team lost 3-2 to Cornell in an overtime thriller Saturday.
The Huskies got behind early. The Big Red put up 11 shots on goal while playing a stingy defense during the first period and went into the locker room with a 2-0 lead.
Coming back from the break, however the Huskies looked more relaxed and went toe-to-toe with Cornell through the second period, putting 9 shots on target.
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Still, the Huskies entered the third period in an 0-2 hole and needed something to get them going. That's when sophomore forward Veronika Pettey's shot found the back of the net. Suddenly, the two-score hole didn't seem as deep as it was just minutes before.
The shot re-energize Northeastern fans and gave the Huskies momentum. And just a few minutes later, sophomore Skylar Fontaine scored the equalizer.
In overtime, both teams looked like equals. Each squad had 3 shots on target while playing strong defense.
But Cornell's Gillis Frechette found a seam in the Huskies defense and turned a breakaway into a game-winning goal in the sudden death overtime.
The Huskies played without star player Alina Mueller who was dealing with a fracture to her right hand.
"Obviously, you lose your top player, it affects you," said head coach Dave Flint. "But .... I liked how the team battled. The nice thing about our lineup is we have the depth, so when a player like that is out, other kids can step up. And I thought they did a really good job today playing without her."
Despite the loss, Flint reflected on the work the team put in this year, particularly the work of the seniors.
"I told them, 'The future's really bright for Northeastern women's hockey,'" he said. "Players we have returning, kids we have coming in. But [the seniors] can look down the line when we're having more success and be proud of what they accomplished and...the groundwork that they laid for future teams."
